The Preacher is My Teacher

 February 8, 2010 - Experiences

Last week on the way to Mass after dropping off her mother at her protestant church, my wife and I were discussing our “issues” with the church, as trivial as they may seem to some. She presented her argument that it seems as if some of the priests these days do not put forth much of an effort to reach the parishioners in their homilies. Having accompanied her mother to a women’s retreat at “her” church the day before, she acknowleged the overwhelming passion that the pastor had in preaching the Word. I reassured her that not all priests are professional speakers, and although they have given their lives to God in a marriage to the Church, they are not perfect.

Unfortunately, sometimes at Mass it seems as if the priests are just going through the motions, rushing through the liturgy to get it over with. This is obviously a grave error and if this is happening in your parish I suggest that you speak with the father and express your concerns. The Mass is many things, but the liturgy is very important because it reaffirms that our beliefs as Catholics are biblical and gives us that foundation to grow upon. I personally am offended when I hear a five minute homily, one because I know the priests can do better, and two because I know that many of the people at Mass need that extra push and what better tool than the liturgy to give it to them.

The homily should consist of a reflection of the Old Testament readings, the Psalm, and the of course the Gospel, bringing it to life for everyone in terms that relate to our times and calling us to to apply that message to our daily lives. As Christians we should be encouraging and educating our brothers and sisters on the teachings of Jesus that the Church has maintained for over 2000 years, not appeasing the already dismal desire of today’s society to grow in faith and love or to succumb to the false teachings of the world. It is bad enough that the Church and us Catholics are made out to be such hypocrites by the media, that we’re not even taken seriously (I smell another post topic coming out of this), so why feed that negative image?

As we arrived at Mass I was hoping that the priest was going to step it up and put forth his best effort to hinder my wife’s concerns. I was positive as the procession began and throughout the Mass we were astounded by the priest’s delivery and determination in reaching each and everyone in the audience. Father Frank Wagner, a “retired” priest did an amazing job of keeping us interested while explaining and interpreting the liturgy. There were no dull moments and the sacrament of the Eucharist was really taken above and beyond. As such an important part of worship, the body and the blood of Jesus Christ really came to life for me.

Afterwards, I greeted Fr. Frank with a handshake, a hug, and a thank you. I let him know I was grateful for his effort and introduced him to wife Johana. Having made eye-contact with us various times during Mass, I wasn’t surprised at his invitation to participate. We had been interested in becoming part of the parish community and volunteering in some ministry, and he introduced us to Mary and Jess, who run the afternoon Mass and they are currently guiding us through the steps at becoming lectors and Eucharistic ministers.

I’m thankful to Father Frank and of course God for their impact on my life and I’m excited to begin serving in the church. Many of my fellow Catholics don’t realize the importance of participating in the parish, but in the gospel Jesus calls upon us to live a life of love and servitude. What better way to become part of the parish family than to help out? We saw that our parish was in need and we stepped up to the plate. We might not all have money to support the church financially, but we are all able to give a little bit of our time. God has given so much to us, so we feel called to give back to Him.

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