Mumbling Priest

[liveoutloud]

Hi! this is my first post, so I'm pretty excited to find that there is a Catholic chat site. Ok- my problem is simple, yet complicated. There are two priests at my church, Monsignor Bergman and father Cawley. I love Monsignor, because he's been with me for 8 years, since grade school, so I've become really attached to him, and his creative homilies and interpretations of the bible. Father Cawley just came to my church.
HOWEVER.... Father Cawley mumbles throughout the Mass. He is elderly, and even though he is right next to the microphone, and speaking loudly, he almost slurrs his words to the extent that even if one pays extreme attention to him, he is incomprehensible. I really love listening to interesting homilies, but he has a tendency to make even the most interesting homily make me tired, and I don't like that! What should I do?

[Pontifex]

The Beautiful thing about our Sacramental Church is that even if the Priest is elderly, boring, indifferent or apathetic, even if, the choir is terrible and can't carry a note in duffle bag, even if the brother or sister next to you smells bad, we still come into the presence of the mysteries of our salvation. The Passion of Jesus Christ is made present each and every time we come to Mass. When the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, we are right there at Calvary with Mary and John. We stand on calvary together asking for Mercy for ourselves and for the whole world. We place our sufferings, pains, struggles on the altar "Lift up your hearts" and in turn Jesus gives us His body and blood for strength and nourishment.

My advice to you is to stand in admiration for a man that still gets up and offers the Mass for the people even though he is old and inarticulate. He is a warrior of old, and all of Heaven probably gathers with fervor when this servant says Mass. (I say this for emphasis.)

I do sympathize with you, for the Homily helps us connect things in the readings and leads us deeper into the pinnacle part of the Mass, which is the Eucharist. I just say the above to help you get through it and to see the situation with eyes of faith. Keep your heart open to the fire of God and he will provide what you need despite the lack from the older priest.


Peace to you and welcome to Phatmass.