A wedding

Went to a wedding last week. Groom was Chinese, I think the bride wasn't. Yes, it was the groom's family that invited us. He asked to be tutored and baptized a Catholic months before the wedding. Impressive considering that the priest had offered him the option of having a non-denominational wedding. Tutor was a parishoner of the church.

We knew the officiating priest. In fact it was because of me that he was the one requested to officiate and that the wedding was held in his parish. Weeks back I told him of my fear the last time I attended the groom's sister's wedding that we might not reach the altar in time to be given communion. You see, that time, we sat on the side and to get to the middle aisle for the communion line, we had to go to the back of the church to fall in line and going to the back meant leaving through the side entrance, moving out along the driveway to the front door. Long story, right? And the communion line was soooooooooooo short. So we virtually had to run, sprint or whatever the apt word is. And we almost didn't make it.

Last Sunday, after the lector announced that people could fall in line for communion, no one seemed inclined. This time we were seated on the side like last year but the distance between the bench and the pew was wide enough for us to go through. We had sat in the same place last year but there was a table for the offertory that blocked easy access to the center aisle. This time the table was so positioned that we could get through.

Before we were able to move, I saw our priest friend walk toward the side of the altar, about to approach us. But I motioned to him that we'd just go to the center aisle. So he proceeded there and this time, the line was even shorter. My husband said later that the priest was ready -- he had but a few hosts in the chalice and they weren't consumed.

So again the question cropped up. Why do non-Catholic Chinese want to get married in church? The people invited seem so disinterested about the ceremony and it becomes so devoid of meaning. I want to make a few guesses but it might be insulting to them. And I have a lot of Chinese friends. Still, isn't there a Chinese wedding ceremony that could be as grand but more meaningful to them and their guests?

After the ceremony, we talked about the matter with the parish priest. He made the same observations about the listlessness of the crowd. He said he's almost sure that next time, he'll just perform the wedding rites without a mass if a suddenly Catholic Chinese decides to marry in his church. Wonder if he'll be able to pull through with this.

We missed the reception as husband's foot became painful. At first he thought it was arthritis. But then it occurred to him it might have been a sprain.

Days later, the mother of the groom called to ask why we missed the reception. Had she known why, she said, she'd have arranged to have me picked up.

I'm sure the food then would have been great, a Chinese lauriat. Oh well, till the next Chinese wedding, er reception.