A nice gesture at mass tonight from a visiting priest from India…
We attend the 6PM mass at St Sebastian’s in Woodside most nights and on Christmas Day the staff decided that they wouldn’t have a 6PM evening mass (With Midnight mass and the morning masses serving most people–or at least that’s the assumption by the staff).
The presider announced at the end of mass:
“Since I’m not going anywhere for Christmas I’d be happy to come and say the 6PM mass here for those who prefer to come to mass on Christmas in the evening. So go and spend Christmas morning with your families and then come on by later in the day–I’ll be here for you.”
I almost feel like changing my plans just to show up.
My biggest pet peeve about Christmas masses are the stupid people who decide that they want to have “Midnight” mass at 10PM–or even worse at 7PM! You are taking the most identifiably Catholic thing in the world and throwing it out the window. Stupid.
We will most likely have a late Christmas dinner and then head over to St Sebastian’s for a most appropriately scheduled Midnight Mass at Midnight!
Now the old joke, “Hey Father, what time is Midnight mass?” no longer can be told either! Sigh.