Well, it wasn’t a mass but it was something I didn’t want to miss. And despite my little sore throat (I think I’m better now--thank you, Tylenol Cold), we knew I couldn’t sit still for long. On the first Friday of the month (and every Friday during Lent), Notre-Dame presents the Relics of the Passion at 3:00 PM. These relics include a piece of the Cross of Christ discovered in Jerusalem by Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine; a nail of the Passion; and a portion of the Crown of Thorns. The Crown kept in Notre-Dame is a band of woven rushes, about 8 ½ inches in diameter, into which long and harsh thorns had been stuck. Over the centuries, the thorns and portions of the crown have been scattered to as many as 13 places around Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.A procession of 15-20 priests and holy people marched the relics down the central aisle to the altar proceeded by the priest swinging the incense (forgive my lack of knowledge about the ceremony). I had secured an aisle seat and could have touched the relics as they passed by. Thus, I could’ve gotten a terrific picture but after taking the one of the priests marching towards me, an usher asked me to stop (despite the flashes from other cameras all around me—at least I had the decency to turn off the flash).
Following a short prayer service, each row was allowed to file up to the altar in an orderly fashion. In fact, they stationed some of the priests next to my row (a break in the chairs) to be sure that no one bolted ahead of those of us patiently waiting in the center rows. I was in the last row of a section of about 25 and it was taking a long time….I couldn’t see what was happening at the altar but I begin to think they were handing out communion. Oh no, since I’m Methodist …. well, I don’t believe I’m supposed to take communion in a Catholic church. However, I’ve done it twice in the Vatican and I believe that God loves even Methodists and forgives us for breaking this rule. So I decided to march up there when it was my turn and deal with any thunderbolts if they struck.
As it turned out, there was no communion; each priest took turns holding the crown on a red velvet pillow for a certain length of time. It was encased in a glass container decorated with three turquoise seals surrounded by gold. Worshippers bowed before the crown and then kissed it; priests on both sides of the crown-holder alternately
wiped the germs off the case after each kiss; other priests handed out clean cloths after a certain amount of kisses were wiped away.
As it turned out, there was no communion; each priest took turns holding the crown on a red velvet pillow for a certain length of time. It was encased in a glass container decorated with three turquoise seals surrounded by gold. Worshippers bowed before the crown and then kissed it; priests on both sides of the crown-holder alternately
wiped the germs off the case after each kiss; other priests handed out clean cloths after a certain amount of kisses were wiped away. It was finally my turn—I bowed, leaned to kiss the crown, and MISSED!!! But it was just as well—why give my cold to someone else and/or take the chance of getting something worse. I just pretended that that’s what I planned to do all along and turned and walked back down the aisle. I am such a dork sometimes… When I walked back around up a side aisle to observe some of the others, I noticed one young man step forward, look at it, and turn to the side to return to his seat. So I guess I didn’t need to pretend that I was something that I’m not. Again, God loves and forgives all dorks…
