Christianity Today Magazine

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

11/26/14 at Christ Cathedral Garden Grove 630am, mass, some constructive words for the priest

11/26/14
@ Christ Cathedral Garden Grove,  630am mass...not sure the name of the priest on duty this morning...he has a dialect of some sort...younger fellow...maybe latino?...anyways, two things that sort of disconcert me...he recites not only the priests words of the liturgy but the parishioners as well...normally, the priest reads his lines and the parishioners respond while the priest remains silent, but he says our words as well...it seems like a "control" thing, as if he feels he needs to keep talking to maintain control...afraid of us? we are ONE in the Spirit, ONE in the LORD..show some trust towards "the people" and let us have a little bit of a voice as well..you have the microphone so you also drown us out when you speak out part as well; 2nd, we ALL know the liturgy and when to sit and stand, so why, when we KNOW very well it is time to sit, do you say, "Please be seated." This too seems like a subtle control thing, given you know we know very well it is time to sit. These "little" things point to issues with the priest that are unfair to the parishioners who all come to the church on our own time, with our own gas money, and donate our own money to the church, and simply expect to be treated decently, not like little kids. I know of no other priests who say "please be seated", and only a few who also have the control need to say the parishioners words as well as their own priest words.