Priest Ignores Children Receiving First Communion

[tcm22]

What sermon?

What did the priest say?

Is there anyone here who can tell us exactly what the priest said?

Is there anyone here who can post the exact homily, word-for-word that was delivered?

So far, I have read 38 responses/comments about a homily. I have yet to hear or read that homily.

What I do read is one person’s interpretation of that homily summarized in 4 sentences in the original post. I do not even read a single quote of exactly what he said.

Most interresting indeed…

How many people have already passed-judgment on this priest without hearing one single word of what he said???

I’m taking the OP’s word that the Priest’s homily didn’t contain any mention of the occasion of First Communion. Assuming that’s the case, then I think the Priest missed the boat. If that’s passing judgment, so be it. Given the circumstances presented, that’s how I react and will stand by that judgment unless presented some sort of facts to the contrary to help further inform my opinion.

Clearly we’ve heard only one side of the story, so we all understand there is perhaps more to the situation. Unfortunately, that’s how internet forums operate. We don’t have the luxury of verbatim transcripts to back up our discussion. That said, given the basic situation outlined in the original post, I have no reason to doubt the sincerity or facts presented.

I think a good assumption about anything we read here is, “Given what we know of the situation…”

 

[yellowbird]

Homilies are NOT supposed to be Postive ALL of the time.
Sometimes topics such as abortion, euthanasia and morality, need to be preached about.

I wasn’t trying to suggest that homilies *should *be positive all the time… poor choice of wording on my part. What I meant was it’s not unusual for a homily to be a positive, uplifting, encouraging message. Given that it was Ascension Sunday, how easy would it have been to focus on the positive rather than talking about perverted Priests?

That’s my point.

Regarding the poster who said he hadn’t actually READ the homily. No fake. None of us have. Like almost all threads on CA, we’re only going on what the OP has stated. Thankfully none of us actually know which parish this is… which Priest she’s talking about … we’re only commenting on the facts she presented. It could be a bunch of malarkey… but assuming it’s as she stated, I would feel as she did that the Priest should’ve mentioned the kids and gave a more appropriate homily. Does it make him a BAD Priest? Not even close. It’s makes him human … we all make make mistakes.

 

[WhollyRoamin]

No, you are not being unreasonable because if I had heard that sermon during the children’s First Communion I would have fallen out of the pew! Wow!

If you’re sitting up straight, you are less likely to fall out of a pew. Just a tip.

 

[Chatter163]

During his homily and throughout the mass this past weekend, the priest never addressed the children receiving their first Communion directly or spoke on the subject at all. He instead focused on the Ascension and, of all things…defended the Church’s handling of sexual abuse by priests over the years!!! I was flabergasted!!! I swear, if one of the children were mine, I would have literally stood up and asked him to speak to the children about this momentous event in their lives.

Am I being unreasonable?

A bit, perhaps, but definitely hysterical.

 

[tinalewis]

The Mass is not about us, it is about the Lord.

Amen to that! I agree completely. I’m also a little tired of parents expecting other adults and children to go out of their way to make everything special for their children. A homily should be about God.

There are plenty of parishioners at Masses where others happen to be making their First Communion and these people are there to pray, to hear about God and Jesus, and to receive Communion. They did not come to Sunday Mass to hear a homily directed to children. That would be a special First Communion Mass. And that’s what First Communion parties used to be for - to allow speeches, pagaentry, photos, and youthful celebration especially for the kids. *Not Mass. *

 

[tcm22]

Amen to that! I agree completely. I’m also a little tired of parents expecting other adults and children to go out of their way to make everything special for their children. A homily should be about God.

There are plenty of parishioners at Masses where others happen to be making their First Communion and these people are there to pray, to hear about God and Jesus, and to receive Communion. They did not come to Sunday Mass to hear a homily directed to children. That would be a special First Communion Mass. And that’s what First Communion parties used to be for - to allow speeches, pagaentry, photos, and youthful celebration especially for the kids. *Not Mass. *

You are presenting a strawman argument. The OP never claimed the homily should be directed at the children. However, discussion of the Church’s handling of the pedophilia scandal doesn’t strike me as an appropriate topic for a Mass where children are making their First Communion. Regardless of the topic of the Homily, it certainly would have been appropriate for the Priest to say something like, “We’d like to congratulate our First Communicants and their families on this great occassion.” First communion is a public Sacrament and something that should be witnessed and supported by the Parish Community. It is special and should be recognized as such. No one has claimed it should be focused ONLY on the children, but to ignore the occasion does a disservice to the children and the community.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

You are presenting a strawman argument. The OP never claimed the homily should be directed at the children.

I think your wrong, see the bolded emphasis.

During his homily and throughout the mass this past weekend, the priest never addressed the children receiving their first Communion directly or spoke on the subject at all. He instead focused on the Ascension and, of all things…defended the Church’s handling of sexual abuse by priests over the years!!! I was flabergasted!!! I swear, if one of the children were mine, I would have literally stood up and asked him to speak to the children about this momentous event in their lives.

Am I being unreasonable?

 

[tcm22]

I think your wrong, see the bolded emphasis.

Directing comments to the children and/or acknowledging their First Communion is a far cry from directing the entire homily to them. The OP is commenting that the Priest in question outright ignored the event. She is not asking that the entire Mass be dedicated to or directed at the First Communicants. Frankly, I think that may have been a better approach than discussion of the pedophilia scandal in light of the circumstances.

 

[yellowbird]

Directing comments to the children and/or acknowledging their First Communion is a far cry from directing the entire homily to them. The OP is commenting that the Priest in question outright ignored the event. She is not asking that the entire Mass be dedicated to or directed at the First Communicants. Frankly, I think that may have been a better approach than discussion of the pedophilia scandal in light of the circumstances.

Yep. Agreed.

 

[sharmin]

Well, the OP did say that the Homily did discuss the Ascension. So it does appear that the Mass was about the Lord.

That’s true. You’re right. I just find it so disturbing that a priest would discuss pedophilia in a child’s first communion mass.

 

[Beachcomber]

The Ascension is a great homily topic and a special time to receive your First Communion. The priest should have acknowledged the presence of the kids receiving for the first time and maybe said a few words, then launch into the homily. But to discuss and (defend, even) the pedophile scandal :is not the appropriate forum right then.

 

[tinalewis]

Now that I’vd had a chance to re-read this, I have to ask:

How did the children feel about this?

Did anyone ask the first Communicants how they felt? What were their answers?

Just wondering if this is a parent’s’ outcry or if the 8-year olds themselves were disappointed that they weren’t mentioned in the homily or that the homily topic was inapporpriate.

I’ll bet that all the children cared about was that they made their First Holy Communion!!! If you receive Communion, how can you be ignored by the priest? You just received Our Lord at the hands of the priest.

Forty years from now when these children look back on the day of thier first Holy Communion, will their first memory be “The priest didn’t include me in his homily”?

Who among the babyboomer cradle Catholics remembers the homily of his First Holy Communion Mass? I don’t even remember mine and it was last year.

Homilies good or bad, inspiriing or un-inspiring, are written and delivered by men. Jesus gives himself - which is the point of someone’s first Holy Communion.