 |
| A sad, leaky tent for the King of kings |
Whenever I hear this Epistle, my mind immediately rewinds three decades to the song, sung in rounds, that was popular during my Protestant upbringing. It was a cheerful, monotonous, quasi-hypnotic ditty.
"Rejoice, rejoice and again I say rejoice. Rejoice, rejoice and again I say rejoice"... and on and on it went.
Lamentably joy is not one of the fruits of the Holy Ghost that seems to thrive in my spiritual garden. Especially now. To be quite honest, this year has driven anima mea to doubts, depths and dregs that I had never thought possible in my twenty-five years as a Roman Catholic.
The spiritual fortification of two years of the Traditional Latin Mass is the only reason I am still standing. God does indeed give us exactly what we need when we need it.
After a month of Covid lockdown our TLM diocesan priest was transferred and overnight we went from multiple Masses per week to nothing (see Bitter Trials). Now, thanks be to God, we have two Masses per month due to the tireless dedication of three diocesan priests who travel to say the Mass for our community (see Sursum Corda).
And here we are in Advent with more lockdowns. Do we head for the church door with a battering ram? Or do we don the mask and spatially distance in a parking lot? Tomorrow our good priest will drive eight hours to say a Mass for us in the rain, under a makeshift tent, while the church stands empty and Costco is abuzz with "holiday" shoppers. Always rejoice?
My first real "Trad" friend (I met her in the 90s in New York; she told me about the Traditional Latin Mass, la Salette, the Masons; I thought she was simultaneously fantastic and crazy) always says to me when I am feeling downcast: "when you see these signs rejoice, Gemma"! A locked church? Rejoice! No Sacraments? Rejoice! And again I say rejoice!
The Epistle of St. Paul continues:
"...in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Thinking back a year ago, this Gaudete Sunday I made the arrangements with less joy, but with more determination, petitions and trustful surrender. I will be joyful, Lord, or die trying.
 |
Alstroemeria, spider mums, escalonia flower with redwood and camellia greens. For more information on flowers for Gaudete Sunday, see Fleurs de Marie-Jacqueline's excellent post About church flowers during Advent. |
IMO, this is what it is all about, Gemma. I sometimes call it "foot, foot, foot" meaning - in my private vocabulary - "just keep going". It helps me also to think about the persecuted Christians throughout the world and about Masses said on battlefields. The important thing is to be able to say with St. Paul at the end of it all, "I have kept the Faith".
ReplyDelete"Foot, foot, foot!" I will remember that Marie-Jacqueline.
DeleteYes, we have to keep on moving and keep the Faith! Thank you for your encouragement and God bless you.