The Lord's Screw-up

At my parish it is okay to be fallible even when you are an altar server, like me.  Tonight I came home from church sticky and reeking of wine.  One of our deacons had been preaching a challenging homily (short sermon) and I was the head server. I try not to get too engrossed in the liturgy and homily because I still need to think ahead, keep track of where we are and what's next in the Mass and be alert to the needs of the clergy and possible changes in how things are going to go.  But tonight his homily was really getting me thinking and I forgot where we were so when we stood up to say the creed after the homily I thought it was time to help the deacon get the altar ready for the Eucharist.  When I picked up the tray of cups of wine, I heard them start saying the creed and realized my mistake.  I end up knocking over some of the cups as I tried to set the tray back on the table, spilling wine over the tray, myself and the floor.  Fortunately this all occurred behind a wall and with the help of some kind people, we muddled through it and managed to complete the Mass.

Now I wouldn't have been surprised if they had asked me to turn in my robe and kicked me off the altar serving team.  Instead the priest blessed us as usual and thanked us for serving at the end of the Mass.  The deacon laughed when I explained what had happened, thanked me for the indirect complement about his homily and said not to worry about it.  And some people from the parish stopped by the sacristy afterwards to console me with stories of other Mass catastrophes.

Altar serving hasn't come naturally to me.  I feel privileged to serve at the Lord's table but I don't feel worthy of the trust.  I've been doing it for a year and a half because a deacon's wife asked me to and I said I would.  Most of the servers are young children or teens but they need a few of us adults to help out.  It seemed like I would do something out of sync almost every Mass at first.  Most of the kids seem to take to it like fish to water and could probably do it in their sleep.  Things had finally smoothed out lately and I seemed to have it down and then this disaster happened.

But that has been my experience with Catholics, they seem to know we are earthen vessels made of clay, frail and broken, and so they make allowances for that while encouraging us to walk with Jesus and strive for the holiness without which no man will see God, to seek the wholeness that God is providing through His Son. (Hebrews 12:14)

Goodnight.