universal.
i found myself attending mass 3 times in the past 4 days. i honestly don't remember the last time that happend or even if that has ever happend before. growing up going to catholic school and attending mass with my family every sunday slowly became a dying ritual. somewhere between graduating from st. joseph and moving onto another catholic school my parents stopped waking us up on sunday mornings. when we were kids i could remember my dad putting a boom box in the center of the hallway and just blaring the song, "rise & shine, & give God your glory, glory!!!" it didn't seem very sudden, but none of us (the 4 linnert kids) complained once that music tape was never played again. but some how when my dad woke me up to ask if i was going to church on thanksgiving day, i didn't hesistate. i figured that was the least i could do considering how grateful i was for my family. i put on my sunday best, even though it was just a thursday and i felt so warm singing those hymns i had come to know so well. the insincere priest that i blame for my absence at church spoke the words "He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said, take this, all of you and eat it, this is my body which i have given unto you." and even though i claim to strongly dislike this new priest who will never compare to fr. christopher (our old pastor) those words spoke to me. it is the sense of community and familiarity and especially faith that somehow manages to get me back to those wooden pews. so sunday came and i decided to change things up by attending a mass in sign language. i can not describe how touching it was to see such a tight knit community come together to worship. incredible how God's will keeps me running back to him.