Daily mass, the Virgin and chastity

Sometimes, I'm grown weary to my egoistic nature. Take for instance, how I love to go to daily Mass, simply because there are only a handful of people attending. I would have the whole pew all by myself and so would almost everyone else, unless, they come in pairs or as a family. We are the elite of churchgoers, we have 30 minute to partake in daily blessed sacrament. Deeply I hope this would help us to become "better" people.

Maybe I'm comfortable with the way these humble bunches dress, they do not put too much effort and are not as flashy and showy as some people on Sunday Masses. Mostly, it's the hollow feeling inside the church as the warm light falling down from the big tall windows as the summer day slowly turn into night. A nice contemplative way to end the day.

On another note, the Assumption feast yesterday was interesting. It was also my first time attending. People here do really take Holy Days of Obligation as an obligation. For instance, the communion line was as long as a normal Sunday Mass.

A few minutes before the Mass started, a young man came and sat on my proclaimed pew, invading my personal space a little too much. I sit awkwardly and kept reading the misalette and the description of the painting on the cover (The Virgin and Angels, by Bouguereau). The answer came a few moment later, he was saving some seats for two of his buddies. And with that, I lost my peace and quiet moment I was hoping for.

Right after homily, the priest leading a group of young teenage girls who would be taking the vow of chastity until marriage. I look at all five and think it must be hard for this generation to be a part of such commitment. First, how does it feel to publicly announce this thing? And second, is it a common practice only for young women? Because, really, it would be more effective if the opposite of the gender follows suit.

Ah, chastity.