Quick history and information about us. We are Catholic. We like to go to Mass. We like to go to Masses that follow the Rubrics. We like when the presiding Priest does EVERYTHING correctly and does not add anything to the Mass. We like it when they leave everything in the Mass that is supposed to be there. (FYI, sign of peace, not a required part of the Mass). When we started talking about applying for a position in a different state, I started looking up information about Catholic Church’s in the area. I found one that offered confessions EVERYDAY and has Perpetual Adoration. We went to daily Mass there and decided that is seemed to be a very orthodox parish.
When I found out we got the position, I looked the Parish back up and found out its Parish Mission Days preacher was none other then a well known Catholic Priest. Saaa-weet. Parish Mission Days were starting the day after we moved. We went to Mass on Sunday morning with the PMD preacher presiding. Talk about disappointing. While he didn’t say ANYTHING contrary to Catholic Chruch Teaching, he just put them in parts of the Mass that they totally didn’t belong. That bothered me. I wanted to leave when he did something weird to the Creed but we stayed. The rest was just odd (save for Consecration, that was done correctly according to J, Baby M had a diaper ER I had to attend to.)
Okay, enough complaining. Just remember, if you are priest, the people in the pews really do prefer the Mass to be done with reverence and according to the rubrics. They also don’t like Homilies that start out with a joke, ditch those. They only laugh because well, they are being polite.
And people in the pews. Please come to Mass with one thing in your mind, Jesus. Please dress accordingly. Flipflops, tank tops, halter tops, strapless tops, sleeveless tops, shorts, really short skirts, beer teeshirts or coats, belly shirts, lowrider pants, oh the list could go on and on, but those don’t belong in Church. Would you wear those to meet the President? Okay then, don’t wear them to go to see your Lord and Saviour. Oh and one more thing…when you see a family with young kids, please don’t roll your eyes at them and pray they don’t sit by you. Also if you are sitting at the end of a pew, moving down would be nicer then just letting the family crawl over you. It won’t kill you to sit in the middle of the pew this one weekend!
Off my soapbox now. Have a joyous Lent!