Last week we were in Portugal. We made it to Mass but it was in Portuguese so the homily was undiscernable to us. The priest had a lively way of speaking but we couldn't pick up on the meaning. I should be posting in the other blog soon with pictures and more details of our visit to Portugal.
This week we were back to our usual 9:00 a.m. Mass in town. Getting there was a little tricky because this morning was exceptionally windy. Father apologised at the beginning of Mass because the boiler light kept getting blown out by the wind. Church was a little chilly. Also the sexton couldn't get out of his house--the front door was stuck--so a lot of pre-Mass preparations didn't happen. We didn't notice anything amiss other than the temperature.
Lucy was quite a handful even before Mass started and wound up going to the children's liturgy across the street with Mommy. Jacob also wanted to go, so I was left for the first half of Mass by myself.
They all came back right after the collection, so they missed out on putting money in the baskets. Lucy became squirmy and noisy again. I took her out to the vestibule. I can't blame her since she has a cold that we all have had and are still having. She kept saying she was hungry and wanted a snack. We hadn't packed anything (usually we don't) so I could offer her no comfort. At one point she thought she could be quiet enough to go back in with Mommy, but she was still pretty fussy. We did get to say the Our Father together and the sign of peace went well.
After Mass neither child wanted to light candles but both wanted to go across the street for tea and treats. Since we didn't stay an extra 5 or 10 minutes in church we were able to sit at tables. We met friends from before Christmas and chatted with them for a while. It was quite pleasant. We eventually braved the wind outside to get back home.
Father's homily was about preparing for the coming of the kingdom of God, just as we did a month ago during Advent. Even though we are still in the traditional Christmas season (which lasts till Candlemas on February 2), we need to be ever vigilant in our preparations for the coming of the Lord and our entry into His kingdom.
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