My New Career as a Doorman
“The Doors! The Doors! In wisdom let us attend!” -in the Orthodox liturgy just before the Nicene Creed
I used to light a candle for you before Mass
With a prayer that ascended to Heaven
For as long as the candle remained lit
Even after everyone departed, deep into the night
Now I open the door for you before Mass
Even though you’re not here, so does that count?
With age I am clumsy in so many things
But I can open the door and say hello
And every candle I ever lit for you
Still shines
The Most Embarrassed Young Father in All of Christendom
I will go in to the Altar of God. / To God who giveth joy to my youth.” -The Roman Missal, 1962
The processional had hardly ended
With each minister and server in place
Each knee for a moment respectfully bended
In acknowledgement of God’s gentle Grace
When came to our ears a frightening assault
Of sirens and horns, and then flashing lights
Beneath the sanctuary’s sacred vault
A catalogue of wild electronic frights
To the narthex door a father rushed
Awkwardly in the sight of God and man
His handsome manly face was deeply flushed
His son’s toy helicopter was clutched in his hands
He carried the noisy gadget far away –
(A true helicopter parent we may say!)
We delight in our children; for them we pray
And thank God for all families this Sabbath day
I will go in to the Altar of God.
To God who giveth youthful joy to old age.
-Parenting 1301
The Doorkeeper of Notre Dame
“I pray you remember the porter.” -Macbeth II.iii.22
“‘Tis my limited service” on Sundays to mind the door
To open it to the faithful with cheerful greetings
This is pretty much my skill-level, this modest chore
Such is the ancient custom for Sunday meetings
A family of long acquaintance approached, almost late
They live some miles away and had a long drive
Their youngest son held his hand out at the holy gate
I thought his intent was a youthful high five
But with only one finger he greeted me!
And that was my lesson in humility
As for the boy
While the servers rang the welcoming bell
His momma yanked him outside and gave him (peace)
About That Reed Shaken with the Wind
“What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?” -Saint Matthew 11:8
A swaying riverside reed is a marvelous thing
In its proper service to our gracious Lord
A stalk of grass honoring its Creator
In quiet, unassuming dignity
Symbolisms are laid upon the reed
In power-point sermons and learned texts
But first of all it is but a nice little reed
Joining its labors with those of the whispering wind
Until Our Lord Himself calls upon that reed
Even as He calls upon us for some small deed
My Great Replacement Theory
(or maybe just a lesser replacement theory)
Teenagers opened the doors for me at Mass
Which used to be my job, but they stepped up
And in stepping up they are replacing me
Which is good – I miss my youth but delight in theirs
A boy and a girl giggled and whispered
In a language I don’t know except that
Having once been young, I know it well –
A perfect translation was in their eyes
All languages come from Old Solar, Lewis says
And to Old Solar will someday return
We must all be replaced someday
For in Creation’s Great Dance that is a step
Teenagers opened the doors for me at Mass
And God will open another door afterward
Let’s Meet Again Next Week or Next Life
Cf. Shakespeare, Sonnet 32
To ask to be remember’ed is good
Both for the humble asker and for the asked –
For both will pause to consider mortality
And both will pause to enjoy the happy now
We understand this world will pass away
That all created things must collapse and die
And yet we are promised them back again
And each other too, in saecula saeculorum
Then, yes, please, do remember me, if you would –
To ask to be remember’ed is good
Thank God That’s Over
St. Therese of Lisieux is said to have said
After an especially long liturgy
“Thank God that’s over!”
And who am I to argue with a saint?
LogoSophia Magazine 