We came home for Ester Sunday after spending the weekend at my sister in law’s farm. It was misty as we left, but by noon the sun had come out. I made it to a noon Mass at St. Joseph’s Church in downtown Salem. It is a vibrant parish that holds firm to tradition. They have a Latin Mass every Sunday at 6:45am and most of the songs yesterday were dug in Latin, although Ode to Joy to process our was sung in English. My guess is the success the parish is seeing in many facets help guide Archbishop Alexander Sample to write that Gregorian Chants should be the foundation of liturgical music in Western Oregon.
I was seated between a woman in her 20’s, I would guess a student at Willamette University, and a woman in her late 70’s. The younger lady sang the songs while the woman in my right remained in contemplation during songs, although she complimented me on my singing voice at the Sign of Peace. It is nice to see the diversity of the city’s population at Mass.
I came home and had some candy, which I gave up for the Triduum, and helped my kids build the LEGO sets the got for Easter. Then we got drive thru and had a picnic for dinner, played some basketball and baseball, before bathing and doing our bedtime routine while mommy went grocery shopping.
New life. Resurrection. Rebirth.
Every morning we wake up we have the potential to be transformed and to transform the people and world around us. For that I am humbly grateful.