Mass Online

Last weekend Mike and I were in Ohio for a friend's wedding. After we booked our hotel room our friend told us that it was in a not-so-nice part of Columbus. When we got there I learned two things:

1. Our hotel was actually on the edge of the not-so-nice part of town

2. Columbus is a whole lot bigger than I thought it was

Actually, Columbus is the biggest city in Ohio, even bigger than Milwaukee. And since we were in a less-than-wonderful area of a bigger city than I'm used to, I was nervous. We found a big street and drove up and down it, exploring, but other than that we stuck close to our hotel, our friend's apartment, and the bride's parents' house, where the ceremony was held.

Now, usually that's not really a problem, except that the second day of our trip was Sunday, and that meant that I had to find a Mass. Normally when we're taking a weekend trip I just hit the 7 PM Mass at a nearby church when we get back on Sunday night. But this time we weren't flying back until Monday morning. I wasn't thrilled about driving off when I didn't know the area, so I did the next best thing. I found Mass on the Internet.

Now, I know this isn't the best thing to do. I should find a church to go to instead, because Mass on the Internet and Mass on TV is really designed for shut-ins. But I also felt that I didn't want to get carjacked, so this seemed like a compromise.

Awhile back I wrote about watching Mass on TV instead of going to church, and how much I didn't like the experience. Mass on the Internet is no better. Actually, I liked it even less. The thing that bothered me most was not the lack of community or the slight guilty feeling I felt, although those were present too. Instead, the thing I liked the least was the convenience of it.

I know that sounds weird, but let me explain. The whole Sunday morning routine - waking up early even though you don't have to work, walking to church in the sun or rain or snow, sitting there for an hour taking it all in - makes me feel God's presence more in my life. Carving out an hour for Him and pushing everything else aside - my desire to sleep, the book I was reading, or the show I was watching - makes me realize how important He is. We make time for the things that are important to us, and every Sunday morning I realize how important God is as I make the time for church.

Mass on the Internet is too convenient. Being able to fit religion in at my leisure, when it suits me, cheapens it somehow. It makes my priorities seem off. It's hard to explain...I guess that I like having to put God ahead of everything, even if only for an hour a week. Having a pre-recorded Mass available whenever you want to watch it just isn't the same.

So the next time we're in Ohio I'll have to ask my friend where the good parts of Columbus are so we can go to a real Mass. Nothing else is really the same.