Humility and Strep

This week is arguably one of the busiest week of my year.  And no matter how well I prepare, Holy Week always catches me by surprise.  It's not so much the preparation of music as all the little liturgical details I have to remember from year to year.  I have been likening it to the Second Coming: you can prepare all you want, but you will still be surprised.

At Christmas, mass is mass.  During Holy Week, every liturgy is different and the fine details that separate each liturgy cannot be glossed over or left to take care of themselves.  Often, I find myself taking on all the little extra details because it's easier than teaching someone else to do it.  So, although I have three able English cantors and two able Spanish cantors, I rely on my own voice for all the little things like the introits, the responsorial psalms, the litanies and the communion antiphons.

This year, in a flash of brilliance, I split up the 7 responsorial psalms for Easter Vigil between the 5 cantors I have available.  (Smart!)  But didn't teach anyone any of the other chants that have to be done.  Instead, I decided to save time and reduce pressure on the other cantors by doing them myself. (Dumb!)

Since I have such a hard time delegating tasks, I think God decided that he would do it for me.  Yesterday afternoon, I discovered I was having trouble swallowing and my throat was sore.  My husband called the doctor immediately, because he had strep last week.  Yep.  I have strep.  My throat is swollen and, even worse, I am having trouble breathing (a death sentence for my voice).  I have been praying for humility.  Thank you, Lord, for hearing and answering my prayers.

Now, I have to figure out how to teach 5 panicked people how to do a piece of what I do every Holy Week.