" I implore you, my child; observe heaven and earth, consider all that is in them, and acknowledge that God made them out of nothing (ex nihilo), and that mankind comes into being in the same way..." 2 Maccabees 7:28

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Rites

From the adoration chapel I could hear the music from the Syro Malabar rite mass happening in the church. The language sounded so foreign to my ears; not just foreign words but even the individual sounds and the cadence that made up the words were totally different than our language. I just listened, an unseen and uncomprehending spectator and let thought slip away as it did me no good. Then I picked out one word from the music- Hosanna.

Over and over, Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna.

That's what's so mysterious about the mass- we don't have to understand to participate.