It would be a very extreme reaction from someone with a son in altar serving, but people have been known to do extreme things. I have heard very light reasons for leaving the Church, but reasons held onto with great stubbornness. You have to think one foot was already out the door, sometimes, the matter was so small. Still, you never know.The meaning was indeed that people leave The Church completely when they are hurt or offended by the gossip or rudeness of others, especially people inserting themselves into situations such as this.
I have seen people leave The Church for the smallest reasons, it’s sad really and that’s why my advice was to leave it alone.It would be a very extreme reaction from someone with a son in altar serving, but people have been known to do extreme things. I have heard very light reasons for leaving the Church, but reasons held onto with great stubbornness. You have to think one foot was already out the door, sometimes, the matter was so small. Still, you never know.
I can only assume that family hasn’t had a lot of weddings or funeralsI have someone at the parist decided to deal with it before the next wedding/funeral mass. Whilst common sense would suggest that if they are asked to move on the day of the wedding/funeral that they would, why are we assuming they will react in such a way? They clearly have no common sense. They wouldn’t be sitting there to start with if they did.
Leaving it until the day of the wedding means that either a wedding party or a grieving family has to deal with it. Is that really fair?
Parents and guests are asked not to try to photograph the first communion and confirmation Masses, but there is a professional photographer that is set up in the first pew that takes a photo of each kid and a professional videographer that has a couple cameras discretely set up. I haven’t seen anyone get up to take a picture, so they must be fairly discrete if they do. Lots of parents and grandparents take pictures of the Baptisms and no one seems to care. The family also stands around the font with the priest after Mass is over for a “photo op”. I really don’t think most people find it a big deal.We warn parents during Baptismal prep classes that if they want the event photographed they are to warn the person not to come forward of the first pew and to be discrete. I don’t know what your experience has been but I’ve seen relatives with cameras who would have gladly pushed Father out of the way if that meant they got a clearer shot of baby. Or first communicant. For some reason when kids are involved some relatives loose all sense of decorum and propriety.
I don’t think it was too kind to call the altar boy a brat. Uncharitable.I do understand your point. But I am a convert. My mom is a nominal Catholic, she was raised as one and in her own way never stopped practicing. It’s a very long story full of a lot of pain so I ask anyone reading this not to judge. She spoke with a very wise priest when she was very sick and he understood and literally changed her life by talking and praying with her… My father is a Lutheran but has become open to Catholicism and my sister is going to marry a cradle Catholic in the Church. Long way to say, I have no idea how to get “my own altar servers.”
And, long way to say, if my father or my sister (especially my sister) saw some altar servers parents taking the front seat at my mom’s funeral… Wow. That would be Mortal Kombat ugly. Flawless victory. And like I said, they would deserve it. Some kid’s parents take the front seat before the casket of a deceased human being they’re not related to or likely knew just to see their little snot be a good Catholic kid? Nope. No excuses. They were entirely inappropriate and insensitive to a grieving family. I wouldn’t blame the priest if he kicked the kid out of the altar servers or made it so he only served at Masses where his parents weren’t allowed.
My uncle or cousin in the front row? I would understand and grieve with them. Some brats parents? Get out.