Wednesday at Seven O'Clock

Once upon a time, in a city far, far away a young man walked on the sidewalks avoiding pedestrians, bicycles, people with paper cups asking for money, people with plastic clipboards asking for signatures and donations. His mind drifted to the Eucharist, to the wine and the hosts. Other things flashed in his mind momentarily. Goodness, however, dominated this journey.

It was an animated, quick walk. Was he chasing someone or being chased by someone? Such silly thoughts went through his mind. One moment he was imaging a full orchestral fanfare and the next a delicate operatic aria.

He had decided to sponsor someone in the RCIA.

This was a moment of faith mingled with eternal hope and fleeting anxiety. He knew that he had made the right decision. His faith had exerted itself, wrestled control from inactivity and made him send an innocent email volunteering to help. Once he learned that there was a need, he could not refuse.

And so he walked into the windowless conference room confidently. There were familiar faces sitting on the chairs arranged in the shape of an oval. He patiently waited for the meeting to begin.

After attendance was taken, there was a brief overview of the RCIA program and the upcoming ritual. He listened eagerly. He remembered his time as a catechumen, remembered his sponsor.

He remembered a long ago snowy, January night, waiting with other catechumens and candidates on the steps of the Cathedral for the center doors to be opened, to be welcomed into the Church. It was a beautiful, enchanted, romantic moment of prayers and faith. He remembered being surprised during the ritual but he also remembered being at peace and sensing all types of goodness. It was a woodwind and strings time for him. His senses were beginning to perceive and acceptance the presence of unconditional goodness, unconditional love around him. He was encountering God as an adult. It was a time, gentle and compassionate. He could not hide and that was good.

These memories and others rumbled through his mind that night as the group of sponsors briefly rehearsed in the Cathedral that night as the organist practiced.