As you have read, this year I decided to come out of the closet. After seeing so many people bragging about their ′′diversity ′′ and applauding them and saying to them ′′what courageous ′′, etc. I asked myself the question and why not me? So I made the decision, this year Father Alvaro will come out. I made up my mind and took my cassock out of the closet, and starting in January I started using it daily from morning to before bedtime. So casually, without solemn announcements, without making many turns of phrase, without giving preliminary explanations. Without seeking praise for it and without being afraid of mockery and insults or strange looks. What were my surprises? So many First, I never thought that using the daily cassock could make me as happy as a priest. It made it easier for me on the way to do all the good I could not have imagined. I have blessed, counseled, helped, confessed so many people with whom trust has been given to see me cassock. Second, to my surprise, even walking in very different places such as the mall, movie theater, restaurants, pachangas, piñatas, market, downtown tolerance zone, book fair, etc., I have been able to do a lot of good. And having met all the urban tribes had and for being there, in 5 months I have not received any insult or disrespect from anyone; still openly anti-Catholic people.
The sad thing about this, the only serious mockery I received for using it was from a priest. Third, unfortunately, it is so unusual because the diocesan priest uses black cassock that I was generally confused with a religious. In recent months I have been confused with: Franciscan, Augustine, Monje, Missionary, seminarian, Jedi Knight (no joke), Karateka, Dark, Mannequin (no joke either).
And many times I was also mistaken for a priest, which is good. It makes me think what degree we have secularized that is no longer associated with the diocesan priest to the cassock in daily life. Fourth, for being an ′′anti-religious ′ society, it is remarkable how many people ask me for a blessing, when a person spontaneously asks me for it it makes those who are close to me ask for it as well. In conclusion, I am very happy that I made this decision, when I did it, I thought about doing it for a year; but now I can say that it is something I want to do permanently. It helps me, it makes me happy, it helps people find a priest and grace more easily. It still reminds the estranged that God keeps walking around the world; it constantly reminds me that where he walks I represent Jesus and his wife the Church. It reminds me that wickedness knows how to disguise itself as ′′an angel of light′′, that is: nor have the strangers at the book fair and the dragon mission seen them the hatred and contempt in the eyes I see Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians when they see a priest. On the contrary, many approached an interesting dialogue.
Even the thugs from downtown approached me respectfully to ask for a blessing. It’s funny to see where hatred gushes out most. Those with ears that understand. Also, it reminds me that one day I want to be a saint: I imagine St. Juan Bosco, St. Ignatius de Loyola, Francis Javier, St. Felipe Neri, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis of Assisi without his cassock or habit? No; do I want to be a saint? Yes, so it is good to use the cassock.
Using it confirmed to me a forgotten truth, the cassock is a sacramental, that is, it arouses grace and disposes people to receive it. The clergyman (clerical shirt) is not. Finally, I will not give myself an air of greatness for using the daily cassock. It does not automatically make me greater or holier than other priests. But it helps me enormously, I urge other priests to be brave, take the cassock out of the closet, use it more often, and you will see the good they do to themselves and to souls. You will not regret it. † † Fr. Alvaro Salvador Gutierrez Felix
