Spring Gala

Last night I attended the first annual Spring Gala and Silent Auction at the Dominican House of Study. I went with friends from the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle. I wore a simple blue blazer and khakis and carried my camera. I imagined eating all types of wonderful foods and drinking gallons of beer and wine. How I wanted to appear rotund and jolly and waiting for Rembrandt to paint my portrait and hang it in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam! How childish my initial thoughts were.


My journey to the Dominican House of Study began with simple conversation about my life, was briefly punctuated by stories of aggressive driving and speed cameras, and finally ended with a brief discussion about creating a homily with prayer and reflection being important ingredients.


This brief discussion became the leitmotif of the evening. Almost everything was viewed in another way, a different way. Each new person presented the opportunity for prayer. Each new conversation presented the opportunity for silence, for reflection. There was a pleasant musicality to the evening, there was a gentle repetition to the evening. Although each moment was deliciously fugacious, and I was aware that I must not look back with any yearning, I must look forward with hope, look heavenward with mercy.


And familiar faces greeted me and I responded kindly. Forgotten faces greeted me and I responded warmly. Unknown faces greeted me and I responded gently. This was an evening of goodness, holiness, and kindness. After a few minutes more faces were familiar, many connections were dusted off. A few names mischievously remained hidden from my memory.


This was not an evening about remembering names. This was an evening to say thank you, an evening to remember how someone touched your life, an evening of prayers for those present, for those absent, for all those in our hearts and minds.


As I nibbled on this and that my mind kept playing with my delicate, jumbled ideas of Thomism which I knew were somehow connected to St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican priest in the Catholic Church.


In search of food and ideas I wandered around the hallways, enjoying turtle soup, bleu cheese, fluffy pastries while wondering how would I describe this evening, wondering how I could help the Dominican House of Studies, how I could encourage others to help.


Our thoughts are often beautiful and energetic impulses splattering on the blank canvas of our minds. Our thoughts are brief flashes of energy. It is this fugacious quality which keeps me human, reminds me to remember to pray for others. Each human being is always in need of prayer, seeing strangers and familiar faces, hearing snippets of conversations, half remembrances, half anecdotes; watching handshakes, hugs, half smiles even in happy faces there is something which quietly asks for prayer. Briefly my mind thinks about praying for someone and just as quickly it is forgotten.


But this Gala reminded me of the need for prayer, the need to move closer to God, the need to show mercy and compassion to everyone that I might encounter. The minutes advanced gently and I realized the real reason why I decided to attend this Gala. I wanted to join in the praying of Compline, The Night Prayer of the Church.


I wanted to hear different voices singing hymns, reciting psalms, praying antiphons in unison. I wanted to see the chapel filled with people, faithful, hopeful, loving, loyal. I wanted to hear myself say and sing the words in the Compline.


While waiting for everyone to enter the chapel, my mind replayed different parts of this day. How wonderful it was to talk about creating a homily, how wonderful it was to wait for Night Prayer to begin. How wonderful it was to have shared this moment, this evening, these prayers!