Four drops.

It was only four drops of holy water that touched me during the asperges on holy Saturday night, the night before Easter Sunday.

The venue was St. Mary's in College Station, Texas and the vigil was heartfelt and beautiful. It was the same with vigils I have been to through the years. The bare tabernacle, the solemnity, the readings, the procession, the renewal of vows... The favorite part for me, apart from the choir's glorious alleluia, apart from the soothing fragrance of burning incense, was the service of light, when all the lights are out and the church is dark for a while, before a new lamp is lit and blessed, and we all hold up white candles, lit and burning, taken from the paschal light. It is always a majestic sight.

On Sunday mornings before mass begins, the priests stay humbly by the church entrance, with huge smiles and outstretched hands, welcoming people in. After mass they return to their positions, waving goodbyes. But it was really surprising that holy Saturday night, that only two small bowls of water was sanctified and such was used to serve a church that large. It was vigil, many more people came, so seats were filled, and what, only two bowls? And my fair share was four drops, two tiny drops on my left arm and two larger drops on my chin. This was during the liturgy of baptism and we had renewed our promises. The choir was singing a hymn while the priest walked calmly down the aisle, bowl in one hand and an aspergillum in the other, sprinkling gingerly.

I had to blink twice. Was that an aspergillum? I was used to the generous flow of holy water, water being splashed across an excited and receiving congregation from large bowls and wide mouthed buckets. Water raining from palm fronds and drums. I was used to getting drenched in vigils, using shower caps beneath black scarves to preserve the weaves, going home shuddering from cold.

Maybe we just like to do things like this, in an assertive and theatrical manner, that it rolls right into church rites.  We are an interesting people. Four drops can never be enough back home, no. We would want more. People would go back for more. We always want more because of the depth of lack. Food is never enough, water too. So anything we can have in excess, we grab in excess. Maybe if we understood that the water is holy, and a drop would do just what a drum would do or that the sick amongst the brethren do not need the cold bathing, or that using an aspergillum would do for evenly distributed drops and graces, then we would be content and faithful, even if we get one drop or two.


p.s. Our help is in the name of the lord..