A heavy rain was falling during the drive to Church this morning. Thankfully there was an umbrella in the back of the car. It would definitely be needed!
Inside the Church, I listened to the sounds created by the pounding storm. It was a noise that filled the nave. While it was loud and intense, it was also relaxing, comforting and soothing. I felt safe and secure, even as the thunder rumbled around us.
The rain blended in nicely with the organ music and the opening hymn and then tapered off as the Mass began. It increased every so often, almost as if to accentuate the importance of the various parts of the Mass.
I will never forget a Mass I attended at St. Bonaventure Church. A thunderstorm was beating against the walls and roof of the Church. The sky outside was dark, lightning bolts lighting it up, showing the parishioners inside how strong the storm was. At the consecration, as the Priest lifted up the Host, a lightning bolt flashed and immediately afterwards, thunder shook the Church. It felt as if God Himself was showing us the importance of this portion of the Mass! It sent shivers through me as I’m sure it did to others in the congregation.
At Mass during another thunderstorm, the power went out plunging the Church into darkness. The Mass continued, the Priest's voice no longer amplified but yet still discernible. Lightning illuminating the stained glass behind the altar and rolling thunder added to the beauty of the Mass. We sang without any accompaniment. It became another Mass that has stuck in my memory.
While not an experience of thunder and lightning, I remember a Mass when a bird kept flying in front of the stained glass. While it wasn’t a dove, I couldn’t help but think of the Holy Spirit as the shadows glided back and forth across the windows above the altar. Another time I was attending an outside Mass being held in a parishioner’s yard. As the Mass was being celebrated, a couple rabbits hopped over and sat nibbling at the grass behind the altar, almost as if they were there for the Mass also. Little things such as these stick in my mind, perhaps they happen for a purpose!
Sitting in the car after Mass, the rain still pounding on its roof, I sat and just listened. Soon my car was the only one left in the lot. It didn’t bother me; I was in a happy place.
I always find going Mass comforting, a visit with my Maker, our Creator. There is friendship at Church; there is family along with spiritual fulfillment. Every so often, nature adds to it, making it an even better experience!
