My Oh My, what a weekend!

What a weekend we had. It was a whirlwind. If it was even a glimpse of what a wedding will be like, I had better grow some stamina.

The weekend started started first thing Saturday morning with the last retreat at the Newman Center and ended with family and the "big kids" leaving last evening.

The Vigil was a beautiful Mass. I have mentioned here before that the "style" of music and prayer at the Newman Center is not what we are accustomed to, nor what we would seek out, but the Vigil was beautiful in a way that was mostly surprising in a very good way. The liturgy was the full Vigil, not one part was left out -- seven Old Testament readings with a psalm between each and a prayer by the celebrant. Much up and down and up and down, but mostly very beautiful. The Gloria was followed by a New Testament reading and then the Gospel and a homily. Following were the baptisms of three young adults and a child. Not quite full immersion, but kneeling in the water and water poured over the head. It was wonderful. Father was standing in the water with them and gave them all big hugs afterward. He, I'm sure, was as wet as they were.

Following Baptism, Taylor and three other candidates renewed their Baptismal vows along with the congregation (or assembly as they say at the Newman). Then the four candidates and four baptized were Confirmed. Taylor chose the name Lucy, by the way. Just before Communion, Taylor made certain she knew what she should do to receive on the tongue. She was the only one, I believe. I was very touched, as Doug, Faith and I all receive on the tongue. She said she did not want the precious body to touch her hands. She was very nervous about "doing things right" which I thought was sweet.

The entire experience was all very, very moving, and though there are some parts of attending Mass at the Newman Center which are not my favorite, I have to say just being there, with a packed house of mostly college students, who chose to be present at the very long celebration of Our Lord's Resurrection, was awesome (and I use that word in all seriousness). There really are no lukewarm Catholics there. They come, not because they are fulfilling a Sunday obligation, but because they love God, their faith, and the Spirit truly moves them.

When we arrived home, very late, somewhere around 1 a.m., we exchanged "favorite part, least favorite parts?" Taylor's favorite part was being Confirmed while the choir (which pulled out all the stops and was truly amazing) chanted Veni Sanctus Spiritus (I don't think I had ever heard Latin at the Newman before that moment, one thing we truly love about our home parish). My favorite part was the singing of the Litany of Saints. Oh my goodness, it was beautiful, just listening to all the names of those wonderful men and women in heaven whom I have come to count on so very much. Each of us had different favorites, some more than one. We won't go into the "least favorites." {wink}

By the time dinner was served last evening, with Doug's mom and brother and his family, I was ready for bed. My ankles and feet are so swollen (still from the medication I stopped taking) that I can barely get shoes on. Fortunately, this is spring break week (yay!) and I am relaxing -- totally (except laundry and feeding these people who insist on not eating cold cereal or eggs and toast at every meal {wink}).

Prayers for a blessed Octave for you, and I'll be back this week with some pictures (though I never got a picture of all of us before the Vigil as Taylor and I had to be there an hour earlier than everyone else -- shame on me).