We had intended to go to Midnight Mass last night, but everyone was just too tired, so we watched It's a Wonderful Life instead and went to bed. This morning we went to the 8:30 Mass, and I am so glad we did. It was one of the most beautiful liturgies I have attended and participated in for quite a long time. The church was beautifully and prayerfully decorated; the Mass was celebrated by our resident priest, who has a gorgeous singing voice; the homily was accessible, relevant, and appropriate both for the day and for always; the choir sang well.
To my complete surprise, the Mass was also a personally emotional experience for me and I found myself tearing up numerous times throughout. For the first time in memory my thoughts went to the Christmas Days of my childhood, and images of my father, who passed away last Christmas, blended with the loveliness of the sanctuary. I was not close to my father, so the powerful nostalgia that accompanied the images took me by surprise. I can still see those fleeting and rather hazy pictures as I write this.
I would like to wish everyone who reads this blog a very Merry Christmas and an abundance of blessings in the New Year.
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