Come one come all

Anyone reading this in Athens (ahem) is invited to come with me some Saturday to Eucharistic Adoration. I usually go around seven, and stay for an hour. It's very quiet and peaceful, and no one talks to you; when the priest is finished setting up, he leaves. You don't "do" anything; you can read something appropriate, or of course, pray pray praaaaay! Or just sit there silently and think. It's just you and God; nobody bothers you. It's also a good time to go to Confession, since that's when the priest hears them; he hears them behind a screen in the little chapel in the back - from seven until everyone who wants to confess has been heard :)

I went to Confession Saturday night, right before we all went to Jodie's Excellent Mexican Restaurant Fake Birthday Adventure (from which my intestines are still recovering) and it was wonderful, as always. The priest at St. Paul's is the best confessor I have ever had. He's firm, but he's not one of the "scary" types - I don't think they actually exist - and he never yells. AND the advice is always good. AND there's that little bit about being reconciled to Christ, which is the whole point, after all!

Speaking of "nobody bothering you," that's one of the little things I like about the Church - if you want it, you can have at least some anonymity. Some Protestant congregations are very friendly, oh-potential-new-members!-Let's-get-to-know-you, and I guess that's good in some ways. (I guess a Protestant could claim that Catholics are "stand-offish!") But I don't know. When you're just looking around and trying to figure out if you're where you need to be, I think you would like not being bothered or pressured. I did, at least :)

The only time there's any talking is at the beginning, when we sing the opening exposition hymn, O Salutaris Hostia:

O salutaris Hostia,
Quae caeli pandis ostium
Bellapremunt hostilia,
Da robur fer auxilium.

Uni trinoque Domino
Sit sempiterna gloria:
Quivitam sine termino
Nobis donet in patria.

Amen.

We sing it in English:

O saving Victim, open wide
The gates of Heav'n, to us below
Our foes press on from ev'ry side
Your aid supply, Your strength, bestow.

To Your Great Name be endless praise
Immortal Godhead, One in Three;
O grant us endless length of days
In our true native land with Thee.