got there about 10 minutes before the 10:30 mass - got a good seat. decent crowd surrounded me for the "Peace Be With You" part.
sometimes, and this is going to sound really horrible, but, i get nervous around that section of the mass. it's really not that peaceful to me. everyone's all "peace be with you" and shaking each other's hands, strange elderly women reach their hands out and i'm afraid of gripping too hard and busting their fingers that are filled with arthritis, little kids wipe their noses and then grip my hand *thanks* but there's that little shudder of "okay, whose hand am i going for first?"
yes, it sounds ridiculous. but, i guess there's that small part of me that stresses out at that part.
well, that and at the Apostles' Creed. I know parts. but usually when hundreds of us are in the church and that starts up, I fail to reach for the missalette in time to flip to the page for a smooth reading.
what i wind up croaking out normally consists of:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was mumble mumble mumble mumble Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
mumble suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He mumble mumble mumble dead.
mumble third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic and Apostolic Church,
mumble mumble mumble mumble ,
mumble mumble mumble sins,
mumble mumble mumble mumble ,
mumble mumble life everlasting.Amen.
Of course, it never fails that I seem to be near someone who is belting this out like it's their social security number. I mean, they could probably recite it in Latin and here I am trying to make my mumbling look semi-decent by attempting to make my mouth contort into normal shapes (that makes no sense, but, come to church with me sometime and you'll see.)
anyway... today's mass was great. ye ol' fish & loaves chatfest.
and we sing the Our Father and the Alleluias and all that - it's not like a Southern Baptist Revival, but, it's as energetic and as musical as the Roman Catholic church gets (in my opinion.) yes. at one point today, we even clapped during "I've seen the light." which was cool.
The priest, funny little Irishman, said to us after communion (aka the Eucharist) that he had some "good news and bad news"
the good news was that it was his birthday.
*everyone clapped*
the bad news - he said - was that he was 80 years old.
*more clapping and then the band broke into "Happy Birthday"*
then he went on to say that he's been at St. Martha's for 10 years, since Father Magee called him up in his Irish brogue and said "Father, We need ye'"
so, he said "I've been here ever since... and if you could say a prayer that I'm here for another 10 years, that would be wonderful"
*applause*
Then the Deacon reached over and pulled the microphone from his hand and said "You're welcome to stay for 10 more years as long as you keep your Homilies short"
*raucous laughter*
good times good times.
so after church, everyone files out and goes past the priest and the deacon saying this and that and shaking hands.
anyway, i went up to the man and said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" to which the fella replied, "It's not my birthday!"
To which I replied "Um... no, it's not, but I'm saying it to you for the next year!"
Smooth. Yeah, I just confused the 60 year old Deacon with the 80 year old Priest and then tried to gloss over the idiocy. *sigh*
at least he laughed as he was damning me to hell in his mind. oh well.
I'll be in Suite #2563 of the 9th Circle, folks. So, see ya' there.
anyway, doing some work today --- while laying on the couch. (work work. not house work. that will be a little later.)
Welcome to the YapFest (2 yapped)
You mustn't have gone to a parochial grade school. I did and could probably recite both the Apostles and Nicene creeds in my sleep.
Our sermon yesterday was based on the feeding of the 5000, too. I know my church (Lutheran) follows a "3 year plan" with the readings and such, but now I'm wondering if all Christian faiths follow the same plan.
I have a remedy for the "sign of peace" part of the service. Join the choir, and then you're up in the balcony with a bunch of people you already know really well!
That never happened in my church as a child, so the first time I went into a church as an adult I was uncomfortable (although grateful not to have been struck by lightning trying to cross the threshold at the door). Imagine ... me in a church for the first time in God knows how long and feeling like a hypocrite, completely unworthy, trying to be invisible, (actually only there because my good friend had asked me to be there for support as she preached her very first sermon) ... and then, out of the blue, the people all around me are looking at me & greeting each other and YIKES ...
I thought my heart had raced when I OD'd but that had nothing on my first experience in a church service as an adult. I don't know how I had managed to survive wearing a dress & singing in Latin all those years. Back then it felt so natural to be in a church & whenever I try to go back now I'm scared out of my wits.