My pastor rocks

Something told me the Vigil Mass for All Saints Day tonight was going to have something special. I don't know why, I don't know what it was, but I was more giddy than normal before Mass started tonight. It wasn't the music or the lectors, no they did their job well enough. It wasn't even in Father Paul's even more insightful than usual homily. Then, as we moved on it hit me. Father used Eucharistic Prayer I - the Roman Canon! To you that may be no big deal. To me, that's the first time I've seen it live in a Novus Ordo Mass. Ever.

I have a somewhat peculiar attachment to the Roman Canon, owing in large part to the fact it's how I learned the Mass while watching EWTN as a catechumen. Add to that its antiquity and the far-less-abbreviated litany of Saints and some of the most fully-fleshed prayers of any Eucharistic Prayer and you simply have me hooked. But no one it seems in this Diocese uses it on Sunday. Everyone seems to be worried about the extra time it takes, which I'm told is actually only two minutes. I say, go ahead - make me stay at Mass for two more minutes! There is not a single better place I could be than right there assisting at Mass, doing my part in doing what the Lord commanded us to do. My good Priest friends, don't skip out and jump to EPII or EPIII because it's shorter - this is a generation that hungers for fullness, not brevity. Give us the fullness of the faith, the Saints, the confessions, the prayers, all of it! Then watch the numbers grow.

My most humble thanks to Father Paul for making my day even that much greater. And yes you'd better believe I told him as much right after Mass. With luck this is a sign of continued greater things to come. Deo gratias!

Tags: Catholic, Liturgy