“It wasn’t show up, genuflect, hear a couple hymns, a homily, take communion, and you’re gone. Most of the Sunday was spent in the church.”
Catholics in ages gone by spent “Most of...Sunday...in...church”. They just did it on their knees on the hard floor or standing. Churches were the center of life in villages, towns and cities. People were in the all day and into the night often for hours at a time. When you read of people praying the rosary in church that was often a full rosary. That alone took about 45 minutes. Add Mass - the OLD MASS - to that and you’re talking about well over two hours right there is the sermon was relatively short. The Melkite liturgy is often three hours long. No pews.
And that’s after six hard days working in the fields. Point taken :-) Good to also recall that until the sixteenth century all our ancestors, if we’re of European stock, were either Catholic or Orthodox. I attended an Easter service at a Coptic church in Cairo once. All standing and kneeling on the stone floor. And I did enjoy the good Friar’s article. The great cathedrals in Europe are magnificent, with not a permanent pew in sight. Pity is except for the tourists and on holidays they’re usually all but empty.