Catholicity

 You know why I like going to shrines, rather than my parish church.  It's because of the variety of people that go there.  Last night I went to a candlelight procession to pray to Our Lady of Fatima.  

In short, in Fatima, Portugal, The Blessed Mother appeared to three children on the 13th of the month, for six months.  The children never veered from their story, in spite of punishments, threats, and deprivations.  And these are young children, who one would think would obey and/or be easily frightened.  

They never changed their story.

I went to a candlelight procession at a nearby shrine.  The candles were wasted because we didn't need them; there was too much daylight.  But it's the faith of the people that carried the procession.

On Sunday, you see people in church, probably because it's Sunday and they feel they're obligated.  But last night, a beautiful evening, no one would have gone to Mass, unless you wanted to go to Mass.  These people are true believers.  Plus, I heard praying in Arabic, Russian, Haitian Creole, French, Indonesian and dialects in Indonesian, Filipino, Italian, Indian, and I can't remember what else.  It brought to mind how universal the Roman Catholic Church is.  Yet, we are One.  Praise be God, the Almighty.  Amen.