When Liturgists Dream

I don’t usually like to share personal dreams beyond a small circle of family and friends. I think content reveals too much. But this one was just too funny.

I had dozed during parish confirmation and didn’t wake until the archbishop began confirming the teens. It wasn’t his voice, though–he was confirming silently with no announcement of the confirmation names over his mic. Then I noticed I was wearing a white T-shirt, pajama trousers, and had bare feet. I slept through the Liturgy of the Word, so I determined not to go to Communion. I would just stay in the choir area. Then I noticed four or five open caskets in the aisles. I remembered one staff colleague asking if the archbishop could confirm a recently deceased candidate. I knew–or thought I knew–the archbishop would decline, so I explained briefly the Church doesn’t confer sacraments on dead people. So I was mystified that dead teens had been exhumed and they were indeed being anointed, silently.

After waking, I reflected that it can be difficult to maintain good humor when things go wrong at liturgy, when well-made plans unravel. But there was actually a light feeling in my heart when I got up off the pillow. At least I was wearing clothes in the dream.