Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Mass in the Chapel

Each weekday we have mass, the Serra students and the seminarians together. Tien is proclaiming the first reading. He did it with a conviction and we all were pleased, especially Fr. Luong.
Michael was assigned the Responsorial Psalm which included him reading a verse from a psalm and all of us responding. When we are to respond, he holds up his arm.
Fr. Luong has been our celebrant for most of the masses. Here he prays with us for God's blessing. Note the beautiful sculpture in the background, the Last Supper. We are constantly moved by both the natural and man-made beauty in Viet Nam.
This is a longer view of the altar. The floor is granite and the walls are cement. Because of the humidity, concrete is the building material of choice. It lasts a long time and bugs cannot hurt it.
When we are in the pews, it is tradition to take off one's shoes and rest our bare feet either on the floor, when kneeling, or  on the kneeler when sitting. Sometimes it is more important to be practical than liturgical.