(19 January 2025 | Atlanta, Georgia) - What a joyful day today!
Joy can come from different sources. Today, the first one came from religion and spirituality; while the one later in the day came from my zealous fascination with sports--and, this weekend in particular, the sport of American College football (the sports post will come later!).
If a Sunday (the Christian Sabbath) falls within my visit to a new city, I get "excited" when I have the opportunity to choose a church to worship.
I'm in Atlanta this weekend to attend the CFP Championship game--and, so I wanted to find a church near the venue (Mercedes Benz Stadium). Besides, some of you may have heard the adage that you get three wishes when you worship at a church for the first time.
I came up with a few churches in my search; but, The Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for some reason called me. Less than one mile as the crow flies, the church afforded me a good walk to the stadium and associated CFP events.
Trying to find a place to park, I noticed many people who were homeless (but not nearly as many as in Los Angeles' Skid Row which is situated in the shadows of the downtown buildings containing financial, legal, and governmental centers of decision-making).
For one instant, I thought of attending another church because sometimes you don't want to put yourself in a situation that is unknown especially with respect to safety. However, I told myself God wants me to be here--so, I just had to find a place to park my rental car.
In large cities with a relatively similar large homeless population (indeed, any population that falls short of the basic needs of food, water, shelter, and clothing...some add "sleep" too), we tend to avoid and not make eye contact with any population that may be unfamiliar.
After I parked, I indeed avoided and did not make eye contact with three men who barely had enough clothes on to shelter them from the 30 degree weather combined with a wind that made it feel 10 degrees colder. Being desensitized to the issues these three men have to encounter every day of every hour of their lives, I made a beeline to the sanctuary of the church.
Filled with many churchgoers wearing Notre Dame or Ohio St. swag, I felt at home. This place reminded me of St. Monica's Church in Santa Monica where hospitality ministers welcome you, where singers and musicians make music that reach the heavens (and, make you believe that "singing is like praying twice"), where lectors "proclaim" the day's scripture clearly and with a humbled passion, and where the priests and deacons are truly shepherds of their flock. I am not saying that The Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the St. Monica's of Atlanta--The Shrine is its own church in a unique time and place where even a sporting event can enter the conversation inside the church walls as well as amongst its community.
During the service, an unshaven man who wore dirty and tattered clothes came into the church and began a zig-zag walk down the center aisle. I recognized him as one of the three men I avoided as I entered this worship space. Many of the parishioners looked with a side-eye at him as he came closer and closer to the sanctuary where the priest, deacon, cantor, lectors, and altar servers lead us in various ways during the mass.
I noticed one of the ushers get up to "intercept" this man and who knows what this usher might do when he "apprehends" him. As "the man" reached the first pew which happened to be empty, he sat down respectfully and did not say one word as the pew became where he settled.. The usher stopped his advancement and many parishioners looked for cues from the priest and deacon on how we should react to such an out of the ordinary experience. Seeing the man sit down and not act in any way to to require someone to "intercept" him, the priest and deacon began talking to each other with smiles across their faces that told us that everything is going to be okay.
For the remainder of the mass, "the man" stayed in the first pew until he wasn't. I didn't notice if he went up to receive communion or not--but, as we sang all the verses of the closing song, I glanced at where he was but he was gone just like someone in the gospel who had disappeared from his disciples. I was as confused as the disciples were when Jesus ascended to his Father.
As I've reflected on today's experience, I come away with a feeling of regret. If I had to do it again, I would not have avoided those three men before mass. I would have walked the most direct way to the church and let life happen. Indeed, the priest and deacon did that today during mass--that is, they let life happen as the man walked down the center aisle. They demonstrated that sometimes non-action is the right, moral, and just course of action.
Since I have three wishes to use, here goes: (1) To allow life to happen and not always see the need to intervene or control a situation; (2) To continue to worship every Christian sabbath as we are required to do as Catholics even though there may be a sporting event with associated activities that you might prefer to attend in a fanatical way; and (3) To continue to be mindful of what many of us "cradle Catholics" may remember as Imago Dei. We are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and thus treat all humans with dignity and all that it encompasses.
Although I only have three wishes, I'll give you a hint of what my fourth would be if I had a fourth. At the beginning of today's mass, the deacon asked who in the congregation were Ohio State fans. Looking around, I saw about 20 hands rise in silence with only half of them wearing Buckeye swag. The deacon then asked who is supporting Notre Dame. Looking around, I saw about 100 hands rise with about three-quarters wearing Irish swag. In addition, the Notre Dame fan base proclaimed in the loudest voice yet most respectful voice: "Go Irish!"
My hand was one of the 100 hands that seemingly reached for the heavens to become closer to God--after all, the Notre Dame fan base believes God raised his hand too.
Go Irish!
Amen.
(NOTE: I'm a relatively new subway alum.)
"Eddie" has been an educator since 1995 with St. John Bosco High School and now with Bishop Montgomery High School. As a cradle Catholic, he loves almost all things Catholic and now that includes being a Notre Dame "Subway Alum".
Eddie has been called a Super Fan and so watches most competitive sporting events in his spare time. As a single empty nester, he has the ability to devote an inordinate amount of time to being a "fanatic" about sports. Currently, he has attempted to complete a bucket list of iconic sporting events such as the Olympics (Los Angeles 1984, Paris 2024) a World Series (Dodgers 2024), the first CFP Championship (Atlanta 2025), and an on campus Notre Dame football game as all good Catholics who did not attend a "football" school desire.
Before returning home to God (which he hopes, acts, and prays for), he desires to attend a Final Four, a Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the Little League and College World Series. His friends believe he may pass out from being too excited and over zealously cheering at a sporting event, which will precipitate his meeting with the aforementioned God.
Amen.
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