So, I'm going to just, you know, jump right in. I figure, as this goes along I'll add some stuff about my history as a Protestant and why and how that went badly. For now, though, bam! Diving right in.
I visited the church for the second time this week. The first visit, my husband and I went with some friends, and not only did they walk us through the rather complicated proceedings, but the bishop was visiting. There were so many robed men around I didn't know who was what for which. Also, I suspect the service was a leetle bit fancier than regular, although I'm no expert.
Since I plan to begin actively studying to convert, I thought it would be prudent to begin attending regularly. I enjoyed this second service, although it was a little short on sermon to my non-Catholic sensibilities. In fact, I didn't realize there had been a sermon until they dismissed us. I thought the not-the-priest-but-robed-anyway guy was just, you know, giving a sort of Jesus Loves Us pep-talk. When I realized that that was the message, I began to wonder just who That Guy was.
I did a minor amount of research that may or may not have involved wikipedia and learned that, in the Catholic faith, a "deacon" is something quite different from what I've been accustomed to. Deacons are members of the clergy, often (usually?) married when they are ordained, although they may not marry once they receive ordination--this includes re-marriage after the death of a spouse. Deacons may not grant absolution, and may not do some other holy and sacred rituals, but they may perform marriages and baptisms, assist in preparing the Eucharist, and are expected to prepare and deliver sermons. They are also expected to participate in ministries outside the church services, and the deacon here has a prison ministry (thanks, Google!).
So...if the deacon leads the service, delivers the sermon, organizes the lay ministry, AND has a family and second job...what precisely does the priest, um, do? This bothers me.
Particularly because this priest kind of looked like he fell asleep during the sermon. And if that wasn't sleep, what was it? Prayer? Meditation? Is that why the priest doesn't deliver sermons--because he's conversing with God?
So, tell me, oh you wise ones! What is keeping the priest so busy that he can't be arsed to preach?
