3 Things I Learned while Snowed in on a Sunday

Winter Storm Maya came through Eastern Washington this weekend dumping a whole bunch of snow on the Tri-Cities and forcing the cancellation of several events in our area. On Saturday, as road conditions went from bad to worse, sporting events were postponed; banks and libraries shut down, and when it got really bad, I got a phone call from our pastor.

He asked if I could post something saying that Mass this weekend would go on as scheduled but that he wanted our parishioners to stay at home and pray. He went on to mention that they're trying to keep up plowing the parking lot, but with the snow continuing to fall he didn't want people risking getting out onto the roads and potentially getting hurt. He even said to me, "I'm serious. Stay home." The Bishop of our diocese later released a notice saying that Catholics in our diocese are dispensed from the obligation to attend Mass due to the weather and asked us to spend some time in private prayer, particularly for married couples during this World Marriage Sunday.

Here are three things I learned while I was stranded at home:

1. It doesn't do us any good to be scrupulous. Like I said, I love the Mass, and I spent some time yesterday thinking about how the Russians in Siberia would walk miles in frigid temperatures with Fr. Walter Ciszek so he could hear their confessions. I thought about people in remote villages who walk miles on unpaved roads to make it to Mass. I thought, "If they can do it, I can endure a little snow." The more I looked out the window at the swirling, blizzard-like storm, I started to hear doubt creep in: "You can't do it because you're not holy like this people in Russia." The battle in my mind began, but I finally arrived at this conclusion: My bishop and my pastor both said not to risk going out in this mess. A dispensation was granted; therefore I was not in danger of mortal sin. I realized there is a difference between being fearless and being foolish. I needed to trust the wisdom of the church leaders. I finally found peace with staying home and setting aside time for prayer. Fr. Walter Ciszek also said, "The power of prayer reaches beyond all efforts of man seeking to find meaning in life. This power is available to all; it can transform man's weaknesses, limitations and his sufferings." The prayer still mattered.

2. While praying at home on your own is great and powerful, it isn't the same as praying with the Church community. Even in my introversion, I have to admit that I missed praying with my parish community. I've been to a Mass with three million people and a Mass of 5 people, but the reality is that every time we celebrate the Mass, a multitude is present. The angels and saints praise God with us as we pray the Mass. You just don't experience that when you pray alone. This is why there is such great emphasis placed on the Mass. There's so much more going on spiritually than we realize. We may be sitting in the pew watching the priest go through the rituals that we've seen since we were little, but we can't neglect to contemplate what's happening in heaven!

3. I can't wait to see Jesus again. I was blessed in that I made it to the Church on Saturday morning for daily Mass. I also took a moment to sit before the Tabernacle to pray. I had the sensation that Jesus would have gone to the Cross in a blizzard for me if He had to. His love is so much bigger than mine could ever be. In the moments that I can't make it out to him, he makes it a point to come to me. I pursue him, and he pursues me more ardently. It has been so my entire life, and I can't imagine it is any different now.

People may not understand, and they may ask me, "Does it really matter? Seeing Jesus in Church when he can come to you anywhere at any time?"

The only thing I can respond is, "Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. I'm a girl in love. I need to see Jesus. I can't help myself!"