It's About Time

Last month I attended my church's Saturday afternoon Mass as usual.  The regulars sat in their favorite pews and our priest gave an average sermon.  Things were so routine, my mind started to wander.  During the Prayer of the Faithful, the lector read off the typical list of intentions.  Then to my surprise, he mentioned single people.  My ears pricked up as he asked God to give singles strength and endurance.  My heart became a little lighter when we all said, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

For a long time, I have been wondering why nobody publicly prays for singles during Mass.  It's a small but helpful gesture because it lets the unattached know the congregation isn't ignoring their plight.  I mentioned this when my church hosted a talk with the regional bishop back in July of 2017.  Finally after ten months, somebody within the parish addressed my concern.

Unfortunately, the petition was not repeated in the subsequent weeks but I'm glad to have heard it at all.  There are times when the hopelessness that plagues me is so crippling, I need God's strength and endurance.  During Mass we pray for so many different groups of people: priests, married couples, children, parents, victims of natural disasters, prisoners, the elderly, the poor, immigrants, widows, politicians, soldiers.  Why not put singles into the mix?

On a few occasions, I have tried reaching out to my parish priests about being single but they never gave me the help I needed.  After meeting with the regional bishop about my struggles, he decided not to continue the conversation.  It makes me wonder how the Church expects to reach potential worshipers who are far away from God if they don't even know what to do with the Catholics who are already sitting in the pews.