The weekly evening Mass schedule settles into a satisfactory routine. Mondays offer Holy Rosary in Little Italy. There is a gentleman I was convinced I knew intimately. I introduced myself Monday, inquiring regarding my conviction I knew the man. After a few explorations, the mentioning of a changed schedule and St Paul Shrine, a lightbulb turned on. Of course, I knew the man from St Paul Shrine. He informed me he read during Mass every Tuesday. I knew his face instantly after hearing the fact. Tuesdays, Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine presents Mass and Adoration with the Sisters of the Holy Trinity. Yesterday, a pleasant surprise presented itself when the Man of Prayer made an appearance. Friday, the Man of Prayer is confident he will be able to join me in prayer with the Benedictines of St Andrew’s Abbey. Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine enjoys a young priest celebrating Mass, a vibrant articulate teacher at the Borromeo Seminary, a true scholar. Not to be extravagant, yet to be honest, during the Eucharistic celebration, from out of nowhere, I felt overwhelmed to tell the significant other that this one would be a bishop. Thy Will be done. Continuing the admiration of young priest, Wednesday’s Mass, Adoration, and confession at St Anne’s affords another. This one intrigues, bringing forth prayers along with the admiration. During confession, he delighted with a penance request of reciting and thinking about the words of the ancient prayer known throughout the centuries as the ‘Te Deum’. He wanted me to think about the prayer’s importance as a death march for numerous martyrs. The prayer was traditionally chanted by persecuted saints during their execution. The prayer brought to mind the procession scene from Ingmar Bergman’s ‘The Seventh Seal’. I am not sure it is the holiest rendition of the ‘Te Deum’, yet it dramatically marked me as a young man—thoughts of death, the black plague, violence, self-inflicted torture, hopelessness, and toil parading before beloved characters. A final thought on the yong priest from St Anne. He concluded my confession powerfully by placing his hand on my head during absolution. Wonderful and poignant. The final day of my weekly evening schedule of worship is Adoration on Thursdays at St Mary of Collinwood, a quaint Slovenian parish remarkably supported and nurtured within the harsh inner-city of Cleveland’s eastside. The large ceiling fresco painting above the sanctuary of the Queen of Heaven soothes lovingly during adoration, quiet prayer, and a Rosary.
Te Deum (English translation)
We praise Thee, O God: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship Thee and the Father everlasting.
To Thee all Angels:
to Thee the heavens and all the Powers therein.
To Thee the Cherubim and Seraphim cry with unceasing voice:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Hosts.
The heavens and the earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory.
Thee the glorious choir of the Apostles.
Thee the admirable company of the Prophets.
Thee the white-robed army of Martyrs praise.
Thee the Holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge.
The Father of infinite Majesty.
Thine adorable, true and only Son
Also the Holy Ghost the Paraclete.
Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
Thou having taken upon Thee to deliver man
didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
Thou having overcome the sting of death
didst open to believers the kingdom of heaven.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God
in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants:
whom Thou has redeemed with Thy precious Blood.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in glory everlasting.
Lord, save Thy people:
and bless Thine inheritance.
Govern them and lift them up forever.
Day by day we bless Thee.
And we praise Thy name forever:
and world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day to keep us without sin.
Have mercy on us, O Lord: have mercy on us.
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us:
as we have hoped in Thee.
O Lord, in Thee have I hoped:
let me never be confounded.
