We're all home today because the New Year holiday fell on a Sunday this year. I had a few Mass options: Get up early and go to my own parish, get up a little later and go to the parish where I used to attend weekday Mass, or get up even a little later and do some things around the house and then go to Noon Mass. I opted for Noon Mass. I had some items on the agenda with the kids for this afternoon, so the question was now did I want to walk into town again or did I just want to go down the street and take my chances?
I have pretty much decided I don't want to take my chances anymore. There is another neighborhood church that offers Noon Mass and the priests are on the up and up so that's what I decided to do. It was wonderful. The faithful kept the sacred silence before and after Mass and the priest stuck to the black and the red. I can still go down the street for Adoration and sometimes for confession, depending on what priest is assigned to the box. But I don't have to subject myself to a near occasion of sin by lazy, sloppy and sometimes just downright disobedient priests.
Yesterday, my husband kept his word and came to the TLM with us. He loved it. I told him that if our pastor is reassigned and God forbid we get someone who is liturgically incorrect, I will be strongly tempted to visit a nearby SSPX church on a regular basis. He laughed, except I'm not kidding. I may not fit the definition of a traddie and I may not always use the right terminology or be "in the know" but I am less and less tolerant of the shenanigans that are passed off on the unsuspecting and unknowing as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
In the meantime, let us continue to pray for priests who try to do the right thing in the face of criticism and opposition as well as for seminarians in formation.
On a related topic, I saw this on Father MacDonald's blog Southern Orders and I thought it was worth a read. I'm sure Father will appreciate the spike in his stats.
I would as you do Joyce, if I encountered a priest who wasn't preaching the Gospel. Fortunately, that hasn't been the case. In fact, our new priest warns us ahead of time that he knows he will hear complaints, but he must speak the truth for our salvation is at stake. I appreciate that. It's not all pretty wrapping with a shiny bow. He tells us that the door to Heaven is narrow and we must repent or our sins and pray for a conversion of heart. I like that.
ReplyDeleteGod bless your new priest Noreen. One of the priests I have encountered warns the congregation, too, but usually because he's going to say something heretical and he knows it.
ReplyDeleteYikes, that is bad. Priests definitely need our prayers too!
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