He is Risen! Alleluia!
Happy Easter all.
In February I sent a postage-paid return envelope addressed to myself to the office at St. Patrick's Cathedral. If you want to see His Eminence on Easter Sunday, you have to get an early start. Sure enough, two weeks ago my envelope returned with four tickets to today's mass enclosed. It was to be the highlight of our worship weekend. After Maundy Thursday, Tenebrae, and Easter Vigil at Fordham this week I thought an Easter in the big city would be a treat. As it turns out, it was distracting.
Don't get me wrong, Timothy Cardinal Dolan gave an excellent homily reminding us that the most influential person in our lives is Jesus. He reminded us not to look for the living (i.e. Jesus) among the dead (i.e. the distractions of this world). He gave us a good sprinkle, we heard the St. Patrick's cathedral choir sing a glorious rendition of the Hallelujah chorus, and we fumbled through the Lord's Prayer in Latin. Despite my best efforts though, I was distracted.
By distracted, I mean I easily succumb to tourism. I've lived here nearly two years now
and for some reason when cameras fly out I drop right into tourist mode myself - trying to get a good shot of whatever it is people seem to think is a big deal. Today, it just so happened mass was a tourist trap.
What would you look at if this lady was sitting a few pews in front of you?
Or, if this man was behind you?
I learned something from this experience, and I learned it in less than 5 minutes: I prefer to worship in a place where people could care less about what we're wearing. Jesus doesn't.
For your viewing pleasure:
1 comment:
Oh my. How do you see anything around a hat like that. That would be one service at which I would have to be in the front row so as not to be totally distracted. The chorus must have been wonderful, though. What a NYC experience.
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