Another Auld Lang Syne

drawing by Lelia Ryan
based on High Altar window of St. Ignatius

We had a gift of some wonderful Omani frankincense from a parishioner who was over there recently and I made a Christmastide blend adding some myrrh and the rest of last year's blend. It was somehow a much purer essence than the Somali frankincense we have in stock but we will have to save it for the highest feasts since it is only a pound. I wish we could get a consistent supply of it for it truly is a much superior product, huge teardrops that release a heavenly scent when broken up and burned. Our thurifer for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve really made some wonderful smoke and only a handful of the 166 people who came did not stay for the whole service. I saw a group heading for the exit after the opening procession, and thought that the smoke must have been too much for them, but apparently they were there just for the carol service for some odd reason. It was great to have a nice crowd for once and the service went well in spite of not having quite enough servers, a few of us being ill (myself included but I managed to get through it as an acolyte). The MC doubled as crucifer (in the festive tunicle) and the Subdeacon rang the tower bell at the elevations from underneath the humeral veil. The next morning I had to get up early to be MC, and most of us came back and did it again for a much smaller crowd at 11am after not enough sleep. Then I went out to Forest Hills to celebrate with Laurie and the gang, which was fun even in my exhausted and sickly state.

Last night the choir gave a wonderful concert of three Christmas oratorios by Bach with a small orchestra that was just superb. The church was almost full and it was a good mix of parishioners, neighborhood people and music lovers. For once the church was warm enough for comfort after we had the whole heating system cleaned out and a new motor installed on one of the blowers a couple of weeks ago. That combined with all the cracks and crevices we sealed up on the north wall have made the place comfortably warm, and the Omani frankincense still lingering in the air and the aisle candlesticks glowing gave the place a very nice atmosphere. Perhaps some of our visitors will even come back for a service.

And so another calendar year draws to a close tonight. Let us pray that '09 is a good and joyous one in spite of all the uncertainty that abounds.

Don't look so sad,
It's not so bad you know.
It's just another night,
That's all it is, it's not the first,
It's not the worst you know,
We've come through all the rest,
We'll get through this.
- B. Manilow