I always forget what a beautiful service Christmas Eve midnight Mass service is. I've been to several in the past by Holy Trinity Church, which I've been attending the last few months. Holy Trinity is more traditional and they went all out with the incense, the candles, the processions. It was so lovely. They dimmed the church before the service started and turned the lights up to signal the birth of Jesus and the return of Light into the world.
I felt such a strong presence of God at that service, a powerful flow of peace and love. It was as if God's grace flooded the world in that instant.
My mother came with me to keep me company and I often wondered during the service how odd all this must be for her, who is a Presbyterian. The incense, the chanting, the carrying of the infant Jesus statue. I often wondered what she was thinking and if it was all too strange for her. I know before I converted I felt as though I was in unknown territory myself whenever I entered a Catholic church. I hope she enjoyed it and felt some of the wonderful grace I felt in that moment.
On another note, I loved and found so touching the custom of after Christmas Eve Mass rocking the cradle with the infant Jesus in it. How sweet to imagine rocking the baby Jesus to sleep! I'm always so amazed and humbled still that at the time of His birth when we should be bringing Him gifts, He always gives us so many gifts of grace and love. Indeed what gift can we give worthy of Him but our heart?
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