a ridiculously real priest and an ATM

Now I have had parish priests before that, when I walk out of Mass, I think to myself "now what the hell was the actual message?".  I have had parish priests where I walk out afterwards and wonder how I managed to stay awake.  Now I have a parish priest who challenges me, and my family, all the time.  Sometimes we feel guilt at what we hear, other times we feel ridiculous joy.  He teaches us that it is ok to crack a smile during a Homily, that using the word "lekker" in your Homily makes it real and when you say FOMO during it, most teenagers think you are more cool then they already usually do. 

I never have to wonder what he was saying .... because he is so ridiculously real that the message is just easy to follow .... and since it is recorded and placed on social media and the website, you can go back and relisten during the week if you want to. 

Tonight he spoke about the "instant coffee mentality of life" and the truth rang clear in my head ..... how often do we use God as an ATM for requests, desires, needs and wants?  It is true what Fr Chris said .... it is like putting in your pin number, stating your request ... 'please can we have success', 'please can you give me this or that' and then expecting God to give us an instant reply, or even more, an instant positive reply to what we want, like grabbing our money out the machine.  But it does not work like that ..... sometimes we have to accept a NO (a bit like that piece of paper that comes out saying your balance is below a drawable amount).  Sometimes we have to wait for an answer and sometimes, heaven forbid, we don't get the answer we wanted. 

But that does not mean we did not get a reaction.  God always dispenses the "money" but he does so, as I repeatedly tell my kids over the years, in His time.  Always in His time. 

And so in our hard and fast world we do look for that instant gratification he spoke about .... a lot.  Everything is here and now in an increasingly rushed life that we seldom get time to step out of and take stock. 

Sometimes not getting what you want can be the greatest thing that ever happened to you.  

So when you ask .... sit quietly and wait ...... and listen ...... the answer will come ..... but only in His time. 

till next time
c'est la vie xxx