A
priest was assigned to his new parish, and tried an unusual method of how he
can mingle with his parishioners, before they even got to meet him. So he
dressed up as a homeless man, and on the day the parishioners were expecting
their new priest, he arrived a little early and started to mingle with the
people. Yet most people ignored him or even moved away from him. Nobody talked
to him or greeted him as he moved from a group of people to a nice family
hopefully to share a few words. So he decided to enter the church and a few
minutes before 9AM, when the Mass was supposed to start, he rested in the front
bench, all by himself, all disheveled and unkempt. Then an usher came towards
him and asked him to move towards the back. He obliged and waited in the last
pew. Around 9 AM, a lector came on the
podium and told the congregation that they were still waiting for the new
pastor to show up. At that moment, the ‘priest’ started walking slowly through
the middle aisle and went up in the sanctuary and to the podium. He cleared his
voice and told the people, whose eyes now were fixed on him, ‘I hope that you
all go home today, and seriously reflect on what just happened here today.
Please examine your conscience and your heart. I’ll see you all next Sunday.’
The entire crowd felt very embarrassed and guilty on how they had behaved. A
few were crying and others just looked at each other in disbelief, realizing
how they had so negligently and uncharitably behaved. The priest was the pastor in
that parish for over 10 years, but even though they may not have remembered any
homilies he preached, what he did that first day was the best homily that
priest ever gave to that parish.
Tuesday 6 October 2020
The ‘homeless’ priest
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