That the Church is a colourful mix of people, gifts and backgrounds is not an understatement. At San Ġwann, the Capuchin fathers probably have this in mind when ministering to the flock. However, one cannot mince words when it comes to certain homilies that are being delivered lately from some fathers in their Mass celebrations: they are poor.
I think that last Sunday's 11.30 a.m. Mass was truly the cherry on the bun that completes a full cycle. As a faithful in the pew, I have had insults hurled at me on how bad we live our lives, had my spirit killed with melancholic and critical observations, listened to absurdities on conjugal sexual behaviour, had the same message repeated ad nauseam from the same priest on different occasions, been frequently addressed like a five-year-old, watched prostrations on the main altar and have now also been sung a song to. Really and truly I think that this hit a low that is very demoralising.
Priests spend eight years studying for ordination and some spend even more years. But a good majority of homilies that I have been hearing lately lack any life-insight which does not go beyond a cliché. Some arguments are unfounded, as if these priests never read a book or an article. Some are illogical, without a stream of at least one thought well developed and cogently presented. Some homilies lack a proper dialogue between the Gospel and today's culture.
To add insult to injury, I am more than certain that some priests will never pick up an inch of today's most toiling responsibilities. They will not be parents, not know the hassles of raising kids, waiting for them till late, dishing out money for their education, juggling with money and jobs to make ends meet, paying water and electricity bills and feeling a failure if their son or daughter decides to take up a road which they do not agree with, or have not dreamt in a thousand years that life would be so cruel. The institution leaves many priests bereft of real life experience where one has to bite the bullet to make it.
It is not enough to sprinkle in homilies a bit of mea culpa that they also have their own issues. We all have. Please stop the patronising comments and give us, with a certain urgency, some juicy stuff, so that my children will stop staring at me after yet another flat homily which I have tried to defend unsuccessfully.
To end on a good and truthful note. I have counted at least six priests here at our parish and I can vouchsafe that at least one does a very good job in presenting a good argument, with sound quality, concisely and well applied to contemporary culture. But one in six is a very poor ratio, indeed.