We have become friends with Ewa (pronounced Eva) and Norbert who live below us. They asked if we would be interested in attending a Rorate Mass during Advent (the time leading up to Christmas). They did caution us that the service takes place before work and before sunrise.
A gift from our friends to light during the service; it will be a wonderful reminder of a special morning |
Even though they are new parents, Norbert was kind enough to meet us in front of our building at 5:25 AM with their car already warmed up. If you’re a parent you know that this involves sacrifice because it goes without saying that anyone with a baby in the house is sleep deprived – at least it was certainly the case in our home!
The temperatures have been below freezing for several days with snow, so we were all bundled up as we drove to the Dominican church. The ice “lily pads” were just beginning to form as we crossed the river.
Arriving well before six o’clock, we were part of a steady stream filling the sanctuary. Fortunately, Norbert knew that we would need to arrive early in order to avoid standing during the mass. The only electric light was one shining on the altar and the small red sanctuary lamp. The pews were filled with overflow folding chairs and people standing in the aisle. Everyone was holding a lit candle, most of them brought from home.
The votive mass with chants, songs, and readings in Polish and in Latin is to honor the Blessed Mother and takes place Monday through Saturday during Advent. The readings can be found here.
I was surprised and pleased to see so many young people in attendance. Norbert told me that this church has a student ministry. I’ll bet there were 600 people there – on a Monday morning, before 6 AM, in freezing temperatures. Most people attend daily rather than just once as we were.
One more thing that caught my attention as someone who has been involved behind the scenes in more than one church stateside, there was no offering taken at the Rorate mass.
Pozdrawiam,
Lois
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
madkasia
I used to love going to roraty mass!
Too bad they don't have it here in US. Although, even if they had it here, I wouldn't be able to go anyway – I start work at 6 :(.