Empty Pews

An interesting Washington Post article, "Empty Pews: Where Did All the Men Go?"  It focuses on Protestants, but very fitting for our modern day Catholic Church. 

"The target audience of almost everything about church culture was a 50- to 55-year-old woman, ... Every Muslim man knows that he is locked in a great battle between good and evil, and although that was a prevalent teaching in Christianity until about 100 years ago, today it's primarily about having a relationship with a man who loves you unconditionally,"

Our society as a whole is missing the realization that we are in a battle between good and evil.  The Catholic Church has the fullness of the Truth, but most of us pew sitters have little idea that we are in a battle.  Fat and happy, ignorant in our bliss, we sit right were Satan wants us.  Lukewarm as some were called in Revelations.

And something this article misses, the need for ritual.  Our liturgy has become one warm fuzzy happy-fest.  Look at me and how great God thinks I am.  We need to be called higher.  We need rituals in our liturgy because rituals mean reverence.  What happens in a courtroom when the judge walks in?  Look at all the men flocking to secular rituals, the Survivor TV show is full of them and people are attracted to it.

Tip to National Fellowship of Catholic Men