Easter People

Sleep is not my best game and the mysteries of why I can't stay asleep once I get there, remain as such.  On this particular day this was not such a bad problem.  It is Easter Sunday and I wanted to get to an early Mass, the 7AM.  I figured that it would be the only opportunity to get to a service that was not packed with families, babies crying, standing room only.  As I have already stated, I do not like pomp and circumstance and theatrical celebrations when it comes to church time.  So, today, I got myself into the shower and out the door with time to spare.

As I turned down the street to the church parking lot, I immediately realized that I was not one of the "few" who would be at this first Mas of the day.  There were people....everywhere.  At 6:50 AM, the huge parking lots were already full and people were walking toward the church entrances in droves.  Were these all the atheists that we have been reading about lately, the ones who think they know the answer and are trying so desperately hard to recruit members?  Are they going to barricade the doors, kidnap the faithful and put them all in a spaceship?  Nope.  I fell into line with the crowd and found myself one of the few vacant seats and today, I actually listened to the homily and it was uplifting.  I don't remember every word and the pen I keep with the notebook in my handbag is broken so I could not write things as I wished I could.  But, I do remember this.  He said "be Easter people".  He explained what he meant by that and it was lovely.

The priest asked that we consider waking up from the darkness, embracing the new light, that we take this mission on as of today, and carry it with us for the next fifty one weeks.  So simple a request, isn't it?  I'm tired of the darkness of winter and the late arrival of spring's warmth and charm.  I'm ready to become an Easter Person.

It was a nicely-paced liturgy.  Nothing dramatic.  Surely it was not an "express" Mass, but it wasn't prolonged .  I'm sure that the rest of the morning will be different.  This is the day that the "A& P" Catholics show up.  Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday and today.  There will be traffic jams entering and exiting both the parking lot and the church.  Babies will be crying. Parents will be frustrated.  The sandwich generation will be out in full force, trying to juggle their weighty responsibilities without showing their frustrations in a holy place. They will all be there.  For today, they will be Easter People.

A little side-note if I may......I'm always looking for signs.  Am I doing this life thingee correctly?  Am I being as good a wife, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, Christian, as I can be?  I don't always do these the same way others do.  I like to think, and act, out-of-the-box and I wonder what track I am on, is that road I've chosen the one that leaves me totally lost or is there a bend in it, way up ahead, that I cannot yet see, that will lead me to where I should be?  Well, I'll leave it up to the reader to decide.....today, as I stepped up to receive Communion, out of a large chalice of perfectly round wafers, I was handed one in the shape of a triangle.  I take it as a sign.  What do you think?