hello to papa

The Pope visiting America has got me thinking a lot about the Catholic Church... On one hand, I find the idea of coming home to a "universal" church family very warming -- to be welcomed into the body of Christ. But on the other, I've got major beef with Catholic doctrine. The church is a church of man, of the world. The church is not the Kingdom. But still... I feel drawn to show up to a mass again, to see if there's a way, some way, to make peace with this little church.

I'm afraid there really isn't.


The body of Christ, after all, is everywhere, always. It's in bread, wine, pillbugs, soap, gelatin, soda, pork chops, shoes, jewelry, gasoline, cardboard lean-tos, tampons, tortillas, mitres, rice, rosary beads, park benches, mosque flagstones, and silly red hats.