The Powers Above

(Sunday morning, 8.21.22) A flash of lightning crosses the sky right above the church as I turn off my engine. A second later a loud crack of thunder follows. It rumbles on after the initial explosion, it seems to last forever. The rain is coming down hard.

    Inside the church, the lights are low, the few people there are quiet, the rain on the roof adds a soft background noise. Flashes of lightning illuminate the stained windows and the resulting thunder joins in to accompany the beat of the rain.

More people arrive, the lights are brightened, and the Mass begins. The organ adds to the music of the storm outside. The lightning and thunder make dramatic backdrops to the service. As the priest gives his sermon, he talks about families and how accepting they are. I look at the parishioners around me, I’ve always thought of them as family.

We are all here together to celebrate this sacrament. We are all accepted, no matter if we are wearing a suit and a tie or a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. It doesn’t matter what our political views are. We all have needs, desires and insecurities. We all carry burdens on our shoulders and here at the Mass, the weights are lessened.

The storm continues on through the Mass. Afterwards, people congregate in the gathering space, hesitant to step into the downpour. It smells good outside; it smells like summertime. I walk out to my car through the rain, feeling refreshed, my load lightened.