Rainbow Sashes

A little over a week ago, a scene played out that was less violent but, in some ways, more painful than last year. Last year, at the Cathedral of St. Paul, a group of people wearing rainbow sashes accross their chests came to worship and recieve the body and blood of the Lord. When the time for communion began, another group of people kneeled and sat in their way making it impossible for them to come forward. The two groups, obviously, had differing agenda; one advocating greater rights for homosexual people and the other holding tightly to the teaching of the Catholic church. This year, the archbishop of St. Paul, a very good pastor named Harry Flynn, wrote the pastors of his diocese and the leaders within the rainbow sash movement a note that said the rainbow sash people should not wear the sashes to communion. It had become increasingly obvious that they didn't seek to support homosexual people but sought to change church teaching. Unfortunately, many members of that group, nonetheless, came to communion wearing their sashes and were denied communion. Now, I can't imagine having to do this, although I have heard of an instance in which someone received the host, held it up in the air, crushed it, and threw it on the ground, an action that is grounds for automatic excommunication in the Catholic church. I can't find the story on the net but, if I remember correctly, it was one of the rainbow sash people who were using the reception of communion to show their distaste for Catholic teaching on homosexuality. The reason that I appreciate Archbishop Flynn's response is because he tries to remove the use of symbols when receiving the reality of Christ. In other words, he tries to get both those who would stand in the way and those who wear the sashes to blend in with the rest of the body of Christ who didn't come to see them. He just wants people to pray and not turn mass into an oppertunity to sell their agenda. We don't come to mass to have an agenda thrust down our throat. That's what people constantly remind priests who only preach on the church's teaching on abortion. When we come to mass, we should come to pray, to love God and love our neighbor.