Tonight Richard Bonomo and I went to the Holy Thursday Mass in Spanish at Our Lady of Perpetual Sobriety. There were a few other Anglos scattered throughout the congregation, and I heard many people speaking English when they first came into the church, but somehow I still felt as if I stuck out. Maybe it's because I'm so pale that I practically glow in the dark as much as that cheap plastic rosary I got free at World Youth Day. Rich said maybe people would think it was the glow of sanctity, but I felt more like it was the gaudy neon lights of Vegas above my head, announcing: "Not Hispanic! Not Hispanic!" It's hard to blend in most places when you are so pale; maybe I could hide in Sweden...? But I'm too short - they would still know I wasn't One of Them.
However, once Mass began, I stopped feeling like Not One of Them and just felt like a member of the Universal Church. (After all, that's what "catholic" means.) The music was basically a bunch of people singing karaoke, but the Mexican priest is the best! Not only did he help clean the church last weekend (see my post from last Saturday), but during the Washing of Feet he washed the feet of a bunch of married men... and then had them wash their wives' feet to show that, as the head of the family, the man must serve his wife. People always say women got gypped by St. Paul when he said they had to obey their husbands, but did they miss the next part? Men have to love their wives the way Christ loved the Church, and we all know what He was willing to do for her! (Hint: if you don't know, go to church tomorrow. I'm guessing they'll mention it.) So there you go - obedience kind of doesn't seem like such a bad deal compared to ultimate self-sacrifice. We women just have to humor men's silly wishes, but we don't have to die for them.
Right now Rich is trying to figure out if Holy Thursday is a solemnity, I suppose so he can justify eating chocolate. We always called it "Maundy Thursday" when I was a kid, but maybe that's an Episcopalian thing, since I've never heard Catholics call it that. The Lutherans sometimes do. (Sorry, Lutherans - I wasn't dissing you, I just couldn't make it to a 7:30 service when our Mass began at 8:00.) So Rich says that since there was a Gloria today, it was a solemnity, so he is making some real hot cocoa. (Not that instant powder stuff.) Jueves Santo - that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!
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