Youth Mass

Mass at the Arlington Cathedral was ....not great this week. Rocky and I knew something was up as soon as we hit the door. Most of the regulars who are seated when we usually arrive weren't there. The flower arrangement was noticeably restrained and more tasteful than usual and there were three extra chairs for priests. The tall microphone was at the bishop's chair so we guessed he was going to be the celebrant.  There were more candles than we normally have and the nicer Christmas and Easter tall candlesticks were out. The sacristans had on suits. The Youth Minister was flying around with a look of intense concentration and then I understood why when  I noticed the little red programs. "It's the youth Mass, " I whispered to Rocky. "How'd we miss it?" Was the answer.

 I sighed. The one week I didn't read the bulletin is the week with the Mass we try to avoid. The youth choir came in.  They were happy to see each other and their chatter and laughter was so loud  that a priest had to shush them. Instead of the scheduled  elderly lector, who apparently wasn't told this until she arrived;  a teenager did the readings. Instead of the usual cantor who is in his twenties, we got one who was younger and had  bright Joker green hair. 

The noise from the boisterous choir got bad again and I gave up trying to pray because even with closing my eyes and  whispering my prayers I couldn't concentrate. I wasn't the only one and I noticed that the few regulars who did come  were looking up at the choir loft with displeasure. This has nothing to  do with the age of the choir members. The children's choir are obviously much younger and somehow manage to behave far better. 

The bishop gave us a homily where he mentioned  the new immigration center in Woodbridge, Virginia and the lovely chat he had with two Afghan men who are being helped there. The choir was mostly very good but when they tried to pull off "Most Beautiful" as the Communion song it was embarrassing. 

The young attendees were invited to a reception downstairs  and I found it mildly amusing looking at the regulars with their puzzled or downright grim expressions as they went to their cars. As for me, I had a headache after Mass but Goody's headache powder, coke from McDonalds and a weiner schnitzel dinner at a new restaurant took care of it.