We have been on holiday partly to celebrate Vetboy's 21st birthday and partly to just spend time sitting on the beach. At the last minute I decided to disconnect from the world and left my laptop and blackberry at home. I didn't think it would be as easy as in the end it turned out to be, and I did enjoy just not being available and I think my assistant liked my trust that she would run my office perfectly satisfactorily while I was away - which of course she did!
We were back a couple of days ago and so this morning I picked up my duties as holiday sacristan and went early to the chapel to prepare it for the Mass. The weather had deteriorated resulting in overcast and so the empty church was darkened and quiet as I moved slowly and softly and respectfully lighting candles, laying out vestments, setting out out vessels and missals and filling stoups with holy water. It was peaceful work, full of deep seated pleasure and still happiness. When I was done the candles and brass and bright flowers shone with hushed and waiting expectancy.
As I finished the first congregants were trickled in. Familiar faces, elderly folk who like to come early and say a decade or two of the rosary before Mass. Gradually the chapel filled and Mass began in familiar cadence and song and prayer.
I thought
I am home, amongst my family of faith and it is a good place to be.
Really, that's some of my favorite time. I love to come early and be present to the stillness before the people arrive and communitybprayers begin,
ReplyDeleteI just wrote a few hours ago about being at home in a parish. When I entered my home parish, I would 'feel' at home in just the space that reminded me of the people. I played viola in my parish, but, on the few occasions I served as sacristan, I had a love for the 'homely' work. Your activity is a beautiful part of the preparing which makes the life of a home.
ReplyDelete(Happy birthday!)