week two

This is the week I landed back at St. Pius X and back at 5:30 mass.  The rundown...

Old Friends: Check.

Clock time: One hour.   (Fr. Sam had a train to catch or something.  With this week's "sell all, give to the poor, and come follow me" reading, I thought we would experience one fired up homily about the evils of greed.  I hate to admit  I was a little disappointed.)

Crying babies:  Allowed.  (Lauren threatened to sign me up for Children's Liturgy.)

Boxtops: Tithed.

Music:  Shine FM.  No tambourines.  (if they could back off, just a little...)

Is parish life for me?

week one (kidding,kidding...)

 How do you measure a year?

churches: 52

Sundays skipped: 2 (careful readers will note the Epiphany and well, um, Easter are not quite accounted for.  Those are stories for another time.)

non-Catholic churches: 1

number of people suckered into coming to church with me: 7

states: 2

counties: 6

dioceses:  4

tambourines: 4?

tuxedos: 1

priests: 51

Obviously this requires more thought...so for now...Week 53.  

This week, the question "where are we going to church this week?" took on whole new meaning.  I had let myself out of my self opposed obligation to go to a new church every week.  I've decided I'm not done yet, but have also decided that this pace is getting annoying.  Maybe one a month for the next year.  I hope to role out the next phase of my crazy ideas soon.

I felt strangely compelled to go back to Nativity.  Once upon a time, I had a lofty idea that I would go back to 5:30 mass at St. Pius and celebrate with dinner(beer) afterwards.  But how was I supposed to know that Sunday would be cool and rainy and that the Orioles would be in an afternoon playoff game?

So then it was down to the monastery and Nativity for a morning mass.  I mean they are both easy, largely in part because they are right here.  

There were a few things that bummed me out about Nativity.  I didn't notice last time, or maybe they hadn't done it yet, but the shelf below the pew that holds hymnals has been removed.  It looks like an end to Gather books forever.  

It was loud in there.  Really loud.    (To quote me to me, I was looking for protected, quiet time.)  There was significant pre-mass chatter and high volume music.  The lector is a member of the parish staff and seems to read at all the masses.  Kids are pretty well kicked out, and it makes me kind of sad.  Somewhere out there, there are adults who put up with the likes of me in church.  And so much for fasting before mass, I saw a lady actually bring coffee into church with her.

But there was an amazing, albeit lengthy, homily based on First Corinthians: Love always trusts.  I think if you go to their website, you can watch it too.  

I left thinking about all the things that I just wanted to fix.  I wondered about all the old friends I had hoped to see, but didn't.  Instead, I decided it's time to stop searching for memories and start making new ones.   

See you Sunday.  

Basilica of the National Shrine of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

So here we are.  52 churches and 52 weeks later, I'm trying to figure out how to sum up this year.  Tambourines?  Favorite guides to the New Roman Missal?  Odometer readings?  For now, I'll stick to the usual post.

The Basilica is the last stop on the official tour.  They offer a Sunday afternoon mass.  We were reminded to turn off our cell phones so not to disturb the liturgy as someone leaned on a car horn outside and sirens of all kinds blared.  The dome has suffered earthquake damage and the church is full of scaffolding and curtains.  Figures, I have visited many beautiful buildings under construction.  I haven't actually seen the new renovations, been on the tour, or spent any time in the John Paul II garden.  

The crowd trickled in and there was a talented cantor and organ.  Familiar songs seemed a little slow and formal set to organ music.  Apparently there is a sign in the sacristy that says: Danger.  Work Zone.  Hard hat required.  Apparently there is a prayer in there too: Celebrate this Mass as if it were your first Mass.  Celebrate this Mass as if it were your only Mass.  Celebrate this mass as if it were your last Mass.  Put those two ideas together, and you've got the homily.  All in all, a fitting end to one crazy idea.