I walked out on the homily today.

[hedgehog]

Well, not exactly. My parish failed to meet the "goal" set by the Chancery for the Bishop's Annual Appeal last year, so today there in the sanctuary to the right of the altar was a honking big television set and DVD player. The set-up was supposed to be for parish use; I think the library group used it to show Mel Gibson's "Passion" during Lent one time. I couldn't tell you if it's a projection TV or plasma or what; I know it's something I'd never spend money one.

So anyways, the priest reads the Gospel, says something nice about the First Communion yesterday, then we all sit back to watch the professionally produced DVD the Bishop sent around to make us cough up the dough. After about 5 minutes of this garbage, I walked out until the time came for the Prayers of the Faithful. I think it was the part about the wealthy parish nearby that exceeded its goal, so the Bishop sent the extra money back to the parish.

[rug]

1. He must have taken today's Gospel too literally.

I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine.

[hedgehog]

2. OOOOOOOOHHHH......

you're going to burn for that one!




:)

[pingzing58]

3. I'd like to know what diocese you belong to. Thanks. Unlike the church that is a hierarchy

the American Church has always been a democracy. Historically, a problem for Rome. We vote with our money. So, what's going on with the parish or diocese that has created this situation. In the end "money speaks." That's our way. And Jesus knew that when the widow gave her last penny to the temple to pay her temple tax. She contributed more and than anyone else.

[hedgehog]

4. Syracuse, New York

[tjwmason]

5. That's just bad.

I never like it when the homily is replaced with a financial plea - but your's beats all of those I've seen.

The only exception I'd make to this was three times I've heard representatives from charities when I felt that there was a genuine message about how playing our part in charity is a part of our religion.

[JNelson6563]

6. I once did that.

Years ago I took my kids to mass every week. My husband (Luthern) always made snide remarks about the Catholic church being all about money. I tried to get him to go all the time, every week. One week the homily was replaced with a wealthy local merchant who did a plea for money (for whatever fund drive they were doing). The reading from the Gospel had been about the money changers in the temple. I was overdosing on irony and walked out in the middle of it, sickened to the core.

Later I went to my priest and took issue with him over this, adding I was sure glad this didn't happen to be the week I got my husband to attend. I had other business with the priest but he was pretty distressed about my observation/reaction. He kept going back to that topic. In the end he did say he would be much more careful about when he scheduled those unavoidable money pleas.

I'll never forget that.

Julie

[Matilda]

7. Good for you, hedgehog.

We get the same from our Archbishop, Cardinal Pell (Google him), but in our case it seems
that the more people give one year, the more the diocese thinks we should give the next. Our parish,
we're continually told, is very generous, so I'm sure we're all doing the best we can. But it's
never enough. It annoys the p.p., because the parish itself has to make up any shortfall in the
arbitrary targets set by the Archdiocese. Fr. Smith argues with them year after year, but it falls
on deaf ears.

The result, over the past ten years or so at least, is that when it comes time for Peter's Pence,
the donations are getting smaller each year. I don't give to that one at all - there are more
deserving charities close to home.