We go to church on most Sundays.
Both my husband and I have been raised as Roman-Catholics, and after a massive rebellion phase, we came back to church when we were grown up. I think Catholicism is a large part of the culture and socialization here in Austria. My children can take it or leave it when they are old enough to decide, but I feel they can never make an informed decision, if they don’t know it. For now they like going, their Kindergarten friends attend too and it gives them a sense of community that is really nice to experience.
What I most enjoyed in church as a child (and still do, if I am truthful) is the music. Pieces written for the church include some of the greatest works of classical music, the church always having been a grand patron of the arts. My favorite mass is the “Coronation Mass in C-Major” by W.A. Mozart.
Enjoy the Agnus Dei sung by Kathleen Battle under Herbert von Karajan, while you read through many great posts that were to be found last week in Perfumeland:
Scentless Sensibilities enchants us with another short story inspired by an Amouage scent (my second favorite – Epic Woman, my favorite is Lyric Woman that I reviewed this week). It is really worth it sitting down and letting yourself be led into the wonderland of words Tarleisio conjures up.
Dee asks an interesting question: Do you smell other people’s Perfumes out in the wild? Head on over to Beauty on the Outside to read “Nose about Town”.
Victoria of EauMG wrote a lovely review of L’Artisan’s Drole de rose and invites us to hug her. 😉
Persolaise celebrates his blog’s one year anniversary with a special giveaway. Be sure to head on over to congratulate him and participate in the giveaway, if you haven’t already!
And finally I want to mention Suzanne’s Perfume Journal again. This week she wrote about Malle’s Portrait of a Lady. I like her interesting take a lot.
What about your Sunday? What are you up to?
Enjoy your day!
Olfactoria's Travels 
Thank you so much for the mention, B! You never know what could happen because of it! 🙂
I have had a, well, questionable relationship with church (although not with churches, per se) since age six, when I was kicked out of Sunday school as a disruptive influence for daring to ask: “If God is everywhere, then why do we have to go to church?” :O
This Sunday, I have work to do, emails to send and websites to revise. When opportunity comes knocking…open the door!
Have a great – and hopefully relaxing! – Sunday, all of you! 🙂
I once got into trouble at school for a similar statement. 😉
I hope your Sunday is a bit relaxing despite your work.
I was raised as a Catholic by my grandmother (as my parents were atheists growing up in Communist Yugoslavia – religion was practically forbidden).
I can’t say unfortunately because I don’t find it a bad choice, but I no longer consider myself Catholic but more a believer (and I do believe). I just no longer believe in imposed religious structures, as they are imposed by men and generally speaking, those men do not have the best interests of people as their highest goal.
Having said that, I think my childhood in the Catholic church was a great one, all my experiences were good and all the priests and nuns I came into contact were people who were living the beliefs of Catholicism and made my childhood interesting with stories that I only later understood the meaning of.
Have a great, sunny Sunday (I do hope the weather is treating you nice as us here). 🙂
Ines, I couldn’t agree more with what you say about man-imposed structures. I wouldn’t need them either, but – as your own experience reflects too – for children those structures can be a great thing.
Weather is actually great here, we just came back from an afternoon at the Zoo! 🙂
I was raised protestant (Methodist), but while in college became quite familiar with the Roman-Catholic faith, as my boyfriend was Catholic and I regularly attended Mass with him. The ornateness of the rituals, the religious garb, and, yes, the music too was quite a contrast from my own religion and, therefore, especially riveting to me at the time.
Thanks for including the Kathleen Battle clip. I’ve listened to it twice now; her voice is amazingly beautiful and that piece incredibly uplifting.
My Sunday plans are to finally address doing my taxes (wish me luck). Happy Sunday to you and yours, B. — and thank you for kindly including me in your weekly roundup. ‘Tis an honor!
I am glad you liked the video, Suzanne! It is such a beautiful piece.
Good luck with your taxes! You remind me that I should do mine too, and soon! 😉
As always, thanks very much indeed for the link.
Hope you’re having a good weekend.
Very nice weekend, thank you!
I hope yours was great too!
Raised Catholic and was very Catholic in my childhood, but at the age of adolescence there was a parting of the ways. I do enjoy the aesthetic, at least the traditional one, the incense, the candles, the robes, the visual spaces, the poetic aspects but the modern version is more than disappointing on that score and it seems like unfortunately with all the scandal that has been left largely unaddressed, the spiritual component is lacking in the hierarchy too. I always hope for a change when there is a new pope but so far that has not been the case. I wish there was a re-dedication to the spiritual principals, none so far but who knows, stranger things have happened. I now think of it as a cultural tradition more than a spiritual practice.
I agree with you in every point, Lucy. The cultural tradition is one I want to uphold for my children, it is a relevant part of our socialisation, I believe.
Thank you for sharing your point of view. Have a great Sunday! 🙂