Cleansing Fire

Defending Truth and Tradition in the Roman Catholic Church

Because It Makes Them Feel Good

February 2nd, 2010, Promulgated by Dr. K

That is really the only explanation I can think of when I see goofiness like what is found in the video below. In this clip, Fr. Palumbos spends four minutes during the Mass calling on various people in the parish to stand up in recognition of the “ministries” that they perform. It begins with some legitimate liturgical ministries (as well as some illegitimate ones), but quickly descends into a circus where each and every person in the parish ends up standing by the end. This continued emphasis on the entire world being ministers and priests is a contributing reason to why there is little respect for ordained ministry in this diocese, and why we have pitifully low ordination numbers. By throwing around this terminology we are diluting the ordained ministry.

Additionally, the Creed was not recited at this Mass. Perhaps this made-up ritual was viewed as a worthy substitute for the required recitation of the profession of our faith.

http://www.blogger.com/img/videoplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fv8.nonxt5.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D04bb0ee9d4db97f9%26itag%3D5%26begin%3D0%26len%3D86400000%26app%3Dblogger%26et%3Dplay%26el%3DEMBEDDED%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1277075205%26sparams%3Did%252Citag%252Cip%252Cipbits%252Cexpire%26signature%3D4EF7AC61730C315DC2B1F755CAADF37970896D2E.2BBBD1118E64FB82701E8E94F5A880CC04899C8E%26key%3Dck1&thumbnailUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2FThumbnailServer2%3Fapp%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D4bb0ee9d4db97f9%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw320%26sigh%3DfWOqbpZiZnBK8cYVRbuEmUqCiZY&messagesUrl=video.google.com%2FFlashUiStrings.xlb%3Fframe%3Dflashstrings%26hl%3Den&nogvlm=1

Some ridiculous ministries mentioned in the video:
If you have cooked a meal or went to work
Shoveled a sidewalk
If you love your grandchildren

So if a man remembers to put down the toilet seat, does that make him a minister? I guess so.

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9 Responses to “Because It Makes Them Feel Good”

  1. So, shovelling a sidewalk is one of their expertise?

  2. Anonymous says:

    You mean shoveling something else!

    There's a lot of that in the DOR

  3. Persis says:

    *sigh*
    Just another example of how things can sometimes go way too far in the DOR.
    I appreciate the intent, which I believe is to remind people that it is our responsibility, as baptized Christians, to share with Christ the role of ?priest, prophet and king?, but if shoveling snow makes me a ?minister?, I should at least be Bishop by now!
    It has been weighing on my mind for a while now that the word ?priest? seems to be out of ?vogue?, which, I believe, explains the lack of vocations in our Diocese. While I am all for involvement of the laity within the Church, there can be no Church without priests.
    I know enough priests to know that it is a very special calling. Diluting the meaning of ?minister?, however magnanimous, is, in my humble opinion, an affront to the sacredness and beauty of the ordained priesthood.

  4. RochChaCha says:

    The sad thing here is that these parishoners do not even realize what a disgrace that Father Ed (AKA 'Said Ed') has turned this parish into. I remember attending this parish about 10 years ago and feeling that it was a little bit on the flaky side, but this is just over the top nonsense. Please pray that Rome will send us a fearless leader soon to replace Bishop Clark.

  5. ahem, i think he meant "Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion" instead of "Eucharistic Ministers

  6. Anonymous says:

    "ahem, i think he meant "Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion" instead of "Eucharistic Ministers "

    It's possible that he meant what he said 🙁

  7. Nerina says:

    A similar effect happens on Mother's Day in our church. The priest first asks all "mothers" to stand. Then he asks "all aunts and grandmothers" to stand. Then he moves onto "neighbors, sisters, godmothers, teachers and those who act in the place of mothers." Pretty soon, every woman is standing in the church. As Persis notes, I appreciate the intent, but pretty soon there is no delineation between the vocation of "mother" and women who happen to interact with children once in a while. It reminds me of the character, Syndrome's comments in the movie "The Incredibles:" "when everyone is special, no one is."

  8. Persis says:

    Nerina,
    I never saw "The Incredibles", what a great quote!!

    Every church I have attended has done the same thing on Mother's Day, and I always just sit quietly until they are done. I have no children of my own, and while I am very activly involved in the lives of my nieces and nephews, I cannot and never will be "on par" with anyone who is a "Mom"!

    It took me a long time to "get over" the fact that I was looked at as being "selfish" for choosing not to have children (which was not my choice alone, God has had something to do with it and there is always hope- look at Elizabeth!),
    and again, while I understand the "intent" of this, IMHO,it diminishes the vocation of "motherhood".

    What is up with all of this "inclusivity" (is that even a word)? I just don't get it!!
    We all need to learn to be happy being the people that God made us, nothing more, nothing less!

  9. Nerina says:

    Persis,

    If you are on Netflix, put "The Incredibles" in your queue. It's a Pixar film which is one of the most pro-marriage, pro-family films you will ever see. Our family LOVES it. Plus it has a great sixties-sounding soundtrack with lots of jazzy brass. In addition to the character of "Syndrome" there is another one named "Edna Mode" who just steals the movie. She has a great line about super models, "skinny, little stick figures with poofy lips!"

    Yes, I feel the vocation of motherhood is greatly diminished with the practice I described.

    I used to be a person who made automatic assumptions about childless couples (God, forgive me). I no longer do having met many people in very tough situations. As you note, God has His ways. Plus, I know I don't like the assumptions made about me and my largish family (you wouldn't believe some of the comments).

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