It's 5pm and the sun fades behind the stained glass....

A few months ago our Parish began a Sunday 5pm Jazz Mass. It was a slow start. Not a lot of people, few musicians, difficulty getting used to having music you don't sing to. But now it's packed. There's at least a trombone and tenor sax and piano, if not more instrumentation. There's a team of greeters with name tags you can read. This week there were so many people, Fr. M. had to go back into the Tabernacle and get more hosts!

It's a beautifully mellow mass. Lots of candles, dimmed lights. The music is jazzy, but soothing. Today there was a little Gershwin at communion. There's a whole other level of reverence. It's easier to still your mind and open your heart. The prayers of the faithful are done communal style. Anyone can offer up a prayer. There is so much pain and loss and Faith and grace out there. It makes me realize what a blessing my life is.

And this time of year (as well as in the fall), 5pm is when the sun is beginning to set outside, lending a special light to the stained glass windows which is off-set by the darkness inside the church. The space, the light, the quiet, the calm...I only wish I didn't have to wait for Sundays at 5pm to experience it.