Monday, January 2, 2012

Welcomers and Glad-handers Keep Off

From Richard at Linen on the Hedgerow , a fine post about those busy folk who welcome people to Mass.

I think I like them even less than he does. They intrude unneccesarily, since:

1. I know that Jesus, as the Host (pun intended) welcomes me. I do not need any glad-handing from anyone.

 2. The Mass is about God, not about being chummy. I go to Mass to meet God, not people.


3. I play flute, saxophone and violin. I have mildly arthritic fingers which I will not subject to maltreatment from some beaming knuckle-cruncher who wants to demonstrate his manly grip.


4. Said knuckle-cruncher has probably not washed his hands after going to the lavatory, reaming wax out of his ears, or whatever.


If I seem rather nasty, please remember that not so long ago in England, though not in the U.S.A., my attitude would have been considered perfectly normal.

2 comments:

Maolsheachlann said...

I totally agree with you! And I remember a writer in the Catholic Herald saying something similar.

Returning to Mass attendance was difficult enough for me; it had been so long since I'd been, I felt incredibly self-conscious conspicuous. If I thought that somebody was going to pounce on me as soon as I stepped into the porch, it would have been more difficult still.

Left-footer said...

Maolsheachlann - good point. The embarrassment factor is a big one for me too.