triduum.

HOLY THURSDAY
One of my favorite liturgies, hanging right up there with Midnight Mass and Holy Saturday. The music, the Latin, power of it all- bringing the Eucharist to a different altar with a solemn procession, washing of feet, etc. At St. Peter, Frs Tom, John and Eduardo along with a lady representing the parish office and pastoral council washed the feet of the congregation-- anyone who wanted. I love singing the Gloria for the first time since Ash Wednesday and hearing the bells ring, knowing they won't be rung until Easter Vigil. Chills. I miss participating in Newman choir, especially singing this Gloria with the likes of the Phi Kaps and the lovely ladies of Newman while Terri gets goose bumps and gives us thumbs up while directing. Simply awesome. Don't get me wrong, Ms. Jane does a great job with the choir at St. Peter, it's just quite the same.

GOOD FRIDAY
As a little girl, I remember going to church every Friday after eating our fish sticks or tuna  helper to go to Stations of the Cross. Through the years, I started serving- holding the cross as Father went from station to station. Then I played the organ for Benediction. Then we started to get so busy that we weren't able to go more than a few times and then going to college, I had work pretty regularly. I wanted to go to Good Friday service, but the one at St. Pete's was at noon... and I have class at 1, a class that I actually like and didn't really want to miss. I looked up the Diocese of Memphis website and found that the cathedral is about a mile from school and the were having stations at noon and then their service at 7. SWEET. Their cathedral is modest in size, probably about half  of St. Cecilia's with a similar looking sanctuary and almost as beautiful. Around the archway framing the sanctuary it reads: "Come to me all you who are labored and burdened and I will refresh you." Perfect. It is very ornate and lovely. Stations were really good to- singing during the transition from one station to the next. I saw a first year and the director of the Clinic there too.

I went again at 7 to the Cathedral. Their choir... ROCKED. A capella. 4 parts. The priests were really good too. Veneration of the cross was really neat, there was a lot of reverence. When I was driving in, I saw a little bus that had Missionaries of Charity written on the side of it. When I went inside, I met the first year that was there earlier and sat down with her, behind the Missionaries of Charity religious sisters-- in full habit like Blessed Mother Teresa. They were sitting sprinkled through women who looked like they were under-privileged.  When I got home, I googled. It turns out that the MOC have been here for 16+ years and mission to women and children needing help. They actually do not live too far from downtown/the island. It was inspiring and powerful to see them.

And now it's HOLY SATURDAY. I love the liturgy, but, now I'm not sure which church I want to go to!