How to think about disliking a priest

[carefullytread]

Tonight I happened to be walking by a church where I sometimes attend morning Mass. It’s a beautiful old church and I decided to go inside and offer a few prayers in one of the chapels.

As I was leaving, I heard the bells that indicate Mass is about to begin. I didn’t know the evening schedule and this was a surprise to me. My initial reaction was that Holy Spirit must have guided me here and I turned around to join the Mass.

When I saw who the celebrant was, I turned back around and left almost without thinking about it. As I was walking away I realized that I don’t like it when this priest says Mass. And that this dislike caused me to turn away from a Mass to which I felt called.

I’m not sure how to interpret what happened. Is it spiritually unhealthy to dislike priests? Obviously, we can’t escape preferring the styles of some priests to other. But should I have stayed anyway? Should I try to find a spiritual place where I don’t feel that way?

 

[Bill_Martin]

We go to Mass for the Lord, not for the priest.

I don’t see anything wrong with just not liking someone, provided you don’t treat them any differently because of it and don’t harbor hatred towards them.

 

[carefullytread]

We go to Mass for the Lord, not for the priest.

I don’t see anything wrong with just not liking someone, provided you don’t treat them any differently because of it and don’t harbor hatred towards them.

I’ve never spoken to the priest; I don’t have any feelings about him as a man. Yet clearly I dislike him as a celebrant enough that I left. Is that turning my back on the Lord?

 

[phil19034]

I’ve never spoken to the priest; I don’t have any feelings about him as a man. Yet clearly I dislike him as a celebrant enough that I left. Is that turning my back on the Lord?

I feel that you should have stayed. You felt called to the Mass and should not have left simply because you don’t like who a particular priest celebrates the Mass.

Now, with that said, I guess it’s ok to pick which Mass you attend on a day based on who the celebrant is. Meaning, if you know ahead of time that Father A will celebrate at 8am and Father B at noon, you can pick the one you like better. But you shouldn’t skip mass on a particular day because you don’t like a particular priest.

God Bless

 

[GEddie]

I’ve never spoken to the priest; I don’t have any feelings about him as a man. Yet clearly I dislike him as a celebrant enough that I left. Is that turning my back on the Lord?

Hardly.

If he were the only priest for 200 miles, so that you could not receive the sacraments without him, it would be different. That is not the normal situation.

ICXC NIKA

 

[pianistclare]

Tonight I happened to be walking by a church where I sometimes attend morning Mass. It’s a beautiful old church and I decided to go inside and offer a few prayers in one of the chapels.

As I was leaving, I heard the bells that indicate Mass is about to begin. I didn’t know the evening schedule and this was a surprise to me. My initial reaction was that Holy Spirit must have guided me here and I turned around to join the Mass.

When I saw who the celebrant was, I turned back around and left almost without thinking about it. As I was walking away I realized that I don’t like it when this priest says Mass. And that this dislike caused me to turn away from a Mass to which I felt called.

I’m not sure how to interpret what happened. Is it spiritually unhealthy to dislike priests? Obviously, we can’t escape preferring the styles of some priests to other. But should I have stayed anyway? Should I try to find a spiritual place where I don’t feel that way?

You identify as dormant. If you expect to be more “active” then you should go to Mass, worship no matter who is there. and worthily receive communion.
It’ s way above our pay grades to judge the holiness of any priest.

So you don’t like him. Big deal.
You go for Christ.
Always.

Please examine your heart and maybe even pray for him.

 

[Irishmom2]

You identify as dormant. If you expect to be more “active” then you should go to Mass, worship no matter who is there. and worthily receive communion.
It’ s way above our pay grades to judge the holiness of any priest.

So you don’t like him. Big deal.
You go for Christ.
Always.

Please examine your heart and maybe even pray for him.

Nice post.

 

[carefullytread]

It’ s way above our pay grades to judge the holiness of any priest.

