Possible Mortal Sin

On Ash Wednesday, we attended the 5:00 p.m. Mass at San Francisco El Grande Church, which is about five blocks from where we live. The church, like always, was packed. The celebrant, a Franciscan priest, whom we had not seen before, looked familiar. He was tall, thin, at least 90 years old, with thin white hair. It was a shock to us, but he could have been Al Kirberg's double. They say that everyone has a double somewhere in the world. I remember a meeting I attended in Northeast Texas where a woman swore that she had seen me the previous summer in Nauvoo, Illinois. At that time, I didn't know where Nauvoo was and I certainly had never been there.

The following Sunday, we attended the 10:00 a.m. Mass, also at San Francisco El Grande Church. Although we were relatively early, the side of the church where we had been sitting was filled. We decided to sit in a grouping of pews behind the choir. By the way, as soon as my voice returns (laryngitis), we intend to ask if we can sing with the choir. It ought to be fun, since they just sing as loud as possible with a clavinova, string bass and marimba or recorder, and it should amuse them.

Back to the behavior that could possibly be a mortal sin. The celebrant that Sunday was the same elderly Franciscan priest we had seen on Ash Wednesday. Here's the sin. As he was preparing to give his homily, I turned off the flash on my camera and took his picture discretely. I may still go to hell, but it will be worth it, since I can now post the picture of Al Kirberg's double in La Antigua, Guatemala. (Note: don't forget to click on the picture twice to enlarge it.)