Matthew Monday: Matthew Becomes an Altar Server

Before I get to Matthew as an altar boy, I want to tell this really cute story.  As the whole world knows at this point the Catholic Church selected a new pope on this past Thursday, May 8^th.  Matthew, who is in a Catholic High School, was having a retreat day on the 8^th by coincidence.  It was planned a long time ago.  So they were in the middle of prayer when the white smoke was announced to the world.  He texted me.

Matthew: They picked a new pope.

Me: I’m headed back to the office so I can watch,

Matthew: It came on the announcements while we were praying the benediction. 

Me: Wow, your prayers must have made the difference.

Matthew: I know.

 

LOL, this will be very memorable for Matthew.  And an American pope.  His word, “historical!”

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So it’s been a few weeks now, but Matthew decided to become an altar boy at our parish.  Matthew had never told me about this desire.  I walked into the sacristy—the room where the priest prepares before Mass—to sign in that I was lector that Sunday, and inside were our pastor, Fr. Eugene and another boy a year older than Matthew named Tyler.  Matthew and Tyler had played little league baseball together one summer, and so knew each other.  Tyler was in the sacristy with the pastor because Tyler is on fire for the faith and intends to be a priest someday.  He’s been following along Fr. Eugene. 

Tyler asked Matthew, why don’t you become an altar boy?  I expected Matthew to give some excuse, but without hesitation Matthew says, sure.  I was a little stunned actually.  So Fr. Eugene had him speak to Fr. Anthony for instruction, and the next week he was serving Mass with three other altar boys. 

I took a couple of videos.  They are not necessarily from the same Mass.

This may have been his first day altar serving.

 

Matthew is holding the candle, closer to the camera.  Tyler is behind him in front of Fr. Eugene.

 

Here he is on the left holding a lit candle on Holy Thursday Mass.

 

 

Finally, a friend of the family took this on on Holy Thursday Mass.

 

The clanging sound is some wooden instrument in lieu of bells.  I think we substitute wood during the Passion events.  It may be related to adoration of the wood of the cross.

Congratulations Matthew.  He’s becoming quite a holy young man.

 

Edit:  The wooden clappers in the last video are indeed for Holy Week.  They are called crotalus and you can read about their use here.  The key paragraph in that article is the following:

 

As a substitute for bells, the tradition of the wooden clapper (or crotalus) developed over the centuries. There are a few different versions. This is a time-honored custom of the Latin Church to express sadness in substitute of the typical joyous harmony expressed by the sound of bells. The crotalus is brought out every year on Holy Thursday after the Gloria. The first part of the Mass is joyful, as usual. When the Gloria is intoned, the organ sounds and the bells are rung - and suddenly they cease, remaining silent until the Gloria of the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.

 

So now I will know!  And you readers as well.