Disrespectful
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Update: Well, I got brave enough this morning to at least say something, but I didn't want to appear rude or bossy, so I went up to the couple (both about 50ish) and asked, "When you receive communion, do you put the gum under your tongue?" The husband nodded, while the wife said, "Yeah, usually." "Oh, I just wondered." I said. As I was walking away to catch up with my family, I heard her call after me, "Why? Does that bother you?" I looked back briefly and just said, "Well, it's inappropriate." Well, she let out this high pitched screechy laugh that everyone could hear and then proceeded to say things to me that I tried to avoid and we got in the car and left.
Boy, do I regret that!! Now at Mass they will point me out and I will have to deal with the embarrassment of having a confrontation with them. Not good. My husband said I shouldn't have said anything to them, that it was none of my business.
14 comments:
Oooo...Good words....
Thanks! Especially when they are grown adults gnawing, chomping like cows, and stretching their gum like teenagers! The nerve!
Ebeth
Climbing for better examples in Church!
I've seen this too and wish I had the courage to mention it to them.
Too bad there isn't an alphabetical saying like there is for a man's zipper (XYZ examine your zipper)...maybe PYG (park your gum.)
It is really sad that people have so little respect for our Lord in the Eucharist. Maybe a better wuestion about the gum would have been, "Would you chew gum like that in front of the Lord if he were here?"
Good for you for making theose people think about what they are doing. Hopefully that will begin to examine their behavior.
well, gum chewin at Mass is not polite! not by a long shot!!!!!
Frankly, you said the *perfect* thing. I doubt they will be stupid enougn to point you out to other people - because if they think about it for a nanosecond they will realize what idiots they sound like. If they do they are dumber than I thought.
10-1 these jackasses don't chew gum in church again.
Well I wish I was there with you Ebeth. I would have agreed with you and laughed at her.
She may point at you and say bad things about you. This is a positive thing spiritually. Remember the beatitudes.
You did what you had to do: Instruct the ignorant, one of the Corporal Acts of Mercy.
Ebeth
You did the right thing.
My son was in a similar situation yesterday-see my blog. He will no doubt face trouble in college today-but he did right.
I have seen the video of those people receiving Our Lord from a BISHOP! while in mock religious dress and obviously trying to be as disrepsectful to their Lord and Saviour and His Church as possible. NO ONE did anything and the Bishop...I am sickened by what I saw (and yes I saw the 'apology')
Sadly it is the sheep, and even the lambs who must stand up to the wolves.
Clearly these poor people did not have the benefit of Catholic School or the Sisters of Notre Dame, or they would be wearing that gum on their noses.
That said....any old nun would have told you, "Mind your own garden."
My Dearest Sister, having come from a Catholic School setting, I will consider myself being told. I wish I could have at least had one "clomp, clomp"....would have made it more...official-like!
Thank you very much for checking in and putting me in my place.
Your fan,
Ebeth
I am a Minister of Communion and at meetings we discuss some of the common problems in kind of a what-would-you-do-if-this-happens scenario. Although this hasn't happened to me, alot of ministers have a gum chewing story, like adults taking gum out of their mouths and holding it while consuming the host. Man oh man what can you say to that?
Last week we had Mass instead of class during Religious Ed time. I actually remind the children, (and parents if present) that no one should have gum or candy in their mouth when I say the Welcome, just as we tell people to turn off cell phones. I suppose it would not be right to do that before Mass every Sunday, but why not?
I agree with what you did.
The truth of the matter is: Jesus IS present!! If the offenders don't know that, they need to be told; if they do, they are quite brazen, indeed!
Still, I'm not sure I'd be as brave to even attempt to say anything. I can't believe she cackled at you. My personal opinion about gum is that it is disgusting - there is no polite way to chew it (if there is, I have yet to see it).
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