Taking the cream...

I was intrigued by "Anon's" comment on the post just below this one, regarding what I considered, and still do, to be a sensible commentary on the recent Vatican document that should be properly subtitled "Guess What???? The Pope is CATHOLIC!!!"

Anon wrote:

I'll pass on reading Fr. Morris' opinions. I am still seething over his support of Sean Hannity and his promoting of unCatholic teaching. But the paragraph you posted was a good one, to be sure. Thanks.

Fair enough. Actually, the paragraph I quoted pretty much encapsulated what Father Morris had to say, but there's some more good stuff. But, more importantly, I completely understand the reluctance to pursue what someone who has, in any way, seem to have offended the Church, has written. Or said. Or did. Et cetera.

There's this priest I know...

Oh, gosh. What can I say? There have been times when I've found myself in a quandary. Either (or so I thought) (A) pass on a daily Mass or (B) grit my teeth and suffer through it.

This priest is one of those guys who tend to act as if he's hosting a dinner party. You know what I mean and if you don't, here's an example. Just before the orate fratres he's apt to say something like:

"Friends! Our table is now prepared! Let us now pray that our meal is something-or-other." (Forgive me, I can't remember the exact words but trust me on this one, it doesn't start with "Pray, brothers...")

The man openly discourages kneeling during the Canon on the grounds that (A) the chapel has no kneelers and anyway (B) in The Early Church they didn't kneel and (C) besides that, the Church tells us to stand during the Eucharistic Prayer if no kneelers are available. (Parenthetical aside...is this true? I never heard that before. If you know, clue me in. Am I being disobedient by ignoring the urging and kneeling anyway?)

Anyway...here's the point.

I've heard some gems come out of this priest's mouth. Stuff in his sermons (yes, he would call them either "homilies" which is okay I guess or "breaking open the Word") that has knocked my socks off...stuff that I believe has helped me to become a better person. A better Catholic. Stuff I would've missed if I decided pass the Mass on the grounds of queasiness.

(And not incidentally, leave us not forget the fact that I would've missed receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament!)

"Kelly...this isn't that great of an example."

Gotcha. I could give you more but I think you could give me more! How about that idiot you know that actually, in a rare burst of sensibility, said something wise to you that time? Or that outrageous, bossy, truly yucky yenta who turned out to be a major force in helping somebody unfortunate? Or—actually, this is my own example—that ratty looking foul-mouthed kid on the subway who, with some embarrassment, got up and gave his seat to an old lady, while trying gamely to ignore the hoots of his peers?

God doesn't deal in making junk.

It's an old saw, but it's true: there's something good to be found in every single person He created.

Do yourself a favor. Find it.

Take the cream. It's all yours.

(And a sincere thank you to Anon for helping me to work this out. I mean it!)