What I Do NOT Want To Hear During a Homily

I was raised a Catholic, and has kept the custom of hearing mass every Sunday. Though it doesn’t seem like it, I find satisfaction listening to the gospel regardless of the fact that this was the same gospel about a year ago (and even a hundred years before that) because even if the priest delivers the Gospel as if it was a homework, it’s cool to realize that the principles are still applicable even at present–after 2000 years from the time those were established.

It’s quite amazing how some priests are able to make the Church appreciate that. They will tell stories more or less related to the Gospel to prove a point, and make you realize what all these are for. Some people tell me that I have a knack of knowing the right things to say. When listening to a priest’s homily I can sometimes imagine me under the vestments and speaking in front of the people. I was trying to discern if this is a calling, but then I realized that they’re celibate, so no, thanks. Haha!

Unfortunately, not all priests have the same charm (or the same public speaking skills) and though I can tolerate those, there are things that some priests would utter remarks that I sometimes want to grab the mic and lambast him for being such a hypocrite.

1. I don’t like priests doing TVJ jokes–that is, making fun of other people’s shortcomings or handicap for the sake of gaining the crowd’s attention.

One priest was complaining because parents who’d volunteer their son to priesthood would choose the “least qualified” so to speak, and he explicitly described those as panget (ugly), bobo (stupid), or silahis (effeminate). He would ask the crowd on what would it have been like if an unano (dwarf) would preside over the mass. The church goers would laugh, but I did not find it funny. First of all, he’s not exactly the Brad Pitt type himself, and secondly, God never discriminated people like these (ask Zacchaeus), so just who gave that priest the right to do otherwise? These people are already alienated enough as they are without that priest adding insult to the injury. Is he saying that these people are not worthy of serving the Lord?And suppose there is an unano inside the church, can he look at that man in the eyes and tell him all that?So much for seeing God’s image and likeness in every man.

2.  I don’t like priests who’d keep on asking to love the least of your brethren but are insensitive to their way of life.

That same priest gave a nasty remark about prostitutes once.He just labeled them as sinners and that money is no excuse for them to do what they are doing. This part, I agree. But then I watched a Filipino movie starring Klaudia Koronel entitled “Live Show”and thus this question just popped in my mind: if some girl was laid off from work, unable to find a job, her mother is sick and bed ridden, unable to pay the house rent, no one to lend her money and no food to feed her little siblings, and chooses to become a prostitute than be a hired killer or a thief, are we really in the position to judge what the best course of action would have been?

I’m not saying that this is right, but based on the circumstances, I think prostitutes like these deserve the benefit of a doubt. Jesus Christ knew who Mary Magdalene was and yet he defended her from those who will stone her to death. Don’t you think it’s about time that we drop our stones as well? I would have appreciated if the priest would have at least been sensitive enough to acknowledge such unfortunate circumstances, then persuade the prostitutes that they can break away from the cycle later on with God’s help.

There was also this homily when a priest criticized OFW’s for leaving their children without their father to raise them for the sake of money. This is very insulting. All I need to say to that priest is, you keep on saying that money is not important, but let me see you live without it. 

OFW’s left their children. Oh, don’t you think they already know that? The government gives measly wages. There are too many laborers that it’s not easy to get a job. Love alone will NOT feed the children. Love alone will NOT be able to pay the hospital bills if one of the children gets a dengue fever or something. If they had the chance to live well in the Philippines, just who in his right mind would leave his family behind? I really wonder what would happen if all the faithful would just stop donating money for callous priests.

3. I don’t like priests who deliver homilies as if those were elocutionary speeches, try to sound profound, or someone who has obviously run out of things to say but still tries to give a long sermon.

I am very impressed with some priests who are able to express a point  in a couple of sentences the exact thing as others would in 2 paragraphs. Sometimes, there are priests who would sound like Cristy Fermin — highfaluting choice of words but ultimately empty. You relay a lesson, demonstrate proof-of-concept using stories if applicable, let your audience appreciate the purpose of you telling all these and then end it. Extending it any longer after you are finished will tend to distort the argument that you have just established and we will lose the lesson. In any public speaking event, be it a homily or an inaugural address, the ultimate goal is not for you to speak, but for your audience to understand. Like what my student said before: “Express, not impress.”

I understand that these are priests, not saints. I acknowledge and I praise them because I know how hard it is for them to hold masses, on top of all the community work, sleepless days, sickness, and invaluable sacrifice for the sake of serving God’s children.

To the priests:

Even if you do so many contributions to the society, it is only during the mass when you get to share God’s love with an unusually large number of people and this is the only place where you get to present God and where they get to see and listen to you. If priesthood is misrepresented only because we are not careful enough of what we are saying, we will be held accountable for that: they were just shooed away by the very shepherds who are supposed to lead them back to their rightful homes.

I am not saying this because I despise or condemn you. It’s just that I am quite concerned about the alarming rate of Catholics leaving the Church, blaming the priests for that.

I am sure that you don’t want that to happen. Neither do I.

As for the faithful:

Just grow up. You are inside the church not to worship the priest but worship G-O-D.So just because you come across with an undesirable priest doesn’t mean you have to leave the entire Church because of that. Ask your friends a priest who’s good in giving homilies and attend his mass instead. They’re doing pretty tough work and it’s not cool to judge them just because they suck at giving homilies. If you are having concerns, let them know. Maybe by talking to them personally, or writing them a letter, just exactly like what I’m doing now. Not even a high school public teacher will be able to address every concern of his 100 students, let alone a priest. Give them the chance to improve. Please don’t leave the Church for all the wrong reasons.