Yesterday's easy day is being paid back today.
This weekend I preached at all six Masses, as well as offering three of them. Despite the notion some have that offering Mass, and preaching at Mass, is no trick, in fact it is tiring.
Moreover, I was very keyed up last night when I preached first at the 4 pm Mass, then left to offer the 5 pm Mass at the other parish. I was so keyed up, I was practically stumbling over my words. I'm not sure why I was feeling that way--but it may be an expression of how intensely I feel about the message I prepared for the weekend. As I ad-libbed in my homily this weekend: in seven years as a priest, I don't recall feeling as strongly about a message I delivered, as I did this message.
Of course I cannot know that my thesis--that current events reveal the Hand of God--I just feel it so strongly. I was told my homily at 5 pm Mass came across as "fire and brimstone"--which wasn't really my purpose.
After Mass, the retired priest had a baptism; after his baptism, we went to the local Mexican restaurant for dinner. We wanted to go wherever we thought the fewest St. Patrick's day revelers would be congregating--because then we'd face a huge crowd.
For some reason I couldn't get to sleep; so I was up till about 2 am; then up at 6:30 am to preach at 7 am...offer 9 am Mass...preach at 10:30 am Mass, and then offer Noon Mass. After that Mass, I got to make a Christian (baptism), which I love to do!
Well, I'm beat. I'm watching dreams die (March Madness), and in about 2 hours, the retired priests and I will go to a party in West Milton, put on by the retired priests who live there. They do it every year on Laetare Sunday.
Oh, and yes, I wore Rose vestments.
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