My pet alligator, PRECIOUS, is not amused!
I just don’t about this in this snowflake day and age!
This comes from the public Facebook page of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Mobile, Alabama.
Father Stephen Vrazel posted the following message:
People have been asking me if we will be blessing pets at St. Vincent’s on the feast day of St. Francis—this Friday, October 4.We will not. Let me explain why.I do not feel it is in keeping with the mission of our parish or our school to host an event for which families will bend over backwards to bring their pets, even though it is a workday, while at the same time, many of those same families consistently fail to bring their children to Sunday Mass.Your pets are beautiful creatures of God, but they are not sinners in need of redemption, and they are not members of the Church. They have no need to hear the word of God proclaimed nor of receiving the spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist. Your pets will be fine without a blessing. Your children will not be.I know it is hard to bring your children to Mass. I know that teaching them how to behave in a pew is a long process. I realize that you might feel you do not get much out of it yourself or that you might even have been hurt by someone in the Church.In spite of that, your children need Jesus, and so do you. God has given you your children with the expectation that you will provide not only for their physical needs, but also their spiritual needs. While it might be difficult to come to Mass, I promise you that the rhythm of life of weekly Mass attendance does get better, and it does bear fruit.“Your pets will be fine without a blessing. Your children will not be…Failure to bring your children to Mass is a mortal sin.”
Just this morning our Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 students came to daily Mass (as they always do on Thursdays), and they were very well behaved. They got a little squirmy toward the end, but they made it just fine, and they were attentive and saying the responses. I am very proud of the great job our teachers are doing with them. It takes some repetition, but children can learn how to sit still and listen. In a world where our children hardly ever get a chance for silence, I hope you can see the value in giving them some quiet moments before the Lord. The same could be said for us adults.We teach the Catholic faith in its fulness at St. Vincent’s, so that means our students are taught that failure to attend Mass on Sunday is a mortal sin. We do not teach them that they are at fault for missing Mass—we are not interested in crushing a child with guilt for something that is not his or her fault. But just as we teach them, I want to teach you: failure to bring your children to Mass is a mortal sin that should be confessed before receiving Communion. They have an excuse: their parents do not bring them. You do not have an excuse.
To further clarify: Friday school Mass does not fulfill your obligation. (It is your obligation, not your child’s.) Christians have gathered on the first day of the week since the very beginning of the Church, because Sunday is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. Regular Sunday Mass attendance is fundamental to your identity as a Christian. In this family, you are expected to be at family dinner.You might right now be thinking of all the excuses you have for not being present on Sunday. (Some of them might actually be valid.) But I beg you instead to start looking for reasons to come rather than reasons to stay away. Christ invites you and your family to something wonderful and powerful. If there is brokenness in your family, coming to Mass will help not hurt. Your first week back at Mass might be challenging, but stick with it. You will not regret it.(Finally, I recognize that we have non-Catholic families in our parish. We are so happy to have you as part of the St. Vincent’s family! It is good for you to be faithful to your own religious tradition, but know that you are always welcome to come to Mass with us.)See You On Sunday!
Fr. Stephen Vrazel
29 comments:
I don't think I'll be seeing him if in the Mobile area....
Bee here:
The delivery seems a little harsh to me. I agree with the message, just not the way it's delivered.
God bless.
Bee
Well if Fr. Vrazel would just allow the kids to bring their pets to mass maybe they would be more inclined to show up.
And I think dogs at least have no problem receiving on the tongue.
Personally I don't like to see some of the little traditions of the Church disappear, and the blessing of animals is one of those little traditions. I think too many of those Catholic traditions have already been done away with. I understand the priests point. I also think reviving these little or lesser known traditions and blessings might be a way of encouraging people to return to church more often. I know at one point I used to try and learn about these traditions on sites such as Catholic Culture
Father McDonald,
Off topic but I thought you would find this interesting on how Climate Change is old-fashioned paganism. Too bad, PF doesn't get it.
https://thefederalist.com/2019/09/26/climate-worship-is-nothing-more-than-rebranded-paganism/?utm_source=quora&utm_medium=referral
Well, in 30327 our parish does it on Sunday, so folks with pets can get a 2 for 1 deal!
As for climate change TJM, it was 98 here in Atlanta yesterday---never have reached that before in October in 140 years of record keeping. 100 in Raleigh. These days it seems like a lot more record highs than record lows are being set in the US, and there is pretty clear evidence that Arctic ice is melting. No, the Green New Deal nonsense peddled by Democrats is not the answer, but I think we would be foolish to ignore the problem.
I can't help but agree with him that blessing pets while not making sure your children attend Mass is a serious case of misplaced priorities. But his solution is a bit extreme.
In this era when style trumps substance, all this will do is give him bad PR--the last thing the Church needs in our current epoch.
Anonymous in 30327,
Well, in the Middle Ages it was warmer in Europe than it is now. I think the climate changes all the time due to natural, not man made causes. In a vast universe, it is just typical liberal hubris to think we are that important. The science is far from settled no matter how much the left-wing loon media screeches that it is (although my former pastor, a liberal jackass, even put that in the Sunday bulletin!, one of the many reasons I stopped attending that Church, and also his comment in the Bulletin, "thank God for President Obama" which did nothing to enhance the Pastor's Catholic bona fides).
C-Ordo
"bad PR--the last thing the Church needs in our current epoch." It is not good PR but Jesus that we need. You speak with the tongue of false prophets. Of course, you may not be Catholic, in which case your caveat still would be out of order. Fr. V was absolutely right; he saw a teachable moment and grabbed it with both hands. Good for him! Modern catheterization!
"I think the climate changes all the time due to natural, not man-made causes."
