Corpus Christi Desktop
25 May 2008 - 21 אייר 5768 by Huw
Corpus Christi 2008-4.jpg
Originally uploaded by w.wabbit.
The Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christie was observed at St Andrew’s Parish with adoration, a procession and mass in the garden behind the Church. (In Buffalo, the minute it gets warm, nearly everyone and everything moves outside.) We will probably be in the garden for much of the next few weeks. There is a complete set of pictures posted on Flickr. I will be adding these to the parish website.
Normally we are a chatty bunch: any time before service all spaces are filled (as at St Gregory’s church) with people chatting and reconnecting after the week. The garden this AM was no exception. Eventually the conversation drifted to Hillary’s recent Kennedy gaff. And the tone became decidedly edgy.
Into the midst of us walked Father Steve who went up to the altar and busied himself. Suddenly, he turned around and, rather loudly, announced, “My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the blessed sacrament is now exposed on the altar for our meditation and adoration.” He bowed and stepped aside and, lo, there was the monstrance, as you see here.
Total silence descended on the garden and the gathered faithful and it stayed so for the next 20 minutes or so.
I was reminded of one of the saints who said that the difference between us and God is so vast that, when standing in the presence of God, to point out the difference between one human and another would simply be rude.
And so there is the solution, I think, to Lambeth, General Convention and the Schism. Perhaps, even, of Vestry or Parish Council meetings.
Obviously we’re not in communion but I appreciate your (those at St Andrew’s) intentions. Happy Sunday within the octave.
Interestingreport. I was assigned to the point … watching for arrivals at the front vestibule and wondered what was taking so long! Even for St. Andrew’s 20-minutes of silence is a long time. I wonder if we should’nt consider more meditative time when we are in the larger community. Coffee hour, BTW, went on forever, so there was plenty of time for human contact as well!
-k