Late All The Time

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Do you know anyone who is late all the time ?

Chronic lateness is a form of Passive-Aggressive behaviour.

A person who demonstrates continual tardy behaviour is telling you that their time is more valuable than yours.

A priest who arrived at our church from another country, ten years ago, was late for every Mass.

For the first five minutes of waiting, we would sit in respectable silence, but then we would start to talk and laugh.

Some people would place bets on how late he would be this time !

And then, there came the time that he did not return at all.

We were given no explanation about where he went, or why he left so suddenly.

His Excellency, the Bishop, felt that we had no need, or right, to know. We were only the laity (people who pay the church’s bills).

May God give us the grace to speak up when something is not right.

May he also, through his kindness, give us the courage to speak the truth and not cover it up.

And, may we pray for the grace to be punctual.

Pictured is our little church, perched overlooking the mighty North Atlantic. It was built in 1842.

Published by Sally

I am a retired Sociologist/Educator from Ontario. I now live at the very edge of the North American Continent. I spend my time in contemplation, spiritual reading , intercessory prayer, and maintaining a spiritual garden grotto as a place of prayer in my backyard by the Atlantic.

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48 thoughts on “Late All The Time”

  3. I am a stickler for time and find it difficult to understand someone who has no regard for another’s time.
    And not bothering to inform the congregation why the priest never returned is quite frustrating.

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  4. Oh wow! I wonder what happened?
    My husband is always late and it drives me insane! I have to be everywhere at least 10 minutes early, even if I have to sit in my car and wait. 😀

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  7. Hi Sally – I never thought about it being passive aggressive behaviour, but that makes perfect sense to me now! People who are chronically late drive me crazy too. Take care.

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    1. Hi Lillie !
      Thanks for your comment.
      Yes, chronic lateness is classic passive -aggressive behaviour, and it is just plain rude too.

      Another form of passive-aggressive behaviour is giving someone the ‘silent treatment’.
      This happens when we seek to ‘punish’
      another person by not talking to them. 🌷

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  9. I spent my formative years in Switzerland, a country which is globally known for on time performance. (Or it used to be back then…) After I came to North America I was astonished that “on time” didn’t hold the same value…ugh. Frustrating.

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    1. Hi ! I can identify. It seems that society functions more smoothly when everyone respects time. Thanks for your comment. I love Swtzerland, and Swiss chocolate. 🤗🌷

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  10. So True Sally! I’m a broke record as the old saying goes or today playing in loop mode!
    “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
    Speak up we must, and taking a stand when and where appropriate and necessary to stop evil! There are many in the Holy See not following this principle so things escalate! Very bad sign.

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    1. I think, too, Lawrence, that the climate within ‘the church’ was that of clericalism, where the laity did not dare to question priests.
      And, as a result of this kind of oppressive culture, great injustices were perpetrated. We are seeing the results of these
      injustices now. 🌷🤗

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      1. Yes you’re are correct I agree the fear that those circumstances placed on the victims or the almost sacrilege to question the authority of these Church figureheads and their powerful standing in the community at large struck a definite cord of fear into the heart and mind of the young victims, very sad and what a horrible thing to have to carry around and trying on their own to resolve it in their minds. We are in the fallen state but to me for any child to suffer such confusion and torment and with no recourse at the time just doesn’t seem that these things could happen. Too traumatizing, and terrible. Hope your day has been totally pleasant and relaxing! 🌷🤗

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Such an interesting comment, Lawrence.
        What an interesting contrast between the gentle Jesus, who elevated the status of childhood, and Church figureheads, who, as you say : ‘struck a definite cord of fear into the heart and mind of young victims.’
        Thanks, Lawrence, I have been outside in the garden today.

        I have some flowers called ‘Mary’s Cushion’ in traditional Catholicism, that are just opening. Their regular name is Pink Sea Thrift.
        According to legend, these flowers, which also grow in the Middle East, miraculously sprang up when the Holy Family was fleeing to Egypt. The flowers, according to legend, provided a soft cushion for Mary and our Lord to rest on. 🌷

        Liked by 1 person

      3. So amazing I never heard of these flowers and with this time of year and your season of new life and abundance now you should be out there all the time you can because winter is such a cooped up time! Spread out and get out and enjoy it all! I was busy today too and lots of running around to do but I finally got to relax and this Mary/s Cushion is an intriguing story and flower! Nice thought to top my day off to be honest before i sleep to think about it! Thank you for this precious thought! 🌷🤗🖖🙏 🙏 🙏⭐✝️🕊🙏 🖖❤🌹🌈🌞 🐕

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Lawrence. There is a little plaque on the church that says that the church was built between 1815 and 1842. It took 27 years to complete!

