tell me about your mass/church experience, part iii

our readings today were wonderful - and not because i lectored, although i have to say it helped because i had to study it a bit so i would present it clearly. the first reading was especially poignant to me:

1 Kings 19:9, 11-13:

At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the LORD said to him, "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by."

A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD--but the LORD was not in the wind.

After the wind there was an earthquake--but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake there was fire--but the LORD was not in the fire.

After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.

When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

with all the commotion and all the din and in all the noise of our daily lives that can be likened to wind or white noise, earthquakes and fires, He is found in the still, small voice. it was enough to make me want to hide my face, too.

and father al was back - he goes to washington every summer for post-graduate studies and i literally ached to hear one of his homilies and he did not disappoint - he put a completely different spin on Matthew 14: 22 - 33, in part:

And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.

But immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."

And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water."

He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?"

i always thought peter's realization he was walking on water toward Jesus was what made him (a) sink and garnered (b) Jesus' subsequent response of "ye of little faith" (as in "ye of little faith in yourself or faith in Jesus' response of "come") fr. al's spin on it was the fact that peter actually seeing Jesus walking on the water toward him and the other disciples wasn't "enough" for peter to recognize Him as the Christ; peter needed "more proof." that's where his "man of little faith" response came in - the others didn't require proof but peter did.

i love peter so much because i can identify with him in all his *issues*. how many times have i had an experience of God but missed it, dismissed it, or demanded more "proof" that it was Him and have also suffered from having "little faith?"

i went up to him after mass and said "i've missed you so much..." he said "i've missed you too - it's good to be home."

talk to me about your mass/church experience.