Palm Sunday

Mike Hayes is the author of "Googling God: The Religious Landscape of People in the 20s and 30s". He is also the managing editor of Bustedhalo.com, a Catholic spirituality site sponsored by the Paulists. Mike's take on how Catholics often think about and occasionally respond to "Creasters" is refreshing and frankly, spot on. This week, St. Thomas will welcome many people who for countless reasons have been away from the church and are taking that tentative first step back...will their experience bring them back a second time, a third?

Mike Hayes' blog for Palm Sunday:

I love Palm Sunday. We get to see more people on Palm Sunday and Ash Wednesday than we do most of the year. And while many people find it annoying that these folks only show up during these times (and maybe in addition Christmas and Easter) we have such an opportunity to feed them some good spirituality. I would also challenge those who don't like these people that they may be the reasons that they don't show up more often. Complaining about their lack of attendance might just be the nudge they needed to go right back out the door from whence they came--and most likely not to return again. Other traditions would fall over backwards welcoming these people with open arms each and every Sunday--and yet, we don't do that often enough--not even four times a year when we know they're going to make their way back to us. There's a lot of hatred out there--why not be a force for positive change? Pastors often are too busy with preparations as are the rest of the staff--what is it that we can do as laity to take on the task of welcoming people into our pews this Palm Sunday?

So today, ask yourself--not father, not deacon, not the choir director...How can you welcome someone in your parish that you might not see on a regular basis?

That's where we need to be this Holy Week...and I pray that we all find it in our hearts to do just that. Posted by god googler at 7:33 PM