Was I wrong to refuse to comply with my parish priest's wishes and defy him?

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Brendan_64

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Was it wrong for me to do this?

At weekday Mass when there is a small number of parishioners present (under 6 or so) our priest sometimes calls the parishioners up to sit on the benches on the sanctuary to say Mass (while he sits amongst us). I have sat their a couple of times, but do not like it, it feels wrong. Recently when there were few parishioners at a weekday Mass he called us up again and I refused to go, but stayed in my pew. He tried to persuade me to come up, but I refused, which seemed to annoy him. He then proceed with the liturgy of the Word sat amongst the other parishioners on the sanctuary in a little group, while I was in the pews by myself (I couldn’t here the readings as they were said without a microphone towards the small group). The Liturgy of the Eucharist was carried out on the altar, so I could hear that clearly and feel included. I had to then walk up onto the sanctuary to receive before returning to my pew.

Did I do wrong by refusing to go onto the sanctuary? I suppose I made a bit of a spectacle of myself by refusing, and I may have come across as unfriendly by doing so, but it didn’t feel at all wrong to me. In fact I felt Christ very much surrounding me in that Mass.

The whole episode has made me consider not going to weekday Mass in my parish ever again, in case there is a repeat of this. That I would also feel guilty about doing. Any advice would be much welcomed.
 
I don’t think you should feel guilty. He is the one trying to force people, against their will, to do something that shouldn’t be done. I can’t fathom why a priest would want to make people feel uncomfortable for simply wanting to go to Mass in a normal manner. This is his issue, not yours.
 
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