My Mistake (09/23/2024)

Saturday evening, I was the lector for the 4:30 Mass at our local church. I read the readings ahead of time so that I was prepared to proclaim them. When I arrived at church, before Mass began, I checked the ambo to make sure the prayers of the faithful were there for me to read after the Creed. All was in place. It should have gone well.

At the appropriate time, I proclaimed the readings during the Liturgy of the Word, and I returned to read the petitions after the Creed. After Father concluded with a prayer, I was preparing to announce the offertory hymn to the congregation when the organist stepped to the ambo and showed me that I’d read the wrong name in the petitions for whom the Mass was being offered. So, I turned back to the microphone and addressed those assembled. “I am so sorry, but I made a mistake earlier in the petitions when I read the mass intention. Let us add a prayer to our LORD for the repose of the soul of ___, Lord, hear our prayer.”

As I returned to my pew, I made a mental note. I knew why I’d made the error. But now that I knew, I not only had the obligation to admit it and correct it, but to make sure I didn’t do it again. Mistakes happen and are usually understandable, but that’s not the same as saying they don’t matter or can be ignored. They do matter. We need to admit them humbly. And we need to consider how not to do that again.

After church, a mass goer commented on my admission and my ownership of fault. I guess it surprised her. I suppose we do see a great deal of “passing the blame” in our modern world. But that’s not who Christ calls us to be. Christ knows we will make mistakes. If I wish to follow Him, I must recognize that He is “the Way.” But I must act as He calls me to act, He who is “the Truth.” The LORD is merciful but first we must acknowledge our need for mercy.

Perhaps I am unique in that I am still struggling with the steep learning curve of life even though I am 74. One would think by now I’d have this mastered. The problem was I wasn’t thinking, I was repeating what I usually do. Usually, I lector at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday and the name I read for the mass intention is at the bottom of the prayers of the faithful sheet. But I was lectoring at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The name for the mass intention for that time is in a different place. I was on “auto-pilot” which is never good in prayer.

I spoke to the family of the deceased after church and apologized for my error. The daughter of the deceased woman assured me it was okay. We found an upside to my error. My bringing the prayer to the people at that time and in that way had the community’s attention; perhaps everyone was more engaged in praying for her mother.

Another individual shared with me that she thought my mistake was actually part of the LORD’s divine design. This individual believed that it was acknowledging my mistake publicly, not passing the blame, that was the LORD’s way of what I call “writing straight with crooked lines.” She told me I’d given a needed example. I’m still pondering that one.

My mistake on Saturday wasn’t my first and I am 100% positive it won’t be my last. In fact, I’ve made a few more since then. But our LORD is kind and merciful. And we are called to rely on that loving kindness knowing that mercy is unlocked when we admit we need it because we have erred.

Let us continue on our journeys of faith, hope and love, attentive and present to the moment and to those around us. Let us seek to follow closely in our LORD’s footsteps, but when we stray, let us confidently acknowledge our misstep and seek the LORD’s loving help, guidance, and grace so as to turn back and return to our LORD and our mission and purpose in this life.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.