A life less ordinary

Yesterday, at me grandmother's funeral, the deacon from my parish came up to me and said " so Bob when are you going to start studying to become a deacon?" For those who aren't Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican, a deacon in these religions is sort of "Priest Lite" you can do everything a priest does, except hear confessions and preform the concencration of Holy Communion or in Catholicism, the most significant part of the mass. I made the comment " When I find the right girl." In the Cathlolic Church once you're ordained you can't get married, deacons can be married but can't remarry if their wife dies, they back this idea in scripture with St. Paul's "be as I am." so because Paul was a lonely bugger all priests have to be lonely buggers, granted in the middle ages Priests could marry but the Church stopped this because they were losing parish lands on the deal, afterall if Father Bob's eldest son didn't want to be a priest he still inherited the parish, and could do with the lands what he wanted..not good if you're the bishop/Vatican and you forked over mucho dinero for that land. Irregardless, I placed a lot of thought on why 2 years ago I thought ordination might be on my to do list but now is sort of a "maybe if life doesn't go as planned, or leads me to it" deal.

1. For as much as I'm devout I do have some issues with church ordination policy. I believe married men should become priests ( maybe not in the religious orders like the Monforts, Franciscans and Jesuits where community living is not conducive to family life.) but for for the local diocese it would definitely help with the priest shortage, and the clergy could better related to the people. Also I believe women should be ordained as deaconesses ( not priests because priest are representative of the 12 apostles who sadly from what we're told, we all dudes.). The role of the deacon at mass is to proclaim the gospel and assist the priest,and help bring the sacraments to the people. In Jesus's day women were responsible for the same role, I think it's time they retake their postion within the clergy.

2. Triathlon is an expensive sport and demanding lifestyle, similarly priests and deacons are called to live humbly and be available to their parishoners at all hours. It's sort of hard to do an Ironman out of town, when people might need to call you suddenly to give their relatives the last rites, or baptize their kid, or marry them....Also how can you preach about humilty and giving up everything for God when you have a $8k carbon fiber rocket chilling in the sacristy.

3.My politics don't always reflect my faith. The church is trying to influence politics especially in Gay rights. Gay rights , for me is cut and dry. We believe in sepreation of church and state. The state wants to give civil rights, marriages/unions, benefit rights to homosexuals. I believe they should afterall these are rights all CITIZENS are guaranteed. The church however doesn't have to reciprocate the Church doesn't recognized civil marriage between a man and a woman the Church doesn't have to recognized marrigae between two dudes or two ladies, unless the college of cardinals and Il Papa decide to.

4. I don't think of myself as pro-life or pro-choice I think of myself as pro-mercy, and pro-compassion.

5. I may not want to marry and pop out little Bob's right now but it could be a real possiblity down the line. Also knowing my luck I'll get ordained go through all the steps to become a priest and after mass number 1 find Miss Right at the communion rail....Lord have Mercy.

6. Don't get me started on Birth Control, In Humane Vitae ( On Human Life by Paul VI which , say what you will about him, he did have a good understanding of corporate greed.), some people use birth control to prevent kids, others use it to regulate themselves to have kids, it's a gray area and it's not as black and white as somepeople would like it to be.

7. I really don't look good in black.....

8. I love the ritual, and sprituality, and good nature of the Catholic faith, but I hate all the political BS, wasn't there something on give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's and give to God what is God's. Also isn't God supposed to be a meciful almost parental force instead of a mean jugdemental tyrant.

9. I don't really believe there is one TRUE faith, all religons have aspects of truth, Catholic Christianity is what brings me closer to God, and forms how I should try to be a good person how dare I condemn a Born Again Christain, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Flying Spaghetti Monster worshiper, if their faith does the same for them. Afterall I think God gives brownie points for being a good person.

10. I'm too much of a smart alec, if the rest of the top 10 list hasn't given that away, I'd be a conservative bishop's worst nightmare. As it is some groups are probably screaming for my excommunication.

Well that's it from me.