Are you a zombie? 
Bringing back the life in your faith life.




    
       You look over at the clock on Sunday morning:  7:30am.  You have exactly thirty minutes to make it to Mass, and the 8:00am is the only time your schedule allows this weekend.  You get up, quickly dress, skip breakfast and run out the door.     
       You pull into the parking lot at 7:58am and rush into the church, grabbing a seat in the back.  You start thinking about your final on Tuesday, that young kid in front of you is a pain, the kid in your youth group to the left is distracting and you, well, your just not paying attention at all to what you came for. 
      Before you know it, your kneeling at the Consecration bells sound.  You glance up, remind yourself that this is really Christ, head up to the altar, receive communion and go back to your pew, where you make mental notes about the attire and behavior of your fellow Church-goers. 
       Once Mass is done, you jump into your car and head on to your busy day, after all, your done with this until next week.




 This is a day in the life of a faith zombie.
    
     What is a faith zombie?  Someone who goes to Church and precedes to go through the motions.  And I have to confess, sometimes I am a zombie during Church.  I walk in, put in some holy water, genuflect, go into my pew and precede to mentally check out for the entirety of Mass.  What is wrong with this?  Everything.

Stay awake!  Be ready!
     We have been given blessings we can't even begin to count.  We have a God who created us.  We can breathe.  We have a beautiful Catholic faith rich in tradition, scripture, and Magisterium.  Some blessings seem trivial:  food to eat, water to drink, clothes in our closet, and a roof over our head.  These are things some people don't even have.  
     We also have an amazing prayer:  The Mass.  In the Mass, Christ's true presence, through transubstantiation, hidden in the form of bread and wine, comes down to the altar.  Let me say that again:  Christ's real presence.  THAT is amazing!  That is something that, if we realized the significance of, we would be at Mass everyday.  We might not even leave that Church.


Missing Out....

     So why do we miss out?  Because, for some of us, it's the norm.  We're like: "Yea....big deal, Christ is there.  Isn't He here in true presence at every Mass.  I'm sorry, I don't get it."  That is why it is so beautiful to see a convert come into the Catholic faith and realize the sheer beauty of the Eucharist.  It's all new! 
     There are even little things we do during Mass that have incredible significance.  Do you know why we dip our fingers in Holy Water and make the sign of the Cross when we come in the door?  To remind ourselves of our baptism and that we are new creations in the Lord.
     Do you know why you genuflect before you go into your pew?  Your showing you respect the King of Kings.  Do you know that when you say the Holy Holy during the liturgy of the Eucharist, you are joining all the angels in Heaven in worshiping God?  Do you know when you say "Amen" when the priest gives you Communion that what you are really saying is this: "Yes!  I believe that is true.  I believe this is the body and blood, soul and divinity of my dearly beloved Lord.  I would stake my life on this."  Do you know when you leave the Church building, you are called to be the Church to the world?


     For many of us, one hour on the weekend is what we give our Lord in thanksgiving for ALL He gave to us.  My challenge to you this week would be to go to a daily Mass in your area and appreciate and love each part of the Mass. 

Don't be a faith zombie.  Let your faith come alive...and thrive!
God bless you all,

Chloe M.