We went to the later, less crowded Christmas Eve Mass last night. Due to a mix-up in arrangements, our Padre had discovered late Saturday that no one was planning to provide music for this particular Mass. Izzy was already scheduled to read, and now our 9 AM Mass duo got asked to do music.
So, Christmas Eve involved a bit of running around.
- music practice
- food shopping for spinach salad and Christmas breakfast ingredients
- assembling salad & dressing
- over to Mom's
- socialize-eat-take pics with loaner camera
- drive to church
- warm-up (with an "audience")
- Mass
- drive back to Mom's
- eat-socialize-sing-more pics
- clean up after 31 people with Mom while Izzy and Pops troubleshoot and install a wireless network
- home after one AM, without ever going to Midnight Mass.
So, to remind me of the helpless baby that Christ allowed Himself to become, God sent one to our 7:30 PM Mass. Great vocal cords on that kid. Perhaps there should always be noisy babies at Christmas Eve Mass --- we are, after all, celebrating the birth of a baby.
There was also a young lady (around 8 or 9?) seated across that Chapel from the micro-choir. Obviously a cradle Catholic, but I don't believe from this Parish, she felt (IMHO) a need to be sure that everyone knew that she knew all of the vocal and spoken responses, prayers, etc. Loudly. Flatly. Starting just a bit behind, finishing up ahead of the rest of us, almost triumphantly. See, I know what to do even better than you do.
Her mom was somewhere in the back...
Between the baby and the little-red-haired-girl, I think few people noticed any mistakes the musicians might have made. Again, there should always be lots of children and a bit of chaos at Christmas Eve Mass.
We were given a noisy baby, who grew into a young man Who impressed adults with His knowledge and understanding of God. He died, in part for that same understanding, when it threatened a system that was supposed to point people to God, but which had become more self-sustaining, rather than anticipatory.
Here's to many opportunities over the next 12 days to remember the wonder, revel in the chaos, and anticipate the next coming.
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1 comment:
i wish you guys could hear the music at my 'hometown' parish =) It's soo bad it gives me warm fuzzies to get to witness biggie mistakes =) During the Gloria the organist stopped playing altogether and the elderly soloist choked. It's so cute because we only sing this almost every week! Poor Father tries to sing with them and hurry the tempo along at times! It's such a circus =)
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