just a very small series of vignettes that I need to remember whenever I feel moved to climb the church tower with a firearm (I'm kidding, I'm kidding)...
Christmas went well, the weather "milded up" most obligingly, I slept all day on the couch on Boxing Day (aka "Feast of Stephen"), and felt fairly rested, but Something is Lurking...Something of the "Nasty Cough" variety...
So I came in this morning about 7:45, and midway through the 8:30 service just before the Intercession, I swallowed the wrong way and went through a series of explosive coughs and snorts, all delivered into the shoulder of my surplice as nearly as I could manage...was really wondering whether I would be able to UTTER at all, hastily formulating theological contingency plans: i.e., if I stand behind the altar and MOUTH the words of consecration, is it licit/valid/kosher for the Lay Reader/Assistant to UTTER them?
As it turned out I found a place in the contralto register where I could produce words...and when the second communicant at the rail held up his hands for his wafer...in his palm were two Cepacol throat lozenges in their foil packet...
Isn't it an amazing moment when you feel "taken care of" in the parish?
Nappage this afternoon. Out for dinner ce soir.
My brother and his wife sent lovely "woodworked" Christmas gifts including a splendid jigsaw puzzle style Nativity set...which became this morning's Children's Focus, there being no Sunday School. When we had ooh'ed and aah'ed over all the splendid pieces, the assembled young'uns took the set back to a quiet warm spot on the carpet and had a splendid gentle quiet play with it all the way through the service. (The picture above is an approximation -- a very similar puzzle.)
BTW when I drove up my driveway at 1:30 a.m. Christmas Day, after the two Christmas Eve services...there was the Christmas tree in the living-room window, decorated, and lit, and the needles vacuumed up, and the decoration boxes put away...thanks to #1 Son...
Some days it's all I can do not to feel downright LOVED! And I hope you all feel loved too.
6 comments:
I suspect that, had you been unable to actually say the words, the Holy Spirit would have done her job regardless and the bread and wine would become the body....nonetheless, glad you could pray it....
and, yes, what signs of love....really wonderful! Hope you get to rest now...I have a week off and looking forward to some time to catch my breath.
I am so glad...
Had similar experience just before the Eucharistic Prayer on Sunday - so found myself transformed from high sop to startled tenor for most of the morning, but all seems well again now.
Have a lovely gentle week if you can.
Hugs xxx
Laughing about your throat lozenges... :)
Hope you feel better soon!
That cracked me up!!! about the lozenges. Glad it worked out.
Ah, that's lovely - and instead of feeling weirded out by it all, you graciously accepted the parishioner's care (sometimes hard for us to do, isn't it?) As seminarian in field ed, often I am called upon to go run off to get a cup of water. Glad to serve!
Take care of yourself and feel better soon.
Grace can truly be found in small gestures!
I do hope you're feeling much better by now. :~)
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