All the World Is an Altar

I had a mini-revelation last night. I was talking about my time as an altar boy when I was in junior high and high school. I enjoyed serving mass. I liked the pomp and circumstance, the candles, the robes, the ritual. And I must have said on more than one occasion that I am clearly not a religious person. In fact, if anything, I'm anti-Catholic. But whenever I think of being an altar boy, I have good memories.

So then the mini-revelation comes along, and I equate the whole Catholic mass to the theatre. Yes, that may be blasphemy to some people, but whatever. (Come and get me, Oral Roberts.) I'm not here to debate theology. If you think about it, there are so many similarities: the altar/stage, the priest/actor, the robes/costumes and makeup, the mass itself/memorized lines and rehearsed steps, the congregation/audience.

And I was good at all of it. I knew the role of both sides of the altar. I knew my "lines" and I knew where to be when I needed to be there. I was there early to light the candles and prepare the "props." I stayed after mass to clean up. It was fun for me, so much fun that eventually I memorized the mass and could recite it with the priest, albeit under my breath...can you imagine that? And the other cute altar boys with whom I served... During the summer, I served the early morning weekday masses, and I loved riding my bike to church before anyone else was up and driving to work. I didn't like serving funerals, though.

And when I was in high school, I realized how much fun working with the drama department could be. I loved working the sets and the flies, and then when I got a few minor roles, I was too happy. So making the connection between the mass and the theatre, it's no wonder that I would enjoy it so much...in retrospect. You know?

I was silly enough to write this at 12:48 AM