I realized a while ago that I was coming up on a significant anniversary, but today it came to a new depth. Our deacon showed the Chrism oil to our Elect at our dry-run this afternoon. Just a whiff of that scent brought back a flash of memories of that day ten years ago when I uttered those fateful, and faithful, “I do”s. When Father poured water over my head (extra-liberally in my case, he would later tell me) “in the Name of the Father (douse), and of the Son (douse), and of the Holy Spirit (douse)”. I remember distinctly when he Confirmed me and the scent made me feel like I had been given an olfactory glimpse into the scent of Heaven itself. I remember wanting the scent to last forever and thinking like a kid who just touched a rock star, “I don’t ever want to wash that off”. And what a rock star indeed.
Ten years ago tonight (adjusted, of course, for whatever vagaries of the liturgical calendar are necessary) I made the longest, hardest, deepest, most transforming move in my life. And now tonight I get to watch as three people whom I have had the grace of helping in some small way these past months make that same move, and see the Body of Christ become that much more full. It is truly a blessed day.
