Go To His Dwelling Place, Kneel Before His Footstool

The Catholic hermit still trembles with the rather small and hidden job of sacristan for one of the Cathedral Masses. One person seems to have noticed, a married woman whose affect does not display friendship. This can change. It is good for the nothing to be treated with disdain. Otherwise the blessing of the task of preparing the alter and placing out the vessels could become too sublime, matters too great!

The sacristan is to make sure those who signed up to assist, are in attendance. Last evening two extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion did not come. The nothing had to approach an older woman there, who is trained, and she agreed to take one spot. The nothing ended up having to take the other unfilled position. The married woman and her husband took the spots for which they had signed. The nothing ended up filling in, and was beside the woman. The woman (not the first time this has happened) did not offer the nothing the Precious Blood, although right beside one another.

Rather, the nothing had to wait until after the alter servers, standing farther away, were offered the Cup. So, although the nothing had turned to Christ's Blood, in the Cup being held by the woman, and had begun to bow, the woman turned, walked slightly away, and that was that. The nothing smiled inwardly, for the Lord was giving a beautiful gift in this, and walked over to stand behind the last alter server, and await trying again to receive the Lord's Blood.

While waiting, the nothing prayed for a true spirit of self-renunciation, of self-abnegation. Vainglory can creep in easily when the soul is given its heart's desire, such as being allowed to be a sacristan, unknown to others but such a treasure for this nothing. The married woman has noticed, for they came early and saw the nothing. Yes, it seemed right that the nothing was denied until the young alter servers had sipped of God!

Probably the most glorious aspect of the small job, is that of approaching God's dwelling place and kneeling before His footstool. (This is the part in which the sacristan takes the Tabernacle key from a hiding place, walks reverently to the Tabernacle, kneels in a genuflection, and places the key in what seems to be the very Sacred Heart of God. Then the key is to be turned and the door of God's Ineffable Holy Beingness opens a crack. The Breath of God bathes the nothing's soul with brushstrokes of love, and the nothing has begun to ask favors for souls, in that moment of tender grace.

Last evening it was for a man to get a job in order to provide for his family. Last week it was for the Lord to stop a letter from being published, if it be His will.

After Mass and after Adoration, the nothing Catholic hermit was beside itself with the love of God. Who could comprehend? Then thoughts of the married woman and the chill, brought the nothing to think it best to be willing to offer up the sacristan job. Approaching the Rector, the nothing Catholic hermit sacristan said that if ever this one did not do a good enough job or if another desired the job, the nothing had gone over in its mind that although it delighted much in the little job, it would be quite willing to relinquish it for the good of another.

The rector sort of smiled and said what a good job indeed was the [nothing Catholic hermit] doing. But then the nothing shared how the best part is that of going up to the Lord's dwelling place, and kneeling before His footstool, and turning the key to His Heart! The other smiled and sort of looked at the nothing who beamed inwardly with the joy of it all. Perhaps it seems silliness, although the Rector seemed to comprehend it is not silly. It is right out of Scripture.

Can one imagine what it would be to be a priest and approach the dwelling place of God and kneel before His footstool and not only turn the key to His Heart but remove His Real Presence to feed the flock for which these priests have lain down their lives? And then, after consecrating the unconsecrated, to return more Real Presence to God's dwelling place, to kneel before His footstool, and to secure the glory of the Lord for safekeeping until the next time a lamb needs to be fed or the flock sits down on the grass before the Lord and His current apostles? Can we fathom this?

No wonder a nothing quakes and trembles on Sunday evenings. That it should quake and tremble day and night at the reality, and at the very Word of God and the Word made flesh.