Peace Be With You This Christmas
Merry Christmas to my family and friends this gloomy, yet beautiful day. We spent the weekend with my parents, sister, brothers, their spouses, and their children and had a very nice time. We got home late last night so the girls could be home Christmas morning.
No fighting yesterday, maybe some political jokes and some off-color humor, but all-in-all a really good day! I played dominoes with my brother and sis-in-law and was in the lead when we had to stop for dinner (I say that for my uncle who always makes a point in his emails of not telling who won because he always wins and doesn't want to appear to be bragging! haha. He does the same when they go fishing... won't say how many he caught so other won't feel bad.).
We went to mass on Sunday and got to experience the quasi-new priest (new to their church, anyway) again. Now I've known a lot of priests in my life and they are usually kind, good-hearted people. But on occasion we get one with issues. I don't want to be ugly when I describe a priest, but this guy is just kind of power hungry. When he says mass, he says all the required parts, but he will randomly leave out traditional (but not required) parts when he wants for reasons apparent only to him.
Yesterday, he left out the customary "Let us offer each other a sign of peace" during the "rite of peace," thereby depriving the congregation the opportunity to greet each other during mass with love and friendship. I saw parishioners looking at each other and a few shook their heads. It was almost as if the priest were behaving in a passive aggressive manner. I'm truly hoping he has some rationale behind his decision besides just to demonstrate that he's in charge of that parish, but I'm not too optimistic. Maybe he skipped it so people wouldn't focus on each other, but rather the real meaning of Christmas. I'd believe that except my family says he does it sporadically throughout the year.
Psychological analysis aside, let's get back to the mass. Communion followed the "rite of peace" and I witnessed determined love. The priest did not see his parishioners quietly smiling at each other and gently touching each others' hands as they got in line to go to communion. The church family surreptitiously flashed peace signs or mouthed the word "peace" to one another. After communion, the priest ended mass with the traditional, "Mass is ended. Go now in peace." The congregation left the church with joy and peace in their hearts, ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus and a season of hope and love.
No fighting yesterday, maybe some political jokes and some off-color humor, but all-in-all a really good day! I played dominoes with my brother and sis-in-law and was in the lead when we had to stop for dinner (I say that for my uncle who always makes a point in his emails of not telling who won because he always wins and doesn't want to appear to be bragging! haha. He does the same when they go fishing... won't say how many he caught so other won't feel bad.).
We went to mass on Sunday and got to experience the quasi-new priest (new to their church, anyway) again. Now I've known a lot of priests in my life and they are usually kind, good-hearted people. But on occasion we get one with issues. I don't want to be ugly when I describe a priest, but this guy is just kind of power hungry. When he says mass, he says all the required parts, but he will randomly leave out traditional (but not required) parts when he wants for reasons apparent only to him.
Yesterday, he left out the customary "Let us offer each other a sign of peace" during the "rite of peace," thereby depriving the congregation the opportunity to greet each other during mass with love and friendship. I saw parishioners looking at each other and a few shook their heads. It was almost as if the priest were behaving in a passive aggressive manner. I'm truly hoping he has some rationale behind his decision besides just to demonstrate that he's in charge of that parish, but I'm not too optimistic. Maybe he skipped it so people wouldn't focus on each other, but rather the real meaning of Christmas. I'd believe that except my family says he does it sporadically throughout the year.
Psychological analysis aside, let's get back to the mass. Communion followed the "rite of peace" and I witnessed determined love. The priest did not see his parishioners quietly smiling at each other and gently touching each others' hands as they got in line to go to communion. The church family surreptitiously flashed peace signs or mouthed the word "peace" to one another. After communion, the priest ended mass with the traditional, "Mass is ended. Go now in peace." The congregation left the church with joy and peace in their hearts, ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus and a season of hope and love.
posted by Kathy T. at 1:02 PM
3 Comments:
Let's hope that Peace thing catches on!
Peace to you and yours Kathy!
I second Sara Sue.
Happy Holidays, Kathy T.
One of the things I like most about the Catholic church is the rituals and traditions and how mass is the same no matter where you go. It's comforting to me. Priests who try to mess with that just rub me the wrong way...
Hope you had a Merry Christmas!
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