Stories From The Cold: Paraliturgy

This is the Diocese of Arlington's inclement weather policy:

All baptized Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. However, there are particular circumstances or conditions that may excuse a Catholic from this obligation. If there is severe weather conditions that make attending Mass dangerous to your safety or that of others, you are excused from the obligation.

Some people in the area made it to Mass, others of us live at the bottom of a hill in a no-clout neighborhood. It didn't matter that the main roads were as clean as a whistle - we couldn't get there from here. Blynken remarked, "This is the first time we've never gone to Mass -- ever."

The Diocese goes on to say:

If you are unable to attend Mass, the Church recommends making a spiritual Communion and spending some time in prayer.

So, that is what we did. Yay, Internet.

Wynken read the first reading from his new Bible, Blynken did the Psalm, Nod-girl insisted she was big enough to read the second reading (and did surprisingly well for a first grader), and dear old Dad read the Gospel.

The toddlers ran around like it was circus time. Oh, well, you can't win 'em all.

We even got a nice video homily from the Inter-tubes, and then we talked about the readings, and I checked their understanding. Then we listened to the readings again online. Not a bad para-liturgy.

Then Grandpa Nod called to say that the Caps just won their 14th game in a row. I told him about our para-liturgy and he said over there they were praying to St. Capitals and Holy Ovechkin. He was kidding.

I think.