Timothy Jarrell, age 9, agreed. "That puppet was stupid. I don't think I want to be a priest when I grow up."
That's the most astute point in the whole article.
But Sir Tommissar, I'd like to hear the altar girls' reaction instead of the opinion of just one nine year old male.
Can anybody tell if the puppet's gender?
I think a girl puppet might encourage vocations to the Sinsinawas or even to the priestesshood when the Church finally comes in to the 21st century, if there are any valid ordinations at all by then.
Do you think puppet-puppeteer marriages ever likely to be approved by the church, Maureen?
No no no, Girl puppets, Boy puppets? non gender puppets are in order here! Just the thought of a priest with his hand up some little skirt, is enough for any rag magazine to take it and run with it. I can just hear the head lines now. "Where will it all end? Puppets file law suit against Priest" Take it up a notch? spice it up a bit? What next, shadow puppets?
hahaha!!! LOL!!! Another great one Maureen! 
Looks like Fr. McLaughlin's first mistake--and this is the most widespread dimension of uninspiring homilies--was his lack of preparation. Not even a marionette can substitute for preparation by prayer and study. The sock puppet phenomenon is mercifully restricted to a few select parishes, but other devices, like the long personal anecdote with a dubious connection to the readings of the day, are somewhat more widespread. At nine years old, Tim's incisive insight can be overlooked. But add 10 years and put him in a seminary, and that sort of remark could ensure his permanent lay status.
Tom - So Mark McCormack's comment about the puppet not making him a better person - that wasn't insightful to you?
Fannie - So...are you checking out other options now?
Lucy - I don't know what to say.
Andrew - Thanks for your comments. Thanks for stopping by.
Damien - We are so lucky to have a seminarian and budding theologian posting here. I think we have all been victims of the "Two-seconds til mass" homily. Did you see Suzanne's question about stomach surgery? What do you think?
God bless, Maureen
Lucy, good point but I wonder if a non-gendered puppet might sue a priest for ...whatever. Or it might even sue its maker for depriving it of the right to have gender; imagine the pain of being a gendered spirit trapped in a genderless body. Especially if the Church won't allow one of those...you know...operations.
Very funny, but, I'm getting worried. I can no longer tell if these stories are fiction or fact. Is that a sign of what sort of silliness really does happen in some parishes?
I wonder if this is the same priest who read a children's story book in lieu of a homily. I mean, can't these guys at least get on the internet and find some canned sermon to regale us with if they aren't going to do us the favor of actually preparing for mass?
Maureen,
I should clarify that I am an aspiring theologian, but not a seminarian (details at semlife.blogspot.com).
On elective stomach surgery for weight loss the Church has not, to my knowledge, made specific statements. The principles for determining one's approach might include 1. whether it is the best way to improve health (is it good stewardship of one's body?); 2. whether it is good stewardship of one's other resources (no surgery is cheap); 3. why one needs such surgery (is it a horomone imbalance causing the weight problem, or is it eating and exercise habits, or something else?); 4. based on the previous answer, what is being done to prevent a recurrence of the weight problem?; 5. the Church considers some elective surgery to be mutilation (e.g., vasectomy) which is a violation of the integrity of the body; I don't know enough about the specifics of the various kinds of stomach surguries to be able to offer an opinion about it, but I would investigate them to see if they might be more mutilation, inhibiting the normal healthy functioning of the body, than restorative medicine.
So there's a few directions I would try to explore to answer Suzanne's question. Disciplined diet (moderation?) and exercise are two ways we can participate in the kingly office of Christ (or at least that's how I read CCC 90
and they often can help prevent the need for elective stomach surgery.
mmm...pitfalls of contemporary communications. That's CCC 908 in my last post. One of the drawbacks to auto-insert of emoticons is that 8 ) gets translated into
You do this so well. I can only imagine how your mind works! ; )
I'm sorry but I think Fr. Mclaughlin missed the mark with his puppet. He should have really gone for it and had a Charley McCarthey doll made up. A "Father Woodpulpit" or "Father Homily" in the fashion of the old ventriloquist's. I know I would be listening, and Lord knows I would be peeing myself just watching. To watch the "Father Homily "doll look back at Fr. Laughlin, with his little feet dangling over the pulpit, and say, "So this priest and rabbi walk into this bar..."
Sorry I just couldn't help myself.
Maureen:
You're definitely Wittenburg Door (www.wittenburgdoor.com) material! You should pop on by the Chat Closet, too. (http://www.b2g3.com/boards/board.cgi?&
user=jrutledge)
Hi Jadon,
Thanks for the invite and the kind words. I have been reading some of the comments on your message board. You guys are funny.
God bless, Maureen Martin
Jeff- Thanks for stopping by again...and don't let your heart be troubled. *g*
Angela - Yeah, you told me about that experience. What was the name of that book again? I know someone who's law professor read "The Giving Tree" to the class. Interesting.
Damien - My man, why do you not include your blog address? Thanks for giving us the theologian's perspective. We may want you to come in and settle other issues for us.
Rick - Thank you. Trust me, you don't want to get inside my mind. *g*
Maureen Martin
MM,
It didn't occur to me that anyone would miss my blog address just now; I'll be getting back to more theologically oriented posts along with the happenings at the newest Catholic University in the US soonish...
DXL
Hey Damien,
Oh, well it is not like you don't have a good excuse *g*. No, I just wanted others to see your blog.
God bless, Maureen Martin
Tom - So Mark McCormack's comment about the puppet not making him a better person - that wasn't insightful to you?
It was. I was just going with /most/ insightful. I guess it's a matter of seeing what we want to see.
I have a six-year old boy. and we're being very careful with where we go to Mass in order to foster a vocation to the priesthood. The remark from the little boy in the story just struck home. I hear my son say it in my nightmares.
This may be one of the funniest things I've ever read. I've BEEN at Mass where the priest used puppets.
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