O-Day Plus Ten

It has been ten days since my ordination.  Things are different, yet the same.  The Sunday following Ordination Saturday, I assisted at the celebration of Mass at the parish I am assigned to in Beverly, MA.  The Monsignor and I had to quickly go over the parts of the Liturgy that the Deacon has a role in.  Needless to say, I forgot some parts and needed a little nudge.  The biggest challenge I find is being present to the moment in the Liturgy; and not letting my mind race ahead to what I have to do next, or what to say.

Come Monday, (O-Day + 2), I got up, barely made it to my bus, and went to work.  Everything was the same, the same monotony, the same worries, and the same strains that one experiences in daily life.  The beauty, the inspiration, the power one experiences at an ordination, now seems like a dream, a very brief moment in time. 

Now I am still working with the Monsignor to discern what my role in the parish will be, he has the first draft of the “contract” to look over.  I still have to get in touch with the Director of the Archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, to discern what my role will be there. 

Last Sunday, after assisting at Mass, I went with one of my brothers to visit my mother at her nursing home.  Now at the Ordination, I forgot about offering a blessing to people who came to me to offer their congratulations.  So at the nursing home, I gave my mother my first blessing as a deacon.  It was a small thing, but also a powerful moment!