Joyfully Nice

It wasn’t necessary to make a reservation today. Whoever got into one of the every other pews was able to stay. If the church was full, extra space could be found in the commons. If people arrived too late, they wouldn’t be guaranteed a spot. Luckily, my husband, our daughter and her family, and I made it in time and found space inside the church.

The sunny and warm day made it possible for people to dress in their Sunday best. Many wore a mask. Singing was allowed, where once it wasn’t. Today it felt right to be able to sing loudly with the blessing of family by my side. Even though our voices were muffled, the tunes reverberated through the church to sound as they had before the pandemic arrived. There were newer tunes mixed with the old. The older ones I hummed as a child until I learned the words. The newer songs are joyfully nice, but the traditional ones are engrained and bring me to the many Easters I’ve been able to observe. It was good to be able to celebrate Easter mass in a familiar way – a way that felt like coming home again.

Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to
strength and beauty and happiness. ~Floyd W. Tomkins