{"id":18877,"date":"2012-12-06T22:58:48","date_gmt":"2012-12-07T03:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=18877"},"modified":"2016-09-30T17:01:57","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T21:01:57","slug":"deacon-on-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2012\/12\/deacon-on-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"Deacon on strike??"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

From the mailbag of Fr. Z: <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

From a deacon:<\/p>\n

Dear Father Z,<\/em>
\n my parish priest is leftist and modernist (like the vast majority of priests and bishops here in ___) and always changes the words of the Missal, adding his personal opinions. His homilies are more about ___ than the Gospel. My question is: as a permanent deacon, would I sin if I went on strike and quit acting as a deacon at Mass?<\/em><\/p>\n

I strongly advise against<\/em> any cleric going on \u201cstrike.\u201d You are ordained for the Church \u2013 it\u2019s not a job. You are a deacon, you should always act as a deacon, whether at Mass or elsewhere.<\/p>\n

That said, let\u2019s make distinctions about what \u201cacting as a deacon\u201d means.<\/p>\n

As a deacon, you need not function as the deacon of the Mass at every Mass you\u2019re at. It is acceptable for you to sit in choir. \u00a0Even sitting in choir, you can assist with the distribution of Holy Communion if there are not enough priests present to do so.<\/p>\n

If you have serious and well-founded questions about the validity of the Mass being offered, you should certainly abstain from serving at it. \u00a0Then you should take other steps in keeping with the last part of Redemptionis Sacramentum<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can read more here. <\/a><\/strong>Some of the comments are, um, enlightening.<\/p>\n

Details noted above are sketchy, but there\u2019s no indication that the liberties the priest is taking are making the Mass invalid. If the deacon has those concerns, he needs to raise them with the proper authorities. Stomping your feet and threatening a walkout really accomplishes little, and does nothing to advance the cause of good liturgy.\u00a0 (Nor does it foster respect for a vocation that is often sorely in need of it.)<\/p>\n

Beyond that, what deacon would not<\/em> want to be inches away from the greatest ongoing miracle in human history?\u00a0 To my way of thinking, there is no privilege greater than serving at the altar\u2014and no privilege more humbling.\u00a0 The graces it brings are inestimable. To treat this extraordinary gift as something dispensable, a mere commodity\u2014as if you are offering an invaluable service that you will hold\u00a0 for ransom until you get your way\u2014is more than misguided;\u00a0 it teeters perilously close to the sin of pride. The deacon is an uncompensated servant, not a member of a guild or special caste.\u00a0 Like I said: being there beside the priest, proclaiming the gospel, elevating the chalice, leading the penitential rite, offering the dismissal\u2014it\u2019s incomparable.\u00a0 It\u2019s all grace.\u00a0 We are eyewitnesses to God\u2019s extravagant love and supreme sacrifice.<\/p>\n

Even under imperfect circumstances, who would want to be anywhere else?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the mailbag of Fr. Z: From a deacon: Dear Father Z, my parish priest is leftist and modernist (like the vast majority of priests and bishops here in ___) and always changes the words of the Missal, adding his personal opinions. His homilies are more about ___ than the Gospel. My question is: as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,26],"tags":[11171,11179],"class_list":["post-18877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deacons","category-liturgy","tag-deacons","tag-liturgy"],"yoast_head":"\nDeacon on strike??<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From the mailbag of Fr. 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