Decoration Withdrawal Syndrome

OK, so it's probably not a disease I can sue anyone for, but I can still consider myself a victim, can't I?

For the ten years of my Priesthood, I've always been assigned to parishes that had side altars to Our Lady.  So for the feast days, I enjoyed decorating these altars.  But now I'm in a place that neither has side altars, nor seems to have flowers in the church.  Since I've only been here for about six weeks, I promised myself I'd sit back and not do anything, waiting to see whether the parish buys flowers, or whether parishioners bring flowers themselves.

Last night and this morning I got my answer.  Neither happens, and I've got the shakes because I want to run to the store and get some flowers.  Of course, the shakes could be the 4-shot espresso iced coffee I'm chugging.

I miss simple piety.  One of my friends is pastor of a parish in Maryland.  Over the past few days, leading up to today, his parishioners bring flowers from their gardens (and probably more than a few supermarkets' flower departments).  They take a personal ownership in decorating Our Lady for her feast day.  Of course, I've also seen other places in which the attitude is, "What a shame no one decorated that statue.  Of course, I'm much too busy to do such a thing, but someone in the parish should do it."

I always liked decorating the altars.  For someone who'll never have biological children, I always felt it was something akin to what parents do when they put presents under a Christmas tree, and then wait to see their childrens' expressions of surprise when they see it all in front of them.  Some flowers here, a few candles there, the occasional reliquary, and -boom- Catholic joy!

Who knows?  Our Lady's birthday is coming up.  Maybe then.