My husband and I have noticed and found many other married couples to agree with us, that the majority of people out there are friend hungry but know not how to introduce themselves and ask the other their name!
This is a very unusually new phenomena in Louisiana...the once was land of Bright Sonshiney Smiles and Southern Hospitality!
So not to be a bore to those of you who like us, who are not so shy that we cannot walk up to another and say "Good morning; Good day...my name is Stephanie, what is yours?"
"Julie" And if we happen to be either at the grocery or our church when we meet...I might say: "Wonderful to meet you Julie;what do you enjoy when you are not grocery shopping for your family, going to Holy Mass or assisting with classes?"
And she may say: "Our children keep me very busy, but when I get the chance I like to get out in the garden and I didn't get to plant my petunias this year maybe I should consider some pansies!"
And then I may say to Julie: "Oh look here comes my husband now.... Oh Precious come... I want you to meet Edward's wife Julie! Julie this is my husband William.
She may say: "Oh how are you William, pleased to meet you."
And such folks typically remain friendly with each other indefinitely...often a close friendship grows that can last life times.
However for example when folks so eagerly chase my husband around and around a store, a parking lot or even a church never saying anything directly to us but standing in front of us blocking entrance ways or exits while talking among themselves loudly for us to notice them... It's like them yelling: "LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME...I am important!"
Just this morning my husband dropped me off at our church...St Joseph Catholic for Holy Mass while he went and did some other things.
Today was the last Friday, the last children's Mass before Thanksgiving Day and so many kindergartners all the way up to the older grades, and some adults were dressed up as either Indians or pilgrims also.
So certainly there was no shortage of adults from teachers to parents with cameras...even beginning taking pictures outdoors long before the Mass was to begin.
When I first entered the sanctuary I was fairly early and the first classroom of students had not yet lined up outside to file in with their teachers.
Our priest whispered "the pilgrims are coming!"
And I chose to sit in a pew towards the back center where there were several women from the neighborhood praying their rosary quietly waiting for Mass.
All of us moments later were asked to move... since I knew many more classes would follow, and so as not to move several times, I sat on a cube platform on the left hand side just inside the entrance of sanctuary. Our church has identical platform to the right side also.
There was no one seated at either of these positions before I did.
Naturally everyone wanted to take photos of all in costume as they processed up towards the altar before our deacon and our priest.
This was natural and acceptable.
But what then took place, in the far past would have never have happened anywhere, certainly not in a Holy Catholic Church anytime, absolutely not during Holy Mass.
After everyone had processed in and Father had begun the opening prayers of Mass, most camera men & women had found seats.
However, a small group of both women and at least one man remained in front of me purposely blocking me from seeing both Deacon, Father and the altar.
They were not even prayerfully present to the Holy Mass but were murmuring amongst themselves....gossiping. Regardless what they were talking, grumbling, murmuring about...even the children it was not appropriate and certainly not an example of holiness or humility to the children who were obediently doing their part.
These childish adults simply wanted to be seen and noticed by me!
Why me do I say? Well ask them and it is sadly obvious for if they did not want to find a place to sit and waned to stand there was very large areas they could stand that would have not blocked anyone.
I simply moved to the platform directly to the opposite side where there was no one....there was no one where I had begun before his group inundated me.
I am aware that these folks simply desired to meet me....having seen me with my William may times prior but then too the usual...folks put on a show instead of approaching us after Holy Mass...not in sanctuary but in gathering area or social hall is appropriate.
And as I moved across that I may be fully attentive to Holy Mass they all turned their faces towards me as they continued to cackle to each other.
William nor myself will ever entertain such nonsense anywhere, certainly will never remain near anyone who goes to Holy Mass not to be totally prayerfully present to Holy Mass....but treat HIS Holy Sanctuary as if it were a football field or a night club.
Then later after all those in costume and Deacon & Father had all processed out and I wanting to commune quietly with HIM having received HIM in Holy Communion only minutes before...
But how is it Catholics no longer reverence Our Blessed Lord enough to yearn for quiet solitude with HIM?
How is it that so many receive HIM in Holy Communion then sometimes even run out before Father prays the closing prayers, while even more choose to stand around cackling loudly breaking the quiet solitude?
Then after I retreated into the chapel hoping to find quiet there...their noisy mouths followed.
Then still much later after I had our church secretary call my husband's cell phone for me since I had no my phone with me......we all go off without our phones once in a while....
As I waited outside for him t pick me up, an unmarried woman approached asking if I had seen someone else who she was looking for and she bean to describe her.
It was someone else I had chatted with who she was looking for and knew she had just left with another so I told her so & that she had not time to be home yet.
She continued pressing for conversation as she spoke awkwardly, began telling me what classes "my husband & I should go to" while never saying her name or asking mine.
She said she had seen me when my husband & I were in a Sunday morning class on Our blessed Mother two weeks ago.
I showed her compassion by reluctantly introducing myself, then she continued charging in telling me what we should do. I had to stop her to ask her her name since she did not bother to say.
Her name was: "Isabelle."
I added that my husband was coming for me thinking it was a polite way to shorten the abrupt interruption to the quiet I had exited the church to find. But a chatter box was she as she continued giving me instructions.
I explained since my husband had years ago been taught or fed false doctrine at Saint Steven's Catholic in New Orleans during our engagement...
that we need to complete the Catholic Catechism Class together before starting new programs and especially ones that are simultaneously taught that would mean not completing what we had begun.
Being she is unmarried, wears no wedding band, in the future I may have given this woman my time if I happened to see her again when my husband was not with me.
But sadly she dissolved or destroyed any chance of that ever happening when my husband drove up she did not wait to see if I would introduce her, but ran fast around our vehicle to his window to started not only conversation with him but likewise telling him what to do.
My husband was shocked by her arrogant presumption asked: "Who is her husband? She must not have one."
Some of these simply are not correctable. Scripture says that one who is not correctable are does not both listen to and heed correction are fools.
Only a fool tries to correct such but merely avoids them not allowing opportunity for a "next time"
So as Blessed Mother Teresa wrote some people will always be illogical and unreasonable but we are to love them anyway.
But this merely means we are not rude, crude or mean but kind.
As Christians we are never required to take an inappropriate person into our lives...but pray for them.
Amen Amen Amen and Alleluia!
