Ostranenie

Defamiliarizing During Lent

I've been asked many times if I get bored at Mass. "It's the same thing every time," they point out, "do those words mean anything to you?" 

The answer is yes those words mean something to me, but only because I make sure that they do, but this is a struggle. The traditions of the Church are rich and beautiful, but if you are not actively participating in them, they are just words, no different than greetings we exchange without giving actual thoughts to the conversations happening. They are just reactions, not communicating.

Mass should be all about communicating, not a routine, but a treasured conversation between God and you. If you aren't actually focused on the conversation, what good is that conversation?

Try to de-familiarize yourself with Mass over the remaining weeks of Lent. Try to see it as something unfamiliar so that you can look at it differently and more deeply, not just as part of your Sunday routine, but as a precious moment, different from all the others you have throughout the week. Let Lent be an ostranenie to you, encouraging you see the Holy Mass in an entirely new light and prepare yourself for Jesus' return this Easter.

Don't just go through the motions, immerse yourself in God's Light each Sunday, whether at Mass or a different celebration. We could all benefit from a little more attention to our time with God.

Totus tuus,

LeAnn

The Patriarchy Stole My Pockets

And other anecdotes about being a woman in 21st century United States.

So, a rant that I frequently have with fellow females is how my dress pants do not have pockets or

See! It barely fits!

that my jeans' pockets are much too small for my phone. My mom often bemoans about how she needs to buy a smaller phone that fits in her pocket.

A casual male observer may point out that I am lucky enough to have a purse. Lucky enough? Ha! That's hilarious. You can carry everything that you need in one pocket, whereas I am strapped down with this extra piece of luggage to carry about day in and day out. The thrill of a purse, putting things in it, and lugging them around are not lost on me- there are benefits to a purse. But goodness, I wish my pockets were big enough to put my phone in.

Female-specific fashion is often designed by males or for males. In fact, some of our most famous designers today are male! Fashion staples, such as bikinis, high heeled shoes, and other "feminine" accessories were invented for the male's sake. Trust me, no women in 1946 was trying to figure out how to get away with more skin. It was a French man by the name of Louis Reard who was trying to find a way to see more skin. Stupid patriarchy.

"But wait LeAnn," you are probably thinking, "what does this have to do with Catholicism?"

Simple. Being a woman in the 21st century automatically creates a different experience than a man. Which means my Catholic experience is different than a man's. When I go to church, I am surrounded by images of men doing amazing, Christian things. My church leaders are dominantly male, and the one I see most often, the priest, is always male.

But the patriarchy has not stolen my God. My gender is not transcribed on my soul and my value as a child of God is not determined by my sex. This Lenten season I have been trying to exhale negativity, and often as a feminist, I butt heads with my religion that is predominantly male. But there are so many incredible Catholic women. The past few weeks, I have researched and prayed and soothed my feminist nature-I can be Catholic and a feminist.

So without further ado, my personal favorite Catholic women include, but are not limited to:

1. St. Helene of the Cross 
2. Dorthy Day
3. St. Mother Teresa 
4. My own mother, Teresa 
5. St. Thérèse of Lisieux 

So, to those of you struggling with your faith this Lent, I encourage you to exhale and inhale, telling yourself that you are breathing out the negatives and inhaling the positives, and then concisouly seek the good things in life.

Okay? Okay!

Totus tuus,

LeAnn