A priest was standing in the kitchen of his parish offices with another parishioner wondering what to do about a mouse problem. "What am I going to do?" the priest said. "We've tried mousetraps, we've tried poison and we've even tried getting a cat, and nothing seems to get rid of these mice!"
The other parishioner thought for a moment and said, "Father, I think I know a way you can definitely get rid of these mice for good."
"Well, tell me," said the priest.
"Just baptize and Confirm them all," said the parishioner, "and that will solve your mouse problem."
"Baptize and Confirm the mice?"
"Yep. Baptize and Confirm them all," said the parishioner.
The priest looked befuddled. "Baptize and Confirm mice? Why on earth would I do that? How could that possibly help?"
"Well," said the man, "after you baptize and Confirm them, you'll never see them again!"
2 comments:
Hit it right on the head. How true that is, a shame, but true nonetheless.
I've taught Confirmation classes before. The young people who are confirmed rarely return after confirmation. And there is a very good reason for this.
It all comes down to the parents. One could see which children were not going to return any time soon and which may be around for awhile. The telltale sign is the participation of the parents and the devotion of the parents to the Faith. I have encountered many parents who refuse to attend weekly Mass while their son or daughter is attending class in preparation for Confirmation. They seem to go through the "motions" just to appease the family or to ease their own guilt. It is rare to see a parent involved with the entire process of preparation for Confirmation.
Why is this? My personal opinion is that this attitude is centered on the guidance and teachings of our clergy. For years now the word (and I use a lower case w for a reason) that we are given is not the same Word that was given us by Jesus. Jesus, Peter, John, Clement, Polycarp and many others never hesitated on stating the Truth. Jesus, along with the others, all died for this. And they died without regret or fear. What does that say about our clergy of today? Cowards? Weak? Liberal? Servants of Satan? Shepherds who feed the flock to the wolves? I could probably go on, but you get the idea.
Prior to the disaster in 1969 involving our leaders in the church, I remember that Sunday Mass and Holy Days of obligation were not optional. Your parents got you motivated to go to church even at the expense of "busting your butt" to get you moving. And we always dressed up, even if people wore suits to work daily, they still wore one to church. Reverence, prayer, respect, confession, communion, all of these were not optional. Parents and grandparents made sure we were involved whether we wanted to be or not. As a young boy I can remember times when I think I feared my father more than God. Back then I knew God wouldn't take a strap to my backside and my father would. I think God was OK with the way I sometimes was made to attend Mass, because in the end I always got something wonderful out of it.
Tell it like it is Maurus. We need to place the blame where it belongs. It is part of our job, our responsibility, to rat on them.
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