Sweat, Splinters & Blood

I am beginning to think that the music ministry of Holy Trinity entertains themselves by ensuring that the entire congregation cannot follow them. Oh, we try. We do try. We stumble drunkenly (I mean, figuratively! Good grief!) after the galloping and irregular tempos. Some people even continue after the absurdly sporadic grace notes. But then despair inevitably sets in. All of this serves to distract one from the watered-down prayers and homilies which include such vague gems as, "May you do what God wants you to do." I write this not to throw even more unnecessary criticism into the ring, but rather to make the point that Catholicism is not an institution to pat you on the back and regurgitate more self-esteem-building fluff into the sickly sweet atmosphere. As Dr. Thomas Howard said, "Catholicism is a religion based on sweat, splinters and blood." I don't need more vague, open-ended self congratulations. I can come with enough of that on my own. "Human kind cannot bear very much reality" (T.S.Eliot Four Quartets) and the Church is around as a constant reminder to us. And thank God for that.