With the Help of Thy Grace

Headed to early Easter Mass which meant I was going alone. The dog's ride around the neighborhood put me a little behind and I walked into the Mass a little before eight.

The place was jam packed.

A sold-out show doesn't normally happen at the early Mass, but it was standing room only. And I'm still not great standing for a full hour, but I went for it.

During the service I had a chance to look around at the gathering. A screaming baby over there. An elderly couple right in front of me.

I could almost pick out the once a year attendees because they were more dressed up than us seasoned veterans. The priest was talking to them too, trying to get them back in the fold a bit.

And I kept looking, and thinking.

In that gathering there were people suffering with all sorts of problems.

Sickness.

Grieving death.

Money problems.

Fighting with their spouses.

Everyone praying for one thing or another.

Just before the start of communion I kicked into an Act of Contrition prayer.

It's one of the automatic prayers that I've been saying for 44 years or so. Yet this time I got caught on a line:

With the help of thy grace.

And I thought:

That's a great line.

And it was what all of the members of that packed house were gunning for.

A little help of Thy Grace.

I shook hands with the group in front of me at the sign of peace and what I thought of was what I truly enjoy about the church-going experience.

I like the community feel of it all.

Here's hoping that all those who arrived at church for their twice a year service find a bit of that grace and feel that sense of community.