Praying in the catacombs

Would anyone show up? I wonder if we got all the details taken care of? Why are there so many more unanswered questions?

As the time for the start of today's Corpus Christi Mass approached, the skies were a mixture of blue, promising sunshine, and black, a foreboding of very unsettled weather. Then the lights flickered, the emergency lights illuminated and we were left in darkness, save for the brown out lighting in the church and throughout its hallways.

What was supposed to be a festive occasion, complete with organ music, a multi-voice choir and various other instruments including guitars, oboe and drums was transformed. The organ wouldn't work, the public address system lay silent and the lights in the church were barely shedding any light. Out of the darkness though, we began singing, accompanied by the non-electronic instruments, and we were off to the races.

What followed had to be among the most poignant experiences of the liturgy many of us have ever lived. With all remnants of electricity taken away, we stood in candlelight, reminiscent of what it must have been to gather with the first Christians, hidden in the catacombs to celebrate the liturgy. The gathered community, which numbered more than 300 (we ran out of hosts while distributing communion and had to pull on the surplus hidden in the tabernacle) responded with voices that spoke of faith and conviction, and sang with voices which combined to create some of the most beautiful music anyone could ask for.

When it came to the parade that was supposed to conclude the celebration, we couldn't take the chance of inviting the crowd to move outside. Not only had the electricity been cut, but all though the vast majority of this liturgy, rain and hail pounded the roof of the church and pelted the windows. Who knows what might have happened if we had asked people to move outside. Instead, the lights came back on, bathing us in renewed brightness while we were still part-way through the distribution of Communion, and we did the procession within the church instead of taking our chances on the slick roadways around the church.

Once the parade was over, people moved outside, into what had then become mostly sunshine and wind. Next door, at the neighboring parish, a BBQ awaited, along with a variety of musical entertainment that kept the crowd entertained for the better part of the afternoon.

Sometimes the best laid plans go awry, and the result is something totally unexpected, but utterly amazing.