"I'm a priest who used to hate Christmas Eve, but I got over it." Account that appeared in a newspaper

  • Thread starter Thread starter mdgspencer
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Sad that such assumptions are made…its like wagging fingers at those arriving late for Mass, not knowing what the cause was (were they providing care for a sick or elderly person), or those whose cell phone buzzes (are they first providers, perhaps), or those who leave Mass early (are they hurrying to check the status of a very ill loved one)…sometimes it might be better to concentrate on the good.
 
I hope he continues to get over it. When priests complain about things like this, I understand the frustration, but I think they are missing the fact that many people who come on Christmas do attend the rest of the year too - possibly in a different church in the location where they live as they’re visiting somewhere else for Christmas - and also that there are likely a lot of people in this priest’s parish who are making an effort to attend regularly, perhaps even daily or however often Mass is offered.

I doubt it is a case of 10 people at Sunday Mass and then 1000 show up just on Christmas and then fade away again.
 
Well I kind of get it.

Our mass will be packed today. We will most likely stand on the side. Yet week after week there are spaces everywhere. I know most the parishioners faces. Today most will come 2-3x a year only.

I don’t judge them because I don’t really care what they do. But I do get the angst.
 
He DID get over it. That’s the point of the article. Jesus came not because the world was perfect, but precisely because it isn’t.
 
Yeah, I don’t always respond well on Christmas Eve. It is annoying that I have to arrive an hour early to get a seat, that my husband has to haul all of our children there on his own closer to start time, that we could practically pass out from being packed together so tightly… I’m not proud of my reactions. But I wouldn’t let such annoyances keep me from Jesus.
 
Father, I admire your reasons before and after. It was like a transformation which could not happen without the first step towards it. You were faced with reality or struck by it because simply you had the courage to seek God’s truth About what you mention. What you recognized he wanted you to that other priests haven’t the courage to to take it to heart, where God’s heart is. Your disappointment and grief was in the right place. Your reasons valid and he in turn gifted you with inspiration to become an inspiration rather than remaining bitter in spirit, with something that called for it. I do not communicate well in words I hope I am not offending.
 
The crowds and the traffic and the trouble finding a parking space upset my mother also. She said that she thought about becoming a Christmas / Easter atheist.
 
I know of a few priests, that on Christmas and Easter, that like to use that opportunity to remind people that they’re open ever Sunday.
 
Trust me, I struggled with this for the 90 minutes prior to Mass (we got there early as our kids were singing in choir) and during the Mass. I said two rosaries for everyone who I affectionately and probably not charitably call “Cheasters” (Christmas and Easter goers). I say to myself, “why even go?”. I see people chatting loudly, swearing, disrespecting the church, running around playing with kids, taking pictures like it was some sort of fun play or show to view and add to the collection of “things they did”. Some people were talking the entire mass. Others, clapped at wildly inappropriate times. I know that God meets us where we are at, and I many years ago, was likely destined for Hell with all of the mortal sinning I had done, but He kept calling and now I’m closer than ever in my relationship with God. So while my human side just wants to turn around and tell them to shutup and stop disrespecting the church, I don’t, and I say prayers, even though the feeling is quite intense.

Although, there is some aspect of Matthew 21:12, when Jesus turned the tables over of the money changers since they made a mockery of His house, and told them this is a house of prayers. I get BOTH sides. We are called to be charitable, but we are also called to guide people into a stronger faith, and by allowing the disrespect to continue isn’t great either. We are called to show our faith through actions, but also by words. If we never explain it to people, then how will they know? And for those who decide not to hear and receive the words, then shake the dust of your sandals and continue on to the next town.

EDIT: @gracepoole, I was replying to you specifically to your comment, since like you, I became annoyed and struggled with my reactions. The rest of the comments were not directed to you, but written “in general”.
 
Last edited:
That’s a nice charitable way to do it. It splits the line between chastisement and charity, “Hey, you’re not quite right with God” while at the same time, inviting them to fix it.
 
poche said:
The crowds and the traffic and the trouble finding a parking space upset my mother also. She said that she thought about becoming a Christmas / Easter atheist.
Click to expand...
I sometimes think dealing with the crowds and people who come to the big Christmas and Easter Masses are a serious test of our charity/ opportunity to offer things up.

Last night I was praying very softly during the “prelude” music prior to the Midnight Mass, which goes on for an hour before Mass finally starts. The woman in front of me was trying to record the prelude music on her iPhone and complained because my whispering prayers was too noisy. My normal reaction to that would have been to get up and go sit somewhere else, but due to the crowds I didn’t want to move especially since I was there an hour early to get a good seat for the Mass. As the hour went on, people sitting around us were chatting and making other noises so I’m not sure why Miss Iphone had to pick on someone who was praying, but I tried to just offer it up.

I remember another year in the distant past during my time as a Chreaster when I decided I needed to go to Mass at the National Shrine on Christmas and my husband wasn’t thrilled about this but went along with it so I wouldn’t get upset, and the traffic and parking were so awful when we got there he ended up getting a ticket from a traffic camera trying to park the car.
 
Last edited:
Wow these are not even issues. Life is way more beautiful than any of you describe. All the more reason to trust that every situation is an opportunity to draw close to our Lord and each other.
 
I find that on Christmas, we don’t all go to our usual masstimes or even parishes. Also, if there is a nursery it is usually not open. This resulted in my normal cast and crew being joined by our one year old who usually gets dropped off for good reason. She was encircled by familiar and unfamiliar old ladies to peek a boo, tickle or distract her. Old lady crew saved Christmas mass for us, I don’t care if they were regulars or cheasters😆.

Christmas morning mass isn’t usually as crowded as midnight or the vigils, if you have a crowd aversion.
 
Last edited:
It may help to imagine the Virgin Mary having given birth, looking for a quiet moment and random shepards are showing up, foriegn dignitaries, even if the song is to be believed, a little boy that thought a drum solo was just what the sleeping babe needed.😜

She wasn’t like ugh go away you cheasters. She may not have understood her role as spiritual mother to us all yet, but she knew she needed to let them come.

I haven’t read the article, for all I know it said just that. I’ll go do that now!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top