(OLD POST! The date for this is, I'm guessing, September 4th 2011)
Matt 18:15-17
Getting right to the point, last Sunday's gospel reading was about forgiveness. Pointing out to a brother or sister his or her sins. Now look, I don't know any senseable particular person who likes to do this. Most of us shrink at the task of pointing out other peoples sins. Here's the thing, Christians are truth tellers. Jesus referred to himself as the way, the truth, and the life. That means we are obliged to live in the truth. Sin is always the path of untruth. The devil is called the father of lies. Untruthful form of behavior. Jesus is the way. How do you find the way? By finding Jesus who is the truth. Therefore we tell the truth, we operate out of the truth. We don't make excuses, runaway, hide...We tell the truther, we live out of the truth. And part of that is telling the sometimes telling hard truths about others.
Now that I have said this I want to tell you something.
This past Sunday something utterly alarming and so shocking happened that we have decided to change parishes.
Our new priest is...Not what we all had thought. When he got here there had been some disagreement in certain parts of the Mass as to whether or not we are allowed to kneel at certain times or not. We fought with it a little but just finally let the priest have his way. Now, we knew he was a little upset with us for arguing about it at first but we didn't think he would hold such an intense grudge.
Today during mass my family knelt after receiving communion, as was allowed by our priest. However, the priest had to go back to give communion to those who were unable to walk up. But as he was going back he noticed my family had knelt a little early. Apparently my newest family member, John's new wife, noticed he was shaking as he gave the final blessing. As we all went out to shake his hand and say good morning, I was still saying some prayers to myself as I always do. I got up and started for the door and as I got there I heard arguing and yelling, and when I looked I saw the priest was yelling at my mom.
Should I repeat that? Very slowly? Our new priest was yelling at my mom. Why? Because he said we can't kneel after receiving the body of Christ. Even though he did.
I want to say something but I can't because he is still a priest.
Anyway, he was yelling at her, shaking and crying! It was like watching a child throwing a fit about not getting his way! I came in too late to hear what he had said but I'll repeat what my family said.
My mom reached out to shake his hand and say good morning but he didn't move and yelled "What is wrong with your family? Why can't you just do this one thing I ask?" My mom didn't know what he was talking about and tried, calmly and kindly, to ask what he was talking about. He just continued to yell and such. I can't remember what he said after that, but when she finally understood what he was talking about, she tried to say that they didn't, in fact, kneel during communion. Once everyone had received communion the priest went back to give communion to the disabled, my family knelt as he passed by because he was still holding the body of Christ. Is that so wrong? They didn't disobey, they just knelt a little early!
Anyway, my mom told him she had gone to the Archbishops website to be sure what he was telling us to do was the right thing. When she tried to say this he got even louder, got right in her face and yelled "Don't you talk to me in that voice!" That's when I came out.
After my mom tried to explain he yelled "If you want to leave the parish leave! Just leave!"
At this my family was so shocked that they just started walking away, they didn't know what to do! As they walked he shouted out "You're all very disrespectful!"
I walked up, shook his hand and walked right past to the Hall, where we usually just meet together and talk, and walked to the bathroom. I didn't know what to do, I wanted to go back to him and yell at him and just give him a piece of my mind. I went to my car and called home(because at the time I didn't know why he had yelled) and when I discovered I was so close to jumping up and marching up those steps to the Church.
However, I recovered myself and waited till I cooled off before driving home.
It was the most depressing Sunday I had ever witnessed. We all gathered in our living room and talked about the whole thing. We concluded that we would be indeed leaving the parish and going to one who's priest was really great. (The one my brother had his wedding at) So anyway, I just needed to let some steam out.
I'm done ranting now, I think I'll continue praying for both the Parish, the priest and for our future in a very welcoming Church.
On a positive note, I finished the Bible on Monday the 5th! I was getting ready for work, rather upset that I had to stay behind and work instead of going to the ocean with my sisters, when I picked up the Bible and just read, read, read! I made it through the final book, Revelations though confusing as it was, I was very happy!
May the Peace and Grace of Christ Jesus remain always with you.
~Katherine
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