...one of the Filipino priests is very controlling in style as he leads the service. He's one of those who not only says all of the priests parts of the liturgy, but he also joins in with the parishioners parts, and because he has the microphone drowns us all out. It has the effect of making us all feel quite small, and him big. I don't think that should be the effect of going to mass whereby we almost feel belittled by the machismo of the leader. A priest or pastor or leader of a church or even a teacher in a school should NOT be overly macho. They should allow others to become emboldened and strengthened, not emasculated by overbearing tendencies. That's not to say this priest is always that way. Sometimes his homilies are very good and he sounds humble. But then back to the liturgy he becomes overbearing, even telling us to sit down when we ALL know exactly when to sit down (how many times do you think almost all of us have been to mass?) We don't need to be told or "asked" in a controlling manner when to sit or kneel or stand, etc.
All of this actually is a signal of an insecurity that the priest is trying to over-compensate for. Who knows what the insecurity may be. Maybe there is some insecurity about being Filipino in the USA (maybe he's become an American citizen, but maybe not; either way, many Filipinos just like other ethnic citizens still think, internally, more of themselves as being wherever they came from. They might be "American" on paper, but they don't yet truly think of themselves as such. I have to admit it is a bit embarrassing to come to this church as a white American and sometimes feel as if it is a "Filipino church." Anyways, let us pray for this priest, and the congregation. It's a nice church, well-kept, and they take their daily mass very seriously, which is good, but let us pray for a little more empowerment from the priest, less emasculation.
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