I desire mercy, not sacrifice
I thought this story of a young boy and an Orthodox priest was a perfect embodiment of today’s Gospel:
I am visiting the family back in upstate New York for a little bit and today went off to the 9:30 AM divine liturgy at one of the eight(!) local Orthodox parishes that are within a convenient drive of my father’s house. The liturgy was reasonably well attended for midsummer and was unremarkable until the time came for the last major censing by the deacon. The priest was at the altar with the doors open when suddenly a small boy, not more than four or five years old, broke loose from his parents and ran up towards the altar and… charged right through the doors and started tugging on the priests vestments.
I can now relate that the sudden and simultaneous intake of breath on the part of a couple of hundred people creates a very distinctive sound. But the silence that followed was almost painful. The parents… visibly horrified seemed not sure of whether or not to rush up and add to the chaos in the sanctuary. This was coupled with a deep silence from everyone else frantically trying to avert their eyes from what was at the least surely going to prove a terrible embarrassment if not a major catastrophe.
Then in a few seconds the crisis was ended. The priest looked over his shoulder and after a moment of visible (and understandable) shock, smiled and I thought he was going to laugh. With a quick motion of his hand he called over the deacon who had been in the process of censing and calmly relieved the deacon of his censor. He then bent over and handed the censor to the little boy, showing him how to hold it and swing it, and then directed him to finish censing the iconostasis and assorted icon stands.
Off went the overjoyed little boy, with the deacon hot on his trail, happily censing everything that looked even remotely like an icon. OK OK he almost knocked over a candle stand but the deacon saved the day. After he was done the deacon relieved him of the censor and quietly guided the happiest child in the city back to his parents.
I have no idea how many church canons or liturgical rubrics were violated today. But I can tell you that there was not a dry eye in the church.
Great story! Thanks for sharing it, not a dry eye here. Could be, there will be a vocation in the making.
Reminds me of the story Bishop Sheen used to tell of two boys who each dropped cruets during Mass. One boy (Tito the dictator) was slapped by the celebrant; the other was reassured and encouraged (Bishop Sheen, himself.)
How we treat others says a lot to them about our faith.
This story reminds me of an incident involving the sacrament of reconciliation and my son, and our beloved Pastor Fr. Gutgsell.
My son was 4. I wanted to go to confession on a Saturday afternoon, but had no sitter, and my husband was at work. I went and instructed my son to wait outside the confessional while I was inside. (These are the old fashioned ones with a kneeler and a screen.) Fr. Gutgsell interrupted my confession to ask if I had a little red-headed boy with me. I said yes, and he said, “Well, he’s with me now.” He then suggested I keep James in the confessional with me, which I did. I know some priests wouldn’t allow a small child in the confessional with his/her mother, even as infants. But that small kindness allowed me to get to confession regularly while my son was young! And James, now almost 10, prefers Fr. Gutgsell to all other confessors. God bless good and loving priests!
How is this like the Gospel? Jesus didn’t break Jewish law.
Great question Nick…
This is exactly like the Gospel… It is an example of someone arriving at the spirit of the law without getting lost in the letter of the law. According to the Jewish authorities Jesus did break the laws (rubrics). All of the rules serve charity, charity is not subject to the rules… charity is the rule…
I was struck by this post’s title, as I read yesterday’s Magnificat entry. Clearly, God the Father has always been love, and thus only desires love from and for his creatures. In the OT times, man was not ready for this. Going backwards, I then read last Friday’s entry, for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (I hadn’t read it in a timely manner). The reflective essay for that day was by a man talking about how Mary was the perfect creature. Her prayer for the savior to come was obliged and obeyed by the Word. God OBEYED man, as represented by Mary, our race’s greatest boast. Thus, salvation history entered its new era, when man finally comprehends what God wants: mercy. I recommend to all my fellow Catholics to receive communion and then walk back to your pew with your palms together and your right thumb over your left: mercy over justice. Quaint, but focuses the mind as one swallows Christ.