I went to church...And the place is still standing!!!

I went to church yesterday and it did not fall down about my ears, actually I went last week too and a few weeks ago before that...No I have not seen divinity rather setting an "example" for my kids( example of what, you may ask...Well...Me too but we digress) As Miss 9 is making her first communion this year, they tend to like you to attend Mass a bit ( funny about that) and yesterday was to celebrate the arrival of the Message Stick which was arriving in Sunbury yesterday, it is to commemorate the 1986 speech by Pope Johnnie Paul 2 in Alice Springs when he "called for all Australians to respond to the challenges of justice and reconciliation faced by our indigenous people" (OLMC newsletter 24/5/06)
Strangely enough, I found the incorporating of the indigenous culture and the catholic mass very relaxing and insightful. The Prayers of the Faithful included a prayer of sorry and apology for the historical wrongs against indigenous people, a prayer for world leaders to accept mistakes and apologise ( ARE YOU READING THIS JOHNNIE HOWARD!!!!!) Whilst religion and politics should remain separate, their is nothing wrong with religion making political comment. This was done so yesterday, as a community we have a responsibility to ensure social justice for all...Call me a social justice junkie but I think it is more than a religious belief but a grounding in being a person. It was interesting to see who was there representing the indigenous of our community and who wasn't. Miss 9 was in the choir singing the indigenous "Our Father" and she was presented ( along with every other child in the Parish who are undertaking their First communion this year) with a copy of the Our Father but which also has a copy of the indigenous version which goes as follows:

Our Father,
You are in heaven May we talk your name in a good way,
May you be boss in our lives,
May we follow your feelings here as they do above
Give us bread today
We have hurt your feelings;feel sorry for us
Others have hurt our feelings we feel sorry for them
Stop us from doing wrong
Save us from the evil one
Amen

I am 100% sure this was about years ago but can't be too sure where I read it. But I also thought it apt that we prayed to the points of a compass which represent different things indigenous people and for the sign of peace we used the local word for peace which escapes me. It was a learning experience and a welcoming experience and in so far as my limited visits to Church go over the past ...(ah ah thought I 'd give a number then, didn't you?) few decades it was one of the better experiences of my lapsed belief.