Things Your Denomination Says

A while back, some guy slapped on a blond wig and made a YouTube video called "Sh*t Girls Say." It wasn't long before it went viral and dozens of imitators popped up. You could waste hours watching different versions of "Stuff ___ Say" about every ethnic/social group under the sun. (Not that I've done that or anything...)

This kind of self-aware humor is loads of fun, so I was glad when the Catholic versions arrived. A friend of a friend filmed this one at (where else?) the Franciscan University of Steubenville.




I'm pretty sure I or a friend have said 90% of those things, particularly the ones about "discernment."

This one is also pretty good. "There were so many cute babies at Mass today!"
The main topics of conversation in these videos are liturgical correctness, sacramentals (religious artwork, jewelry, etc)  and relationships i.e. finding a spouse. Or making Jesus your spouse, in the case of becoming a nun. Having the alternative option of celibacy floating around does not make dating any easier.



In the spirit of ecumenical dialogue, here's one about our Protestant sisters in Christ. Here instead of Mass responses we hear about Old Testament male heroes as romantic icons. There are also Biblical catchphrases like "The Word" and "generation." But guess what? We all say "I'll pray for you."




And finally, my favorite pseudo-Christian sect. Eating jello and dating former missionaries are Mormon standards. I'm a little bummed that housewife blogs did not make it in there, but the part about movie nights just killed me. That's pretty much the scene at any Catholic Campus Ministry too. DTR (define the relationship) talks were also staples among my college friends.



One of my favorite things about this meme is that is shows us we are really all not that different. When I watch "Things Jamaican Dads say" I don't get half the jokes, but I still get "Parents, amirite?" Most people are willing to poke fun at their habits, and that includes us religious folk. There's a deeper anthropological analysis in there somewhere. Have at it, grad students of the future.

What I especially like about the videos I've posted here is how honestly they portray the ups and downs of finding a higher purpose in life. Just because finding your vocation/mission/anointed calling/whatever is important doesn't mean it's always fun. Sometimes you want to throw up your hands and "Just become a nun!" By laughing about it, women who follow Jesus can encourage each other. We might have different inside jokes and Sunday services, but deep down we all want to do the right thing and live happily ever after with our St. Joseph/Boaz/Eternal Companion. Hang in there ladies. I'll pray for you.