Generally most of my mornings start out the same way. The alarm clock goes off, a wind up that rings bells. Far more reliable that something that plugs into the wall and tends to go hay wire when the electricity goes out. Or maybe that is just my excuse to rely on old technology.
The first thing that I do is turn on the little light next to my bed, grab my breviary and pray my morning prayers. For me this is an absolute delight! A slow waking up! Staying under the covers and thinking things about God before taking on the world.
After that I grab the Lectionary and read the readings for the day. Only then is it time to start engaging the world. In the shower I contemplate the readings and think about what I am going to say that morning. After dressing I sit down and make a few sentences on yellow stick'm notes to have with me in the pulpit since I have the remembering capacity of a turnip.
Saturday mornings take a little more time than usual. There is no deacon so I have to come up with some petitions and there is no organist so I also get to choose the opening hymn. This is all done before I step foot in the church, usually just a couple minutes before the bells in the tower ring and we start the Mass. Such was the case this past Saturday. I walked in and gave a "good morning" to the ministers and one of our cracker jack sacristans greeted me with:
Uhm . . .
This past Saturday was rather historic. Those attended Mass were among the very first to celebrate a Mass in memory of Blessed John Paul II and to hear the prayers and readings for that day. Actually, originally I was not supposed to have this Mass, Fr. Pfeiffer was. But the calendar got crazy this weekend and so I ended up having the Mass. But when notification for the Mass came from the diocese, I put it out of mind because I would not be saying a normal daily Mass that day. So I gave the information to the sacristan so that THEY would remind the forgetful priest that day.
Which turned out to be me.
Of course, now my homily made absolutely no sense. I had about 30 seconds to come up with a song, (easy one - Be Not Afraid - not my favorite but it fits JPII), change the petitions, rewrite a homily - not time.
So I read the Gospel and went on with the Mass hoping something would pop into my mind while waiting to read the Gospel. I know guys who have said, "Do you know when I write my morning homilies? On my way from the chair to the pulpit." I, however, can't get up in front of a group of people to announce that someone has left their headlights on in the parking lot without notes. Just thinking about that now makes me nervous.
Add to that my itsy bitsy brain trying to remember what the Gospel is while trying to pay attention to the rest of the Mass.
Well, something came to mind. I think it was Okay. I really don't remember.
1 comment:
Your stories are hilarious!
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