"Get with the New Generation"

Have you ever been told you should "Get with the New Generation" ?  From what I have seen of the new generation, I certainly haven't been overall impressed.  Gone are the days of respect, love, religion and family committment.  Everything is disposable and that just isn't material things, that's everything in life.

People who are my close friends know I am having a tough time within my church, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church.   Randy and I were married in my childhood parish St. Peter's Catholic Church in Delano in 1977.   It is a beautiful old Catholic Church with about 50 steps to get into.  Immediately after being married there, we began to search for a Catholic Church with no steps.  We not only found one about 20 minutes from Delano, but we fell in love with it the first time we attended Mass.  Our entire life has centered around this church.  We looked for land to build a home on and found some just 2 miles from the church.  All of our children and even our grand daughter were Baptized, received First Holy Communion, and were Confirmed through Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church.   We are friends with many who attend the church.  We volunteer and are chair persons with our children for The Incredible Festival.  Randy is a Eucharistic Minister, Max is an Usher.  It is the one thing in my life that has always been stable. 

In our dioceses, Priests are allowed to remain in a parish for 12 years.  We have experienced 3 different ones since becoming a member of Our Lady of the Lake. While we are always sad to see a change in Priests, we have been able to weather the change and become good friends with the Priests.  This time has been an emense challenge for my faith.  I just am having the most difficult time in my life and desperately need my faith and beautiful Church in my life.  However, I just can't relate to our new Priest no matter how hard I try. He is another nationality and I can't understand his speech.  I feel so ashamed and alone.  I am in tears most Sundays and just can't make myself go to Church. 

Yesterday, I woke up and said it is the Feast of the Holy Family.  I need the Holy Family to help me get through this.  I have to go to church.  I have talked to others in our parish and they say they read Father's Column in the bulletin.  What he has written in print is what he talks about for the sermon; so that is what I did. 

He wrote that the Church is what should be the center of your family life. It's not about praying and just having faith.  We need to come together as a group and make a commitment to the Church.   Too many of us worry about ourselves and material things. We are very selfish and self centered.  We think we should go to an athletic event, shopping, or anything else on a Sunday without even attending a Church service at all  . In summer we need to golf or go boating, in winter we need to go skiing or watch a football game. Instead of having our church in the center of our lives, we push it to the side.  We dispose of it as the "New Generation" does with so many things. 

I came away from Mass yesterday knowing I need to keep Our Lady of the Lake Church as the center of my life no matter what.  I am committed to the Catholic religion and continuing to make the church the center of my life.  I once again have my focus in life where it needs to be.