The Priest Flecked a Spranch at me!!

Easter Monday, I attended service at St. Joseph's Basillica (100 Ave-113 St).

I chose to attend a Catholic Mass because Darren and I have been discussing the "pomp and pageantry" of religious ritual. The sermon, I must say, the priest droned on, reading directly from the Gospel of Luke. It was orchestrated with the choir, that lead the worshippers to sing periodically. All in all, it was a very comfortable experience. In contrast to a Christian church, the sermon was much simpler and did not require us to follow attentively, allowing us intead to enter into our own contemplation. The interaction between people (besides the obligatory handshake, "god bless you," and "peace be with you") was minimal, if not zilch. So it was a very private and relaxing experience. I imagine it to be similar to attending a piano or orchestral concert.

I was early to arrive, and excitedly, I sat at the front pew, next to the middle aisle. As part of the ceremony, the priest walked along the aisle with a bowl of water and an evergreen spranch (in between sprig and branch). He dipped the plant into the water bowl and with a flick of the wrist, flecked "holy water" at us. He was coming towards me, holding up the spranch, and fervently, I wanted to be the first to receive "holy water." But in a split second I winced, and my eager look of anticipation contorted into a look of utter horror, as if the raised spranch had suddenly turned into a holy cross casting demons from my soul, i writhed. The priest must have noticed for he looked quite puzzled, and did not snap his wrist as hard as to have water droplets fleck off the spranch. Needless to say, I did not receive.