My daily life this summer has been nothing extraordinary as of lately, and it's been pretty much mundane. Like the weather these days across Florida, I've been experiencing my own drought... a spiritual one.
Some GS youth and I have been going to Sunday mass at St. Eugene Chapel, which has been the only exception to feeding my spiritual hunger these days.
When I'm mass at St. Eugene's, it's clear to me that it's about the community coming together to celebrate the Eucharist. The congregation sings from the heart and conveys the strong energy of Christ's warmth and love. It's small, yet everyone appears to have an active role in the community.
It's not that my own parish lacks any of that, but it's just different at St. Eugene. It's just a tale of two parishes, who share a common faith, yet are opposites in many ways.
St. Eugene represents to me what the Catholic Church is all about, a faith that extends beyond the human boundaries of culture and language. St. Eugene's community is predominantly African-American and their worship is a rich blend of old black gospel roots peppered with African and Hispanic culture. There's also an occasional hint of contemporary Christian worship. This is what the modern Catholic Church should be about--uniting cultures in worship together!
As I continue to battle this drought, I'm comforted by the rich diversity my faith has to offer. I wish that more Catholics--and all Christians alike--would realize that if you put Christ in the center of all things, we have the power to overcome any cultural or language barrier.
