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For those who pray, we're in the last day of hope for the most recent kidnap victims in Iraq. These are men of peace who were there to try and end the occupation, to stop the violence. Pray that the kidnappers see the futility and cruelty of the situation, and that they have the courage and humanity to release their captives. There's very good news in my world...but I'll save that till the end. The amusing news is that one of Toronto's area bishops stole my stole. Well, not really. But it sounds funny. (For non-liturgical or non-church types, the stole is the long cloth band that clergy wear like a yoke. "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." The chasuble is the circular garment worn for celebrating the Eucharist, or Mass.)
Of course I can't wear it yet. Both items are strictly for the ordained clergy. But when I saw this set going cheap I bought it, with the idea that I'd leave it at Trinity for chapel use until I was ordained and could claim it. Yesterday was a Marian feast day, and the area bishop was celebrating the Eucharist. One of my professors was adamant that I get the chasuble to the chapel for the bishop to wear. It was still all wrinkled, so there I was in the sacristy, madly ironing just a few minutes before the Eucharist began. With mere moments to go I helped vest the bishop in a still-warm chasuble. It actually looks pretty good in action. I enjoyed watching my classmate's faces as the bishop passed. "Is that...? No!" Heh. Now the very good news...a friend of mine and I have been elected co-heads of Divinity. I'm going to start acting like Percy Weasly..."Make way, there, I'm Head Boy!" |
While surfing eBay I found a Marian stole and chasuble, light blue-silver with a picture of Mary on the back. Because most parishes here in Canada won't have a Marian set (we don't tend to swing that high) I figured that if I wanted to have one available I'd better get my own. It arrived, wadded in a box and all wrinkly, just a couple days ago. When I opened it, I took some good-natured ribbing. The stars are kind of funny...though, as one prof points out, Mary is called Queen of Heaven, so they do belong there.