Breathing Room

Strangest thing, so caught up FIRST in the scripture, and THEN IN the song of the angels, that at a Mass celebrating the great consolation that is OUR LORD DEIGNING TO BE RECEIVED BY US AS FOOD AND DRINK, my receipt of the Body and Blood, my actual communion passed almost unnoticed -- does that make sense? I wasn't distracted, exactly... or perhaps that is exactly what I was.

I was thinking about words, rather than the Word.

On the other hand, the communio and a Eucharistic motet gave me pause, and then leisure to recollect myself.

And it was very powerful.

Sometimes I think Himself is right, (although he is not as he is deliberately,) sometimes the best, deepest, and most meaningful experience of the Liturgy is allowing it to "wash over" you, in all its "sacramenty goodness."

I think my participation may have been utterly actuosa, if not activa...

(Incidentally the motet was .... a bicina, maybe? anyway, contrapuntal, 2 voice, began Ave Verum, and sent me off into spirals of contemplation. Quite, quite, quite wonderful. Sometimes the most surprising things lift your mind and heart and soul to where you wish they could always be.... the duo_organ_recital I attended this weekend was marvelous, and uplifting, and brilliant, and varied, and beautiful... but what floored me on Sunday, and stayed with me was the fanfare/intro/background music/improv, that one of the organists stayed to provide before the Tantum Ergo at the Vespers cum Exposition and Benediction that followed the concert So striking, and gave such focus to the proceeding -- WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT OF LITURGICAL MUSIC, NO?)