Should I avoid his Mass?

[Cathy]

I am often upset by things one priest says in his homilies. I sometimes wonder if he’s really Christian. I know this isn’t for me to judge. Today, he was trying to say we should welcome immigrants. I’m all for that. In fact, most of my friends were born in other countries. One neighbor, whom I love and is very sweet, is Muslim, and we even pray together in Jesus’ name.

But if I understood his words right, and I might not have, he seemed to say we are wrong to say, “my culture,” “my country,” or “worst of all, my faith.” When I heard the last, about “my faith,” it was merely a reflex action for me to gasp out loud and say, “my faith?!” I am feeling all shaken up. Would it be wrong for me to check with the Church office and just be sure I don’t go to a Mass where he is scheduled to celebrate Mass?

He’s only an assistant pastor, but the head pastor is out of the country for two weeks, and I think from past experience that the head pastor would do nothing anyway.

I’d be grateful for your prayers, even if you don’t reply.
Thanks, Cathy

 

[Veritas41]

I don’t think it would be wrong for you to go to a different Mass, especially if this priest regularly says things that upset you. I would definitely make the effort to pray for this priest --it’s good for him and good for you

 

[Cathy]

Thank you, Veritas. I will pray for him.
God bless you.
Cathy

 

[CCCatholic17]

I am often upset by things one priest says in his homilies. I sometimes wonder if he’s really Christian. I know this isn’t for me to judge.

This is for you to judge. Judgement isn’t a bad thing at all. If you get upset by the things he says about our faith don’t succum to his own opinions and ways of understanding a text hermeneutically. I can speak from experience, it often ends unpleasantly.

Would it be wrong for me to check with the Church office and just be sure I don’t go to a Mass where he is scheduled to celebrate Mass?

No, not at all. I wish I would have done this when a priest at my church and I didn’t get along. It blew into the biggest “fight” I have ever experienced in my life. I really don’t want that to happen to anyone else.

I hope all goes well and you and this priest are in my prayers. Good luck!!

 

[Tietjen]

But if I understood his words right, and I might not have, he seemed to say we are wrong to say, “my culture,” “my country,” or “worst of all, my faith.” When I heard the last, about “my faith,” it was merely a reflex action for me to gasp out loud and say, “my faith?!” I am feeling all shaken up. Would it be wrong for me to check with the Church office and just be sure I don’t go to a Mass where he is scheduled to celebrate Mass?

I’m not really sure that I understand. Are you saying that the Priest upset you because he said that it is wrong to refer to Catholicism as “my faith?” What did he mean by that? If he was saying that the Catholic Church is here on Earth for people from all countries and we as Americans shouldn’t think of it as simply belonging to us, then of course he’s correct. Forgive my not understanding. If there is however, a continuing problem with the way you feel concerning this Priest’s homilies, I’d suggest first speaking to him about it. Maybe, like me, you are simply not understanding what it is he is attempting to say. OR perhaps there is a problem and he is unaware of it. By talking to him about it, you may be helping to fix something that others in the parish are finding difficult as well. God bless.

 

[Joysong]

He’s only an assistant pastor, but the head pastor is out of the country for two weeks, and I think from past experience that the head pastor would do nothing anyway.

This tells me he is a recently ordained priest who has not served long enough to become a pastor. As such, I don’t doubt that he may not have spiritual sensitivity and experience that might be seen in one more advanced in age and wisdom.

It is difficult for any who read your post to know his context— i.e., saying “my faith” is wrong. If one is in the presence of a nonCatholic, it could be insulting and perceived as though this person had “no” faith. Maybe he meant it is better to say “our” faith if both believe in and follow Jesus Christ, albeit assuming there are differences in doctrinal matter.

If he celebrates the liturgy with piety, I would take some of these words with a grain of salt. I knew my pastor when he was relatively new in homiletics, and to listen to him now is an absolute treat! Consider how you might fumble if you had to wear the shoes of a public speaker, and be a little more accepting …

"Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet. "

 

[Cathy]

Thank you so much. These are some very helpful comments, which help me feel he was possibly not saying what I thought he was saying.

Today, a friend made me sit down and watch a video of Fr. Pavone’s homily this morning on EWTN. She had no knowledge of my concerns about our priest’s homily. If this priest has any gaps in his faith or in his desire to evangelize the world, I think Fr. Pavone’s homily on baptism will go a long way to fill them. My friend said she will give a copy of the homily to our priest.

Thanks so much for your prayers and comments.
Cathy

 

[puzzleannie]

in the first place you seem, by OP, to be reacting to one phrase of of what one priest said in one homily, and moreover, you are not even sure if your heard or understood him right.

for that you are considering either to stop attending Mass at all or to change parishes? sounds like over-reacting to me.

why not continue to participate in Mass, listen to all the teaching you receive over the course of time from priests in this parish, if you ever hear something in a homily you don’t understand ask the priest to explain it to you, and continue to actively grow in knowledge of your own faith in every way you can.

 

[Safe_Eagle]

I look at things this way. My first priority in attending the Mass is to obey God and receive the Eucharist. Most of the time I forget a lot of the homily anyway. I would pray for your priest.

 

[apricot_yogurt]

If I was to leave every time my parish priest said something a bit off, then I would probably never go to Mass.

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

I am often upset by things one priest says in his homilies. I sometimes wonder if he’s really Christian. I know this isn’t for me to judge. Today, he was trying to say we should welcome immigrants. I’m all for that. In fact, most of my friends were born in other countries. One neighbor, whom I love and is very sweet, is Muslim, and we even pray together in Jesus’ name.

But if I understood his words right, and I might not have, he seemed to say we are wrong to say, “my culture,” “my country,” or “worst of all, my faith.” When I heard the last, about “my faith,” it was merely a reflex action for me to gasp out loud and say, “my faith?!” I am feeling all shaken up. Would it be wrong for me to check with the Church office and just be sure I don’t go to a Mass where he is scheduled to celebrate Mass?

He’s only an assistant pastor, but the head pastor is out of the country for two weeks, and I think from past experience that the head pastor would do nothing anyway.

I’d be grateful for your prayers, even if you don’t reply.
Thanks, Cathy

You should attend your home parish for regular mass. It is not a terrible offence if you don’t do this, and very occasionally there are serious moral reasons for avoiding the home parish. More frequently there are legitimate personal reasons for attending a different parish, for instance if your work schedule clashes with mass at your own parish.

The justification for this rule is that we want to avoid a situation whereby the Tridentine people attend Latin mass at St Albion’s whilst the young people go to yoof mass at St Bernadette’s, whilst there is a very trendy service at St Clare’s, and St David’s is a happy clappy charismatic church. In America you’d probably also have a black church developing, and a hispanic one.

Your situation sounds to me like a marginal one. If you really feel such an intense diagreement with this priest that you can’t develop at all as a Catholic, it might be best to go elsewhere. However that should be the last resort. Generally it is better to try to work through these problems. After all, if all the people who disagree simply leave, it will reinforce the priest in his attitudes.