Fr. Bill suggested that I continue my example of strong faith for my siblings while I’m at home. I’m not quite a daily communicant, since even on campus, I can never manage Saturday morning Mass, but he says I am. The problem is that my family doesn’t see that. My mom and my grandma know I’m into church, but Courtney and Ryan don’t really know that side of me. So I decided to take some more concrete steps. I decided to turn my thoughts into action. I’ve been praying and dropping hints for a while, but I need to act.
I intended to go to at least one daily Mass during my break here, so I picked today, the Feast of the Holy Innocents (warning: graphic painting at the link), also known as Childermas (like Christmas is Christ’s Mass). I invited the rugrats to go with me, but Mass was at 8:30am, so I doubted they’d take me up on my offer. I was right. I barely made it out the door with my holy medals on, and I arrived late because my rear windshield was defrosting, so it was actually handy that they weren’t with me. At least I tried. The example has been set.
I walked into Mass during the Kyrie, which I think was very appropriate. I sat toward the back, so I could see most of the other parishioners. The church was surprisingly full: thirty people or so. I was the youngest person there by at least forty years. Father What’s-His-Name gave a good homily. His voice tone tends to run all his sentences together, so he’s a little hard to understand, but his theology is sound and accessible.
He omitted the sign of peace, which threw me just a bit, but I think I was more distracted by the parishioners near me who insisted on sharing a sign of peace despite everyone else’s reciting the Lamb of God around them. The priest may omit the sign of peace (GIRM 154); respect the celebrant’s decision either way. Fr. Bill omitted it on Fall Retreat because we had begun the great silence; it would have been inappropriate. Some priests never do it on weekdays, in the same way that weekday homilies are optional (though usually given). As the Zenit article mentions, it can be confusing for people to sometimes be invited to share the sign and sometimes not. I’m used to doing it at daily Mass with the CSC, so I fall into that category. My fellow parishioners, however, were likely retirees who attend daily Mass there frequently.
I knelt down again after Mass to pray. When most of the people had left, I realized the stragglers had started praying the rosary, so I joined in. They prayed it using antiphony (each side reciting half of each prayer, the way the LOTH is prayed in community). I didn’t catch onto that at first, but I learn fast. They finished with petitions to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, the Memorare, and the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel (which has been on my to-learn list for a long time). I chose to pray it all kneeling, which I realized was a fantastically bad choice as I hobbled out to my car.
I prayed the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary this morning for an end to abortion, but moreover for an end to the culture of death. We can outlaw abortion, sure, but what we really want is to change people’s hearts. If no one desires abortion, its legality will be irrelevant.
Holy Innocents, watch over the souls of aborted and unbaptized children. Help them to know God in ways we know not.
December 30th, 2006 1:56 pm
Congrats on making it to weekday Mass during break! Maybe you’ll have the chance to go again before break’s over :)
I struggled with going over breaks and also struggle now with going without work during the week. I don’t know why it (daily Mass and then also fitting, praying the Rosary) gets harder when at home, but it definitely does.
December 30th, 2006 4:01 pm
I totally agree about Mass and the Rosary being harder to do at home. It’s definitely harder to get to Mass in the morning than midday or evening. I can never quite figure out why it’s so hard to get a Rosary in, though. I have so much more time here. It should be exactly the opposite.