When you’re sitting in the choir loft, it’s a whole new way to experience Mass. When we walked in during the opening rites and saw a full house, it was either stand in the back or climb the stairs. As it turns out, I have never sat in the choir loft during a Mass before.
It’s much easier to sing along when you’re sitting in the choir loft, next to the organ and the cantor. It’s also very interesting to be able to see the entire congregation, if your attention so wanders to the fact that you’re above and behind everyone else. The lectors, if they are soft-spoken in the least, are nearly impossible to hear, so reading along in the missalette is a necessity.
I found myself reflecting a lot on the crucifix that hangs from the ceiling over the altar, since I was nearly eye-level with it. Being eye-level with a crucifix will turn your viewpoint around in a hurry. I was looking at someone who gave his life, innocent though he was, for all of humanity. I was eye-to-eye with our Savior, in all of his suffering and pain on the cross. Sitting there, I couldn’t help but reflect on the many ways in which I don’t live up to my Christianity. How many times have I been irritated – even if only in my mind or my heart – with someone who was rambling on or complaining over and over or just getting under my skin? How many times had I avoided the difficult work in order to take an easy path? And when had I not stopped to help the least among us?
Sitting there during Mass, I couldn’t help but pray for all of those who I feel put me on a cross sometimes. I was looking right at Jesus, hanging on the cross, and I thought that my very little problems were really only that – little.
