Midnight Mass

St Marys Cathedral Sydney





3WW - crisp exquisite magnificent

a beautiful balmy
sydney evening
and for once not hot

a feeling of anticipation abounds
excitement throbs
in the packed candle lit cathedral

masses of flowers
christmas trees and the fragrance of incense
wafts through the naves

the choir leads the procession
in crisp white surplices and red cassocks

followed by the deacons swinging thuribles
then the priests the bishops
and  the cardinal

in gold vestments and mitres
they take their positions at the altar

the choir performs the
exquisite gloria by charpentier
to an entranced congregation

one bishop is so old and frail
he dozes off and almost falls off his chair
when hymns ring out to
the glory of God

a sacristy bell rings
a hush falls over the thousands
as the host is raised

and a 2000 year old ritual
still moves people to tears
which you cannot believe
you are witnessing

as they cross themselves
joining  their hands together
in prayer

when the celebration ends
everyone sings adeste fideles
as the old hunched bishops
shuffle up the aisles

at venite adoremus
the magnificent choir
breaks out into descant

the organ
all stops out - tutti
vibrates through the city
as we sing in one voice
powering to the heavens

we all file past to shake hands
and exchange greetings  with
the bishops and the cardinal

i got severe cramp in my toe
from standing for one and a half  hours
in the wrong shoes

a bishop graciously took my hand
whilst i tried unsuccesfully to stifle my moans
of pain intermingled with nervous laughter
escorting me all the way down the cathedral steps

as the chinese tourists snapped away furiously