The sulfurous air of a struck match wafted through the nave of the Cathedral. It was pungent enough for even Tallulah to notice despite the fact that she was buried in some coloring. On one hand it might have signaled the use of incense on this first day of advent. On the other, it might have signaled the presence of Beelzebub. There are plenty of folks who think the latter has been in residence in our sanctuary for some time.
In reality it was probably an eager acolyte making damn sure all the candles were going. Whatever the reason for the scent, it got my focused in a way that I am not usually. For seven years my part in the Holy Liturgy has been wrangling of the child which, a role which does not lend itself to pious attention. It’s a little strange now to find myself with nothing to do in church except pay attention to the service.
Plus which there are times when it might be more convenient to not be paying attention. Such as today, when all that apocalyptic shit starts coming out of the Gospels. Someone had obviously forgotten to clue the lectionary fairies into the message that Christmas is about adorable children and getting stuff, not reality transforming events that are over before we know it and yet have an unalterable effect on the world. The former makes for great cards while the latter has high potential to be a bummer.
Especially if I miss it, which is the one thing I fear the most, that somehow it will happen and I’ll be in the bathroom. The particular Gospel reading for the day was of absolutely no help in this department as it seemed to emphasize the fact that it could happen at any time. That’s enough to keep an already anxious person from ever wanting to drop a deuce again.
But of course, the very notion of it happening at any time is a temporal constraint. Looked at from the other side of eternity, it’s happening all the time. Like, right now. Oh, and it just happened again. Did you not see it? Maybe you weren’t looking. That, in fact, is the point of the whole reading. Pay attention not some much because I might miss it if it happens but because I am missing it all the time. It’s all around us.