I keep forgetting this for some reason, but every time I go to Mass on Tuesday and see an especially large assembly, my heart gets a little uplift. Of course! It's the St. Anthony devotions after Mass that draws them to St. Peter's Church...
I've never been especially devoted to St. Anthony, even though when I lived in Italy and my sister (Jane--her birthday will be Friday) came to visit me, we went to Padua together. (For your information, Padua is basically closed on Mondays. St. Anthony was the only one who opened his doors to us.) When I was a novice I caused poor, gentle Sr. Susan untold anguish when I made a pronouncement to the effect that St. Anthony was a saint for little old Italian ladies. (If there are any little old Italian ladies reading this, please pardon me. I was very young, very ignorant and very arrogant, and 'til now only one of those attributes has been remedied.) Sr. Susan, who had a real soft spot for the (ahem) Portuguese Franciscan, protested "He's a doctor of the Church!" (Something I have never forgotten.)
Anyway, back to St. Peter's, home of the Tuesday devotions here in downtown Chicago. The 1:15 Mass was even more crowded than usual. You should have heard the gusto with which everyone sang the Alleluia and the Sanctus! Really an inspiration, and I can't stand the melody used for the Sanctus today. (It's the one that sounds, and I'm dating myself horribly here, like the old, old, old, "Twenty Mule Team Borax" commercials, or like the theme song from some sydicated Western from the mid-60's.) No matter. God was Hosanna'd in the highest. And at communion, I was delighted to see just who these people were who had been drawn to the Eucharist by that eminent DOCTOR of the CHURCH, Anthony. It was a group that defied homogenization. There were as many young adults as there were elderly and middle-aged folks. There were the business people and the students. People in the various service industries. (I always get a charge out of seeing the police officers come to Communion, with their guns, billy clubs and all that strapped to their waist, and their empty hands open and lifted to receive the Lord.) Some people wait before joining the procession, and then they almost miss Communion. That happened today, except that one of the Extraordinary Ministers noticed, and attempted to PSSSSST the person as loudly and reverently as possible so they wouldn't miss out. For some reason, that especially delighted me today. It was a little grace just to witness that.
Ya gotta love Chicago.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
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2 comments:
I was in one of the first classes of women on the Chicago police force in the 1970s. I remember going to daily Mass is full uniform just as you described.
Sometimes I make my thanksgiving just watching people receive Jesus, and thanking him for all these souls who hear his call. Thank you for that, too!
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