Posted on 08/14/2005 9:17:15 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
I'll apologize in advance for this vanity post but I need to get this off my chest:
At our 10:30 a.m. mass this morning, our pastor was the celebrant. Today's Gospel was the story of Christ's meeting with the Canaanite woman and the eventual healing of her daughter. Our pastor then followed with his homily where he first related the plight of the Canaanite woman with a woman he knew who called him requesting prayers for an illness in her family which we could relate to since my wife and I are both contending with (minor, we hope) health issues.
The nest thing we know, the pastor is relating this to the "lady camped out in Texas asking for healing AND ACCOUNTABILITY" (the emphasis is my own). We sat there and listened through the sermon as he returned to the Sheehan story a few more times asking us to imagine an Iraqi woman who lost children in the same position.
Thankfully, it was pretty short and we stood for the Creed but then, immediately before the intercessions, the pastor returned to the topic.
This was too much for us so we turned and left, commenting to those around that we don't come to church to hear politics. I handed the usher my offering as we exited.
This is the first time something like this has happened in this church we have attended for the past twenty years or so and I feel pretty horrible about the whole thing.
Oooh, we had a priest who did the walking the aisles thing.
I HATE it.
I would be upset as well; however it IS the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. One can't simply walk out on Jesus Christ himself without participating in the re-enactment.
Our sermon at Mass today was about God's holy house: The Church itself, and how we are invited there as guests.
Perhaps a private word to the pastor is in order: The ACLU seems to be looking for cases these days of non-separation of church and state. They may threaten to challenge churches' tax exempt status based upon the teachings therein. Perhaps one should caution the pastor of this possibility. It would be considered 'a word to the wise'.....
The poster is Catholic. I trust you will behave youself.
I think you're exposing not a small bit of hypocrisy here. It's not politcs that are the issue with most, but the political leaning.
It's a lot easier for a bunch of people here to tell you you should have put on a scene and done a confrontation thing, than it is to actually do it.
And once you do something like that you can't take it back.
I am also leery of those who immediately urge you to Quit That Church. Take your money and run.
I've been in the same church for over 30 years. Some priests I've liked, some I've loved and some have gotten on my nerves and been too political. Still I stayed, and I'm glad.
You'll never find perfection in a church. But if it reaches the point where you are more antagonized than inspired at your church, you might want to look around.
But not because we say so!
I would have kept my offering in protest.
I would write him a nice letter, more in sorrow than in anger, explaining how upset you were by his homily and that you are sure he is sadly misinformed because the media isn't telling the whole story. Then I would touch on her most anti-American (and anti-Jewish) comments, her changing story re her first meeting with the president, and how she is funded and spoken for by anti-American leftist groups (and her various tele-conferences with them to plan for "maximum political effect"). You're sure that once he has the whole story, he'll understand why you were so shocked and upset . . . and also you're sure that he would not want to be manipulated and used as a mouthpiece by anti-American groups . . . tie it in if you like to the virtues of truthfulness, love of country, etc. etc.
You know, that sort of thing.
Those who cannot, and use the time to preach their opinions need to be slapped down
In theory, I don't think a priest should talk politics either way.
However, If he/she agreed with me, I'd be inclined to cut some slack. (grin)
I would have stood up and told the pastor to knock it off.
Find a new church!
Red6
Many years ago the pastor at Bruton Parish Church, in Colonial Williamsburg, took the opportunity to castigate President Johnson, whom he knew was in the congregation, over the Vietnam War. My father was no fan of Johnson, but wrote him nonetheless expressing his distaste for the pastor's injection of politics into the religious service.
If the state can't interfere with the church, the church should not be interfering with the state.
I am angry at these priests who don't know the facts, and think they are doing a service to someone who is blatantly lying, alienating her family, and trying like hell to gain a few minutes of fame through her hurtful accusations, while at the same time putting other American lives in jeopardy.
This priest ought to be ashamed of himself for not knowing what in the world he is talking about.
Thankfully our priest sermonized on the gentile woman, but did not relate it to anything but the Gospel message.
WOW!!
That could have been your cue!!
You should have had a coughing fit! LOL!!
"I handed the usher my offering as we exited.
You should have kept it."
I would have kept it AND given him the finger on the way out.
"Potical rhetoric from a priest (Catholic or Orthodox) is plain wrong. The Protestants have their own ideas; but the two oldest Christian traditions have, as the reason to come to church - the Eucharist. A good exposition of the readings (Epistle and Gospel) is standard. And there are some priests who can do that. Those who cannot, and use the time to preach their opinions need to be slapped down."
Yeah, wouldn't want to be in the thick of a global religious war and have any of our priests take a stand, would we? IMO, your thinking derives from the we must always be FAIR to all people all the time philosophy, which is simply an offshoot of political correctness. What if suicide bombers start going into Catholic high masses and killing us by the score--then would it maybe be all right for a priest to, uh, voice an opinion?
Islamofascists have pledged for centuries, to do this: convert or kill Christians, kill Jews. And in case you haven't checked the news, they've been stepping up their efforts. Priests not only have a right to voice opinions, to my mind they have an obligation--as there are Americans who are the enemy within, there is a whole cadre of Catholic priests who are the enemy of the Church. THEY need slapped down! What kind of cleric preaches condemnation of the side that was attacked, and "understanding" of the barbarians who want to wipe out their religion?!
Well, I always stop when I start to sound like Michael Savage.
But it is time for you to put the acoustic guitar down.
Church started out normally, but, then the priest started his rant by saying, "They'll probably shoot me for saying this", then he said that 9/11 was caused because we send money and arms to the Jews, Israel. The Jews always lie, the Palestinians lie occasionally, and other left wing liberal lunacy.
He ended his tirade with his eyes darting wildly about the church, and again saying; "They'll probably shoot me for saying this". He then gave a nervous laugh.
( I was thinking: "they" won't shoot you Padre, but, they just might show up in their white coats, with the butterfly net, to take you away.)
You'd be suprised at the leftist coming from all walks of life. They can no longer remain silent. Their humanist god has got them stirred up.
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