[Prokopton]

A bad priest like a bad doctor can be a major cause of this pain at mass. If you don't trust the doctor at the hospital are you going to go take the medicine he gives you? Mass is a medicine for us when administered correctly, but like medicine it must be administered correctly or it may be harmful to the patient.

I think you put way too much on mortal men.

God is the only "doctor" and the only cure. Priests are more like receptionists at the doctors office. They try to make sure that people who are sick can see the doctor. You wouldn't expect a doctors office receptionist to cure you. Even if they were annoying, you would not let a bad receptionist prevent you from seeing the doctor who can cure you.

Mass is to commune with God, not the priest. You can talk to the priest anytime and a good relationship with a devout priest is a wonderful thing, but it does not come close in importance to your relationship with God.

I can't imagine at judgment time when God asks "where have you been? Why have you not visited my house?" that an acceptable answer will be "I didn't like the priest".

Good Luck, God Bless You and Merry Christmas.

[Global2010]

And we never know when the Good Sheppard is going to use us to be strength for a Priest in need.

Sometimes we never even know we were that vessel.