My thoughts after attending my first Mass, and some concerns

I went to my first ever Catholic Mass this morning, in my pursuit of trying to better understand Christian theology, finding belief in Jesus' resurrection, and generally just trying to follow the pull in my heart towards something spiritual.

The place itself was of course beautiful, as most Catholic churches are. But one thing I immediately noticed was the average age of the congregation was about 65-70 years old, maybe older. The young people around my age (or that looked around my age) that were there were fathers with their wife and kids. There were maybe a few young people with their partners, but very few. And then of course you have the kids who can't sit still and cry and complain the whole time while their parents sit there hoping they'll stop instead of take them outside.

Anyway, the ceremonial aspect itself of the Mass I found fascinating. I was more a silent observer than anything else, and I just generally followed what everyone else was doing. I also made sure not to take the Eucharist and just sat there quietly, taking it all in. If I had to point out one thing in particular I liked most about it, it'd have to be the organ music. I've always been fond of the power and beauty meshed together that it provides.

But there is one thing I'm concerned about that doesn't necessarily apply to just this congregation: age. Seeing so few people from my generation makes the prospect of connecting with others seem concerning. But it's not just the Catholic Church that has this problem. Walk in to any church on a Sunday and see how many young people are there compared to old. That, and a lot of these churches are hanging on by a thread. I know this because there have been four in my area (all of different denominations) that were shut down or demolished last year.

I want a family. A community of people that aligns with my values and personal beliefs. Finding that outside of church has been a snipe hunt, to say the least. I don't mind admitting that my pursuit in finding belief in Jesus is self-centered, in that I want to find purpose and meaning for my life. Living for myself just hasn't been good enough for me. If my family all disappeared, I'd have nothing and no one. I want to believe in and strive for something bigger. But I also want a community of young, like-minded people like myself.