Really, TJM? So just a coincidence that intown Atlanta is a lot hotter than surrounding suburbs? Nothing to do with all the steel, concrete and asphalt around here? Like 91 degrees last night at 11pm when well below that elsewhere? you don' think emissions from cola plants have an impact? WE need not be alarmist but I think it is something we should pay attention to. As for your former pastor saying thank God for Obama, he needs some prayers...
https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus
Yep, it is human in origins.
Anoymous whomever,
If you can explain why Europe was hotter in the Middle Ages than today was due to man, I might listen
TJM:
The Medieval Warm Period was indeed caused by human activity, specifically burning all those heretics and witches at the stake.
Seriously, though (there’s that word again), perhaps the following will help answer your questions:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11644-climate-myths-it-was-warmer-during-the-medieval-period-with-vineyards-in-england/
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11647-climate-myths-its-been-far-warmer-in-the-past-whats-the-big-deal/
John,
To answer your speculation, yes, I am Catholic. I even agree with you that what the Church needs more than anything else is Jesus. I apologize for anything I have said which indicates I might be a false prophet. I only meant to suggest that in a time when every possible media outlet makes room to air the Church's dirty laundry, it doesn't help to have priests getting publicly snarky when to do so is unnecessary. I hope you will forgive my lapse in judgment.
All this global warming terror and suggestions on prevention don't sway me, because I learned from Francis that it would just be God's will that the entire globe is destroyed. Just like it's God's will that there is a multiplicity of contradictory religions, and genocides, and stuff. (And if anyone argues I'll just pretend I meant PERMISSIVE will all along...)
Why isn't it wrong to proselytize for environmental concerns? Most people think that an eternal soul is at risk when it comes to religious faith. Seems that at least a little proselytizing might be in order.
First, how did the subject of blessing pets digress into climate change? Second, I wonder if after Mass they hold out a medal or rosary, etc. to him and ask him to bless it, does he refuse? Also, I wonder how this priest handles people who seldom attend Mass. Does he deny Baptism to their children? Does he deny marrying them, especially those 'living in sin'? Does he refuse to administer Anointing of the Sick to them? What about the issue of few going to the Sacrament of Penance (some never) and everybody going to Holy Communion? And on and on.....
A2, you are far too intelligent to present a post hoc ergo propter hoc argument. Even if it is warmer now, we cannot conclude any specific situation is anthropologically caused. And speaking of logical, have you noticed that as the glaciers disappear we are discovering all sorts of ancient humanish and animal remains beneath them? Should we conclude that not only were glaciers far larger in ancient times but also far faster and were responsible for running down, and apparently extinguishing, entire branches of humanity? 😉
TJM:
You asked for an explanation of the Medieval Warming Period. The first New Scientist article provides such an explanation. No post hoc propter hoc argument there. The second New Scientist article discusses causes of global warming more generally over geological history. No post hoc propter hoc argument there either. It contains the following passage:
“What is clear from the study of past climate is that many factors can influence climate: solar activity, oscillations in Earth’s orbit, greenhouse gases, ice cover, vegetation on land (or the lack of it), the configuration of the continents, dust thrown up by volcanoes or wind, the weathering of rocks and so on.
The details are seldom as simple as they seem at first: sea ice reflects more of the Sun’s energy than open water but can trap heat in the water beneath the ice, for example. There are complex interactions between many of these factors that can amplify or dampen changes in temperature.
The important question is what is causing the current, rapid warming? We cannot dismiss it as natural variation just because the planet has been warmer at various times in the past. Many studies suggest it can only be explained by taking into account human activity.
Nor does the fact that it has been warmer in the past mean that future warming is nothing to worry about. The sea level has been tens of metres higher during past warm periods, enough to submerge most major cities around the world (see box at end of this article).”
If anything, this passage refutes the post hoc propter hoc type argument that because the global warming occurring today follows the global warming that occurred in the past it must be due to the same sorts of natural causes.
Sorry rcg, I just noticed it was you posting, not TJM. My response should have been directed to you. Clearly I was under the influence of the post hoc propter hoc fallacy that because your post followed TJM’s post and my response, TJM must have directly caused it.
Rcg: Sorry again, finally the penny drops! Because it was you posting, your post was intended to be a humorous response to my point about burning heretics and witches. Thanks for that. I like it! As for the glaciers, the alternative explanation is that humans were far slower than they are now—almost as slow as me getting the point in your post.
As an outside observer, I can't help but observe this: Too many people here seem to want to show off what they remember from their Rhetoric 101 courses, labeling each other's argument techniques.
Come on guys--we KNOW most of you went to college. Instead of showing off, just get to the point.
Thanks to Dr. Asao Inoue, I am now aware that grammar is racist.
Man-made global warming is a scam, a power grab by left-wing loons. Otherwise, why are these folks running around in private jets and buying mansions on the waters' edge like Obama the Magnificent? Why aren't they leading by example?
TJM’s answers his own question. They know they will always be able to sell their mansions at the water’s edge to people, like TJM, who deny the existence of climate change.
Anonymous 2,
As always you miss the point, like Mark Thomas. Your little wooden god is a major league hypocrite and grifter. If you truly believe in climate change, you should set an example for the proles. Obama did not, as does not Private Jet Di Caprio.
Here is an article from an academic with a brain, very few of whom exist today.
https://amgreatness.com/2019/10/06/the-madness-of-progressive-projection/
It's called humor, TJM. Look it up. It's under "H" in the dictionary.
But perhaps you just had a synaptic lapse as I did with rcg’s comment.
I read the article in the link. I agree Hanson has a brain. But he should limit its deployment to the areas of classics and history, where he knows what he is talking about and has some credibility, instead of writing politically partisan articles that distort the facts and play silly Trumpian mind games.
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