Missing Mass

I slept through Mass again this morning. On the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, of all days! (She's a special intercessor for me and for all those who go to school at the Mount. Her shrine is located two minutes down the road from us and she used to walk up to the Grotto, located above our campus, every Sunday for Mass. When I walk up to the Grotto, I walk in her very footsteps. Kind of cool, huh?)

I really miss having multiple Mass options at school. 7am, noon, 12:30pm, and 10pm for daily Mass. Means that I virtually never miss a daily Mass. But here at home I have fewer options. My parish has an 8:30am, and I think the next parish closest to me (about 20 minutes away) is 7:30am. Which means if I accidentally sleep in, I'm pretty much out of luck.

There is a noon Mass at a Dominican parish down in Portland that I go to every once in a while (that is, if I miss my parish's daily Mass multiple times a week). I love going there; it's so beautiful! My favorite thing about that church is that they have an altar rail... and they use it! Kneeling to receive our Lord... I can think of nothing more fitting.

Unfortunately the church is about 35 minutes away, by freeway. It uses a lot of gas to get there and I just don't have the income to do that everyday, or even multiple times a week.

Lesson of the story? Get to bed earlier and wake up in time for my parish's daily Mass. 8:30am isn't early. During the school year I'm up and at work by 8am.

But, at least I can still go and make my holy hour. God has blessed my little parish with perpetual adoration. And that's where I'm off to now!