      The local fishermen were desperately poor in those days, and the little church was built in stages, as they could afford it. The church bell came on a schooner ship from Ireland. 😊

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      1. Wow that’s quite a historic landmark with a wonderful story and history! People struggled in those days for even the essentials that we take for granted today and to build a Church in that locale with such meager resources was quite a feat and legendary really! A testimony as I see it of how much the faith meant to folks in those times and more times than not today many people brush off religion. It’s hard to really put ourselves in the shoes of those locals in that country way back then and fully appreciate what their perspective was or more importantly felt like to them! I just see how those peoples whether native or new arrivals all appreciated the littlest of things and now we have young people here complain to their parents they don’t have the most up to date or fancy cell phone! I just think we’re all so spoiled rotten in so many ways, which is a lack of humility and that is a huge part of our Christian faith in accordance of what He laid down as necessary attributes of a faithful servant!
        I’ve been wrapped up and busy all day but I just noticed on one of my blogs with the likes your profile ID showed that you liked the blog I reblogged about the predator priest but it showed that I could follow you and that wasn’t the case yesterday? I know i didn’t change anything on my end or alter our connection so I don’t know what’s up with that? Did you notice any peculiar things? I’ll just go ahead now and click follow under your name! 😊

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thanks, Lawrence, for this comment.
        Yes, you are right, humility seems to be lacking today.
        Many people here walked to Mass for miles, and did so faithfully.
        ‘Wrapped up’ is another funny adage !
        I read and found interesting the reblog you posted about the predator priest.
        Yes, it was amazing building a church here in those days.
        Most of the supplies would have come in by schooner.

        We have trees here, on the east coast, but the soil is poor and so the trees remain small. Locals call them ‘sticks’.
        There are piles of wood throughout the community as people are already preparing their supplies for next winter. 🤗🌷

        Liked by 1 person

      3. 🤗 And you are welcome! It’s a way of life there that those who were determined to stay found the means with even the most meager of provisions! Says to me they are full of stick-to-itiveness and they loved something they had there hey!
        Adages pop out of my head and mouth all day to be honest I found myself today saying a few old ones that just came back out of the blue in my thoughts or talking with whomever!
        I just had to let out my frustration about the Floyd death because it’s all hoopla now and way over played as a political tool during an election year. Does the Nation or the world beat the dead horse 24/7 with the MSM running the same narrative around the clock for all of the innocent babies being murdered full term now in New York? Or what about the rapes and murders of children every day? No ANTIFA or BLM or communities rioting for any of that is there! It’s all show and being orchestrated by master manipulators total hypocrisy and deception and its evil! I’m starting to think there is no justice anymore in this madcap upside down world; not straight across the board. 🌷🤗

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Or it’s the inability to time plan…
    I’ve learned to time plan, most the time, but a lot of my family haven’t. And I missed a lesson I was supposed to give. Just completely forgot about it…
    It can be passive egress behaviour. Or zero time management skills. Or ADHD…
    Love, light and glitter

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  16. Many years ago I had to rely on someone to drive me to church and I don’t know if they were ever on time. Used to drive me nuts, too. I used to wonder how they ever made it to work on time. The wife was a nurse and the husband worked at another hospital doing manual work. I figured they wouldn’t hold their jobs if they were always late, so why was church any different. There are people today in our church who are in the habit of never arriving on time, sometimes up to 20 minutes late. If they ever do arrive on time, they always joke about it.

    I love your little church. The church I go to was built in the 1890s. There was a smaller building on the property before that, but it was torn down to build this one. It is a beautiful structure with stained glass windows in the balcony area. The lower level windows were removed before we bought the building as they were dedicated to specific people who had been members of the other congregation and were replaced with plain glass.

    I would have wanted to know why the priest was removed, too.

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    1. Hi Diane :
      Yes, I agree that it is frustrating to rely on someone who is habitually late.
      Your church sounds very lovely with stained glass windows in the balcony area.

      Rural Newfoundlanders are traditionally intimidated by clerical authority, and no one dared to ask what happened to the tardy priest.

      Thanks for commenting. 😊🌷

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  17. I come from the UK and it is generally considered polite to turn up late to church, or to any kind of social event. Personally, I find it very stressful when people I know are repeatedly late. I feel as if they seem themselves, and their schedule, as being more important than me/ mine, and yet I am meant to smile and say “it’s ok”. It feels a little bit like a put down, or an act of perceived superiority.

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    1. That is interesting that it is considered polite to be late to social events.
      I agree with you that it seems like a put down when people are chronically late.
      Thanks for your comment. 🤗

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  18. I wish churches would close the doors when the service starts. Just like the 5 virgins who ran out to get oil and didn’t make it to the wedding feast. I know it’s not exactly the same but…
    It drives me to no end of frustration when people arrive at church RIGHT when it starts. Inevitably, a long line forms for venerating the icons despite church etiquette that says once service has started veneration of icons should stop so as not to be a distraction. People get in the way of the priest, the deacon the altar boys, etc. It is very distracting. I think it is rude, and prideful, especially when arriving to Divine liturgy early (to complete veneration before service begins) is considered an act of asceticism.

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