Epiphany at Trinity

Yesterday evening I said Mass at Trinity College. It was the Feast of the Epiphany, so I was very pleased to have a chance to Celebrate Mass that day. The school has a new Chaplain, Andrea Budgey, whom I've know for a few years. Before the service, the Sacristan, Andrea, the organist (Christopher Ku) and I went over the service and decided what liturgical options to exercise. Since it was a Principal Feast we did most stuff, including the Gloria and the Creed. I also elected to sing the Preface.

Saying Mass in a seminary chapel like this is a lot of fun for a priest like me that still has some high-church tendencies that don't get exercised much in my own parish. There is a glee that comes from being able to discuss which manual gestures with people that care about such things. I'm not complaining about my own parish--I don't want them to care about how many times I make the sign of the cross during the Canon of the Mass (so many other things are more important), but sometimes it's a nice change. It's like being married to someone who is allergic to peanuts and going out and eating a nice Thai dish with a peanut sauce--you don't feel deprived at home, but the change of pace can be refreshing now and again.

Anyway, the Mass went extremely well. The student giving the sermon did a good job and the servers were excellent and everything went perfect from a liturgical purist point of view. Even more delightful, however, was perceiving the presence of the Holy Spirit as I said the prayers and distributed communion. Sometimes I really love my life! I know, I know, I'm a church nerd. So be it!

-t