(I hope) I’m not judging his holiness. If I were to speak honestly, I can say that as someone who struggles with belief, I crave the celebrations of priests who radiate belief. I don’t feel that from this priest, but I try hard to recognize that what helps me, what I feel, does not reflect on the worth of any priest. As you say, that’s beyond my pay grade.

and maybe even pray for him.

That is an excellent idea.

 

[pianistclare]

(I hope) I’m not judging his holiness. If I were to speak honestly, I can say that as someone who struggles with belief, I crave the celebrations of priests who radiate belief. I don’t feel that from this priest, but I try hard to recognize that what helps me, what I feel, does not reflect on the worth of any priest. As you say, that’s beyond my pay grade.

That is an excellent idea.

Of our ability to worship depended on any one given priest and how he celebrates Mass, then that’s not fair to the priests.
His personality or even personal piety has NOTHING to do with it.
By virtue of his ordination he is uniquely equipped to confect the Eucharist.

We concern ourselves with the state of our own souls.
Do pray fro him, and also pray that the Holy Spirit strengthen your faith.
Ask this same priest for some good spiritual reading.

 

[Lily_Bernans]

Tonight I happened to be walking by a church where I sometimes attend morning Mass. It’s a beautiful old church and I decided to go inside and offer a few prayers in one of the chapels.

As I was leaving, I heard the bells that indicate Mass is about to begin. I didn’t know the evening schedule and this was a surprise to me. My initial reaction was that Holy Spirit must have guided me here and I turned around to join the Mass.

When I saw who the celebrant was, I turned back around and left almost without thinking about it. As I was walking away I realized that I don’t like it when this priest says Mass. And that this dislike caused me to turn away from a Mass to which I felt called.

I’m not sure how to interpret what happened. Is it spiritually unhealthy to dislike priests? Obviously, we can’t escape preferring the styles of some priests to other. But should I have stayed anyway? Should I try to find a spiritual place where I don’t feel that way?

It’s perfectly normal to like some people more than others. Our Lord had special friends during his Incarnation. Peter, James, and John formed his “inner circle” of disciples, and Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were special friends of his. It’s normal and natural that you will like some priests more than others.

It’s also important that you don’t dislike this priest for some petty reason. Even if you can never LIKE him, you do have to LOVE him in the way Jesus loved everyone. Pray for him. Be kind to him. Don’t turn away from his masses. He is a priest, a man who was called to serve Christ. I think you should have stayed and prayed for the priest at the proper time during the Mass.

Good luck and God bless.

 

[ClearWater]

Should I try to find a spiritual place where I don’t feel that way?

Yes, it’s okay to go where you feel most comfortable and happy. We often don’t know why we like, or don’t like, people. You’re not expected to go where you aren’t going to be happy. This is the beauty of the Church. You can go to another one for any reason or no reason. You don’t have to sit through mass with a priest you don’t care for.

I’ve switched to a different parish because of the priest or parishioners. You need to keep trying to you find the right fit.

 

[njlisa]

Please examine your heart and maybe even pray for him.

pianistclare’s suggestion is well worth following.

One of the best pieces of wisdom I ever received from a priest is to pray every day for people I dislike. I took the suggestion to heart, and I found myself being less caught up in my anger.

I wish you all the best in your spiritual journey.

May God richly bless you!

​

 

[tawny]

We attend Mass to worship The Lord, regardless of which Priest is celebrating the Mass. They are all Servants of God. It was obviously the intervention of the Holy Spirit that moved you to be there & want to stay for the Mass. God works in mysterious ways; this may have been God’s way of having you pray for & with this Priest.

 

[acadiANNA]

You can pray for the grace to look upon this priest as a true spiritual father who cares for every soul and desires to bring everyone closer to our Heavenly Father. You can love him. We once had a priest who was open to suggestions and the parish council told him what they were hearing from the parishioners. He took everything into consideration and some changes were made. In time, he became likeable, keeping to all truths of the church, and was respected. I was a ‘roaming Catholic’ for many years. I found a church in the next town where the priest had a most powerful homily each Sunday. I felt I was being fed there though it was not my home parish. Mother Angelica said, “Go where you are fed. If you are not getting the benefit from your parish, go to another one.”