Lessons Twenty-one, Twenty-two, and Twenty-three

I have a lesson of my own today.
I learned something this week.  Or, more accurately, relearned as I tend to forget this lesson on occasion.  I learned that I should absolutely not write when I'm upset.  It's a very tempting thing to do because it feels like it's satisfying, but it's a trick (it's a trap!).  It's not satisfying later, when I wake up the next day, or even a few hours after posting.  I feel childish and rather silly more often than not, for giving in to the temptation.  Then I reprimand myself for having posted it.  On Facebook, I simply delete the update (unless there are comments), though I have improved at not posting things in the first place.  Here, there will be no deleting.  I haven't really written when I've been angry; I generally calm myself down before I begin a post, but I have not followed this rule with comments.  For shame.  I know better.

The next lesson is this:
The amazing thing about text is it can be interpreted however the reader wants to interpret it.  Regardless of the writer's intent.  This is what I disliked most about literature class in school; interpretation of an author's work.  Particularly poetry.  For example, in my college lit class we interpreted the following poem:

This Is Just To Say
by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

And the first thing someone said about it was that it was about sex.  Specifically about a man taking a woman's virginity.  Having experience with the sentiment of regret on that subject I understood how my classmate had interpreted the poem in that way; I could have myself, had my experience been more recent.  The correct interpretation, according to the teacher, was that it was a note posted on the fridge by a lover saying exactly what they had done: eaten the plums in the icebox.
Regardless of interpretation, this is one of my favorite poems.

At any rate, on to the lessons!

Lesson Twenty-one
The Commandments of the Church; The First and Second Commandments
281.  Which are the chief commandments, or laws, of the Church?  The chief commandments, or laws, of the church are these six:

1. To assist at mass on all Sundays and holydays of obligation.
2. To fast and to abstain on the days appointed.
3. To confess our sins at least once a year.
4. To receive Holy Communion during the Easter time.
5. To contribute to the support of the Church.
6. To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.

283.  Which are the holydays of obligation in the United States?  The holydays of obligation in the United States are these six:

1. Christmas Day (December 25)
2. Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1)
3. Ascension Thursday (40 days after Easter)
4. The Assumption (August 15)
5. All Saints' Day (November 1)
6. The Immaculate Conception (December 8)

The first and second commandments of the church are easy for me right now.  Mass is a joy to attend, and I wish there was a parish somewhere that celebrated mass in the evening so that I could attend daily mass.  Getting up at 5:30 in the morning and going straight to work is not very conducive to attending daily mass, as most of the mass times in my area are around 6:00 a.m..  That's probably the only thing I miss about my 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. schedule.
The second (fasting) is something I did before I was acquainted with the Church.  Every so often I would pick a day to fast, only consuming liquids the entire day (almost, I never quite made it to bed time).  So giving up meat on Fridays, or fasting during lent is not exactly a new concept to me, and I actually enjoy doing it.  During lent I try to give up something challenging - last year was caffeine (I work at a coffee shop) and sugar - and I will put in my best effort to abstain from whatever it is until lent is over.  This means no 'cheating' by making exceptions of Sundays and feast days.
My fiance calls me his little viking because of this and my unwillingness to take painkillers right away.  This is how I've always done lent, though; nothing of what I gave up until lent has officially ended.  That is not to say that I apply this to others.  I only expect it of myself; however you do lent is okay with me.

Funny story:  As I was reading the holydays of obligation I thought, "crap! I missed the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God this year.  That's a terrible way to start off 2012!"  But then, looking at the calendar, I realized that January 1st was on a Sunday.  It was like the moment you realize you're missing your credit/debit card, only to find that you've put it in the wrong place in your wallet.

Lesson Twenty-two
The Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Commandments of the Church

The third commandment of the Church is regarding confession.  Once a year seems pretty lenient to me, though.  Shouldn't you confess your sins weekly, or at the very least monthly?  I used to be afraid of confession, but now (having done it) I feel it is necessary to my spiritual well-being.  It gives me points of improvement, as it were.  I can measure my own progress in being a good person week by week judging by what I have to confess.
The fourth (communion) is another that seems like it should be more frequent.  It can be a double edged sword, however.  The churches (that I think have lost sight of things a little) that provide no confessional other than by appointment are offering their members the opportunity to commit sacrilege.  Granted, this statement assumes a lot about the parishioners, and I don't think the assumption is generally true for those that attend these churches; I'm just saying that the opportunity is more readily available for sacrilege to be committed out of ignorance more than anything else.  But then, if you commit it out of ignorance, does the sacrilege still apply?  I'll have to ask Father.  Speaking of Father, he said (on a couple occasions) that a sign of a healthy parish is long confession lines, and short communion lines.  I tend to agree, as no one is without sin.
The fifth is self-explanatory, although it makes me think of the guy who argued Catholicism was polytheistic.  He also claimed that if you don't drop money in the collection plate every Sunday, you will be looked down upon, and generally made a pariah in the church.  I didn't start putting money into the collection plate every Sunday until very recently.  To the best of my knowledge, no one judged me for it, and I certainly wasn't shunned.
The sixth is also pretty self-explanatory.  I think.

Lesson Twenty-three
The Sacraments
305.  How many sacraments are there?  There are seven sacraments:  Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Anointing the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.

This lesson explains the special graces given by each sacrament and what those graces and sacraments help you achieve.  It also touches a little on mortal sin, explaining that if you miss mass on Sundays or holydays you've committed a mortal sin, etc.  Basically if you violate the sacraments, you've committed a mortal sin.
Receiving communion in a state of mortal sin is an example of sacrilege.  Which is what I was referring to earlier.

~~~

As a footnote: I am a newb when it comes to being Catholic: there is still much for me to learn.  Here is where I will share my learning experience with you.  I'm not trying to teach you anything.  At best, I'd like for this blog to provide references, which is why I structure the lesson entries the way I do.  I cannot stress enough that I am not telling anyone they should change.  I'm relating the story of my own change.