Which is the more onerous?

Boy, does it feel strange to say this publicly, but I can't tell which is more unsettling to me (and to other priests, as much as I can determine): doing funerals or doing weddings.

Don't get me wrong; there is pure unadulterated joy in celebrating Mass anytime, anywhere. The beauty of the Sacrament is indescribable (though, trying, I would say it's akin to being completely at one with all Truth, Reason, Peace, Forgiveness, Joy, Eternity . . . ad infinitum).

That said, I'd have to say I prefer funerals, even of those people who haven't darkened the door or a church since baptism, and neither have their families. Because, amidst all the hypocrisy of the mourners, amidst all the need for directing the participation of those who don't know the response to, "The Lord be with you," amidst the agida of waiting for some slob to get up and eulogize the deceased as, "kicking back in heaven and cracking a cold one with God," there is The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Even religious illiterates can't obliterate that sanctifying grace.

Weddings, on the other hand, are more often today a ceremony, albeit one which lasts longer than a Mass would due to the various extra-liturgical crapola inserted therein and, of course, the oh-so-fabulous procession with fourteen bridesmaids and three pairs of sub-two-year-olds refusing to walk hand-in-hand down a ninety foot aisle.

Weddings are, by and large, an exercise in futility for a conscientious priest. The bride and groom most often live in sin, never attend Mass and have no intention of doing so in the future. The church itself is merely a backdrop for their hideously expensive photos (which are most often taken by a photographer who openly violates the parish regulations on photography). And, of course, nobody listens to the readings from Scripture, or to the homily, and twice or three times a cell phone rings loudly to the smirks of those in attendance. The average cost of a wedding in these United States is obscene -- over $25,000 -- of which $100 usually is given to the church.

And to rub salt into the wound, the happy couple, after being introduced as man and wife, sometimes turn around and say to the priest, "Oh, by the way, you are coming to the reception, aren't you?"

No, I'm not. But thank you so much for asking.

Come Holy Spirit, enliven the hearts of Your faithful. Pour out into the hearts of all mankind a desire to live with and serve You in the Most Holy Trinity, for ever and ever, world without end. Amen.

PS: sorry for venting.