Church of the Latecomers

Dear Father D,

I can feel your rage at the Mass today. You have every right to be disgusted by those who arrived late. You said the church was half-empty 10 minutes before the Mass, and people keep arriving and walking in even 20 minutes after it starts. I can definitely feel you as I walked in just now.

You spent 15 minutes during Mass to vent your fume. You treated the whole congregation as if everyone has come late. You made stupid assumptions that everyone who did come late are late by intention. You discounted the possibility of unfortunate events or accidents. Perhaps I was stuck in a traffic incident and had to help others or had to wait for it to clear. Perhaps my kid was sick and I took him to the doctor's. Perhaps I was on a support call and had to fulfill my duty. Perhaps I prayed too long in the morning and missed the bus.

There are countless possibilities but you see them as excuses. You treated all of us like criminals without giving the benefit of the doubt. You accused us of crimes some of us never committed. Does that ring a bell? We are not Jesus. We are only here for His second coming.

You complained that some of us always drove in the wrong direction in the parking lot, or exited through the no-exit entrance. But you took it out on all of us. By the way, I didn't drive today. You complained that some of us come late and leave early. Why don't you say so when they left just now?

Father, I just want to remind you that we come to church to worship the Almighty. Okay, some of us are disrespectful being late or leaving too soon, and some of us are bad boys in the drive way. But could you not speak to them in private? Could you not shut the door when the Mass commences and divert latecomers to another room for a special Service? Could you not give traffic tickets or warnings to those mischievous drivers on the spot? Could you not pray for their sins and ask the Almighty for forgiveness? Could you not improve your EQ?

There are other things you can do but you took it on everyone including the innocent majority who had to listen to all these despite they came early today. Should they vent it out on you after Mass? You made the Mass an unpleasant one today, and the only thing we take away is your outrage.

I am sure you will receive similar letters today, as we will only complain directly and privately. I hope you would acknowledge, apologize, and amend. I'll certainly pray for you and ask Almighty for his forgiveness of your sin today.

It's not so bad and I'm sure he will let you go this time.

'Sin'cerely,

Ex-Latecomer-and-Early-leaver

P.S. I'll be joining others to attend Father F's Mass starting next week.