Turn Out!

A I read my religion textbook, I stumbled across the fact that Catholic's disinterest in Christ is proven by the poor turn out at Mass.  Only 25% of Catholics go to Mass every Sunday.

"EEEEK!" My heart began to pump wildly, me head began to spin, my throat got choked up, everything got fuzzy.....  Well, that's not exactly how it happened, but I was astonished.   I am blessed to belong to a church that is well atended at all times, so I didn't realize what was going on.  

The words "turn out" continued to twirl through my head.  Each dancer wants more turn out.  It is the desire of each ballet dancer.  Not every dancer has perfect turn out, in fact, hardly anyone does.  "Stunning" turn out is attempted by sickling the ancles, destroying the knees by cranking the feet further than possible, sticking out your hind-quarters, and thousands of other "personalized" methods.  But the true way to get turn out is to work and exercise, to become stronger and more flexible over time.        

Is the same true about going to Sunday Mass?  Often, people don't even try to show up at Mass.  They can say "Oh, yeah, I'm Catholic" but the only time they show up at Mass is on Christmas and Easter!  They are witnessing to the truly stunning Catholic faith, by turning it into a twice a year event!  Just like dancers who crank their feet out while leaving their knees behind, these Catholics go to Church and then act as if Christ doesn't even exist! 

The way that we achieve turn out in ballet is work and practice, practice, practice!  And the way we achieve Sainthood is practice, practice, practice, practice, and more practice!  But, just as in a dance class, we aren't alone on this journey.  Turn out requires patience on our part and the help from an instructor who will tell you your mistakes over and over again.  So with "turn out" at Mass, it is just the same way.  We have the ultimate dance instructor, the one who "loves us as if there was only one of us" (St. Augustine).  He is attentive, loving, kind and holy, and always picks us up after we fall.

So practice your turn out this week.  Get to Mass, pray the most amazing prayer ever.  Maybe you won't "feel" anything.  Maybe it will be the most stunning and awe inspiring event of your entire life.  Either way, it is the greatest gift  you could have, so don't pass it up!  If you had the chance to work under the personal instruction of George Balanchine or Enrico Cechetti, you wouldn't pass that up, would you?  Today, this Sunday, you have the opportunity to work under the best coach ever.

I'll see you in Mass! (that's where I'm headed today!)

The joy of the Lord is my strength!               

~Pandy