FRIDAY POTPOURRI: ONE WHO USHES

Here is the entire entry for “ushers” at Mass under the listing of liturgical functions in paragraph 105:

“Those who take up the collections in the church.”

That’s it.  But you and I both know it encompasses so much more than that.  No longer having those etherial nuns in our parish convents they easily rise to the top of the most mysterious grouping of persons in a parish.  It is like a secret society with their own secret handshakes, dress codes, and private room (sometimes just a closet) in any given church.  They hold great power.  “Please move in so this family can have a place to sit.”  They handle the wealth of the parish asking parishioners and visitors alike to cough it up as they pass the basket.  They know all.  “The bathroom is down the hall to the right.”

In all seriousness there are two things here.  One is the functionary.  Often everything that needs to be done at the Mass that is not liturgical is dumped on the ushers; reserving seats, taking the October counts, learning how to save lives with the defibrillator, passing things out, distributing bulletins, cleaning messes, and keeping a pulse on the parish - few are as well informed with the goings on around a parish than an usher.

But secondly bear in mind that their role is under liturgical functions.  The collection IS a liturgical function, not a convenient time for the taking up of money.  “Gosh that was a great homily dear, throw in an extra $20.”  When we end the Liturgy of the Word where we learn more ABOUT God, and before we enter into the Liturgy of the Eucharist where we MEET God, we take up the offering.  The Eucharist is the source and summit of our life.  All we have flows from the Eucharist and returns back.  What we gain in life that week then we return to offer some of it back.

Catholic “tithing” has 6 components:

1. It is voluntary:  It is not a tax.  One must choose to give it or it is not really a gift.
2. It should be proportionate:  It’s one thing for a billionaire to give $20, it is quite another for a family of 5 where the parents are out of work and in danger of losing their house to give $1.  Compared to the billionaire, they have 1,000s of times more.
3. It should be systematic:  In other words, part of the budget.  I don’t just give to the parish because they need to pay the gas bill on which they are behind, but rather I give weekly like giving a kid his allowance.
4. Sacrificial is the difficult one.  It shouldn’t just be the change one happens to have in one’s pocket.  It is set aside right away and should not be insignificant to a person (such as the $20 from a billionaire.)
5. It can be divided:  Not every penny goes to the parish.  It is imperative that the parish be supported because if it doesn’t come from the parishioners, the parish ceases to exits.  There is no magical well.  But there are other needs in the community and the world: mission appeals, favorite charities, the person you know that needs assistance . . . 
6. Finally, it should be liturgical:  The collection at Mass is a liturgical function, not merely a bill to be paid.  This is why the ushers are listed under the section for those who fulfill a liturgical function.  Those who do not give do not participate in this part of the Mass.

It also prompts questions concerning on-line giving.  As far as being able to meet the parish budget, I am a HUGE fan of on-line giving.  It is a constant upon which we can rely.  If you go to Florida for the winter, if you were sick in bed Sunday morning with the flu, if you forgot or lost your envelope, we will still be able to pay the gas bill!  So what might be a solution?  Maybe this would be a good time just to sneak in something to the basket that just happened to be in your pocket.  Maybe that extra dollar that you might not otherwise miss.  This way you not only help stabilize the financial health of the parish and participate in the offertory giving, but you allow the ushers to fulfill their liturgical function and otherwise keep them out of trouble.  

There are so many great stories about ushers.  I will share only one.  This took place in Cleveland.  I am surprised that it worked since the community of ushers tends to be tight knit.  But there was a guy who put on a coat and tie, walked into a Catholic church, grabbed a basket, and helped take up the collection and then promptly walked out the back door.  Can you imagine the chutzpa?  Unfortunately for him, he had the cheekiness to try to do it two weeks in a row.  For his efforts he got a ride from Mass in a nice car with lights on the top.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: BAPTISM: A PICTURE PERFECT DAY

There are a few topics that, when brought up with a flock of priests, starts us all going like a field full of agitated geese.  Nobody has answers.  It is one of the great sadnesses of the Church that Jesus did not deal directly and cleverly with some of these issues.  Photography for example.  “Let he who is without pride be the first to have his picture taken,” or, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a great photographic event that always gets the best shot from the best angle.”

So you want pictures?  We have some rules at the parish about pictures taking in general usually to the ire of one or two individuals a year.  They involve such things as not running up and taking a picture as your child is receiving their first Holy Communion or standing outside the confessional to get “that first moment after.”  Church is not picture taking event at which a sacrament occurs; it is rather a sacramental event at which pictures may be taken under certain circumstances.  “But things like this only happen once and I want that money shot!”  I know, I know.  But tell me the last time you went through all of your wedding photos.

Just the same the rule is, whether one is hiring a photographer for a baptism (really, save the money and put it toward their Catholic grade school education) or taking them yourself, ask the priest what the policy of the parish is so no one need be embarrassed.  At St. Sebastian the general rule for baptism is “don’t get between me, the water and the forehead.”  Any person, professional or otherwise, should do their job as unobtrusively as possible. 

Professionals seem to have taken to wearing all black thinking that they are in a Japanese puppet play where we are to suspend disbelief and pretend that they are not there.  IT DOESN’T WORK.  Especially when black means a black T-shirt.  Photographers should dress like the guests.

THE OFFERING

Now for the delicate subject of the offering.  It is customary to give an offering at baptism.  As Mrs. Fenner wrote, “The offering is made by the child’s parent.  It is placed in a plain white envelope with the parent’s calling card and is handed unobtrusively to the priest before the group leaves the church.”  Interestingly this is still how I find it done at this parish though occasionally it is also accompanied by a note if the parents have something special to say.

The offering is not payment for the sacrament.  It is a token of appreciation and acknowledgement of the pastoral care given by the priest.  It is a custom, not a law.  If one cannot afford it, it is not expected.  A note of thanks however is always just good manners especially if one does not have this means.

If you are giving a monetary gift however there is one thing you should know.  If you write on the envelope or address the check or say to the priest, “This is for Saint Soandso,” by canon law that gift goes into the general fund for the parish.  You must make the check out to, say, or in some way indicate that the gift is for the priest if it is your desire for him to have it.

THE FABRIC CONUNDRUM

Here is a back note from last week concerning what babies are to wear at baptism.  It’s great information.

“Dear Father Valencheck,

“What little I know of children's historic clothing includes that up to the early 1900's boys and girls clothing weren't differentiated much and all wore white gowns and had long hair. My theory is it was because you can just wash white in hot water and you're good to go. I don't know if it was at school age that colors and haircuts were introduced. Interestingly, at that time pink was the boy color and blue was the girl color, which explains all those pictures of the Child Jesus wearing pink.

“With regard to taffeta, satin and chiffon, there are two differences between these and the other fabrics mentioned; first, taffeta and satin are stiff, second, all three are fabrics associated with evening clothes rather than day clothes. They also wouldn't be so soft and comfortable as the other fabrics mentioned.”

Thanks Nan!

We will, absolutely positively, finish next week with the after events of infant baptism.

SUNDAY VIDEO ON TAP

This Sunday's videos may not be Catholic, but they are Catholic friendly and quite clever at that.

Find them at TheChurchYouKnow.com. My personal favorite? Tithing.