Cut Our Priests Some Slack

by Letters Editor · Published December 2, 2009 · Updated June 30, 2017

Lily P Flynn, Johannesburg – For several weeks now, the letters page has carried letters about, or mentioning, dull sermons at Sunday Masses. I identify with the correspondent who objected to parish finances as a subject for a sermon. That should be left strictly to the parish finance chairperson.

However, the many priests I have known have always prayed before celebrating Holy Mass, and exhorted their parishioners to do the same.

The question is: do we, the hearers of the Word, truly prepare ourselves for full participation in the Mass, which includes the sermon? Could it be that our unpreparedness causes us to listen without hearing?

We Catholics tend to expect the impossible of our priests, and sometimes forget that they are no super-beings. Sure, they are very special people and do a very special job, but they are just human, with limitation like you and me. Yet, a priest has to be everything to each of his parishioners every day, for the rest of his life. For me, that’s a scary thought.

The people who make up the fabric of a parish are diverse in both nature and culture. I’m certain that no matter how great a priest is, he will never be able to deliver a sermon that will satisfy every one of his parishioners, every Sunday.

Perhaps parish pastoral councils could arrange for a parish mission, even a mini-mission can do wonders for jaded parishioners and their priest.

In this, the Year for Priests, may we pray for our pastors, and let them know that we love and cherish them.