Please let this be the last one then

The concession stands were open until right before Mass. Then they reopened during communion. I figure the stadium staff didn’t know any better and thought it was something akin to the 7th inning stretch. And why they shouldn’t they? To non-Catholic, nothing seemed prayerful about the Mass. With the “Benedetto” chants erupting after his homily, and a failed attempt to begin a wave, the music, the disposition of the assembly…. Why wouldn’t they think “Oh, they’re taking a break, let’s sell some burgers.”

I went to Downsview. The night before we had been kept awake all night by the brilliant planning that had a rock and roll "Christian" music festival start at one am. Then the Big Storm (and no one thought that was a sign from on high?) and then the sun came out. Well, so exhausted was I and so glad not to be wet and lying in a puddle that I curled up on a damp cardboard box in the sun and fell asleep. I woke to G. shaking me by the ankle saying "he's talking! wake up he's talking!" so I heard the homily (none of which I remember) but missed the Canuckistani dancing girls.

Then we got to go home on the subway, and boy, wasn't that a treat. Just imagine it: it had been 90 or a hundred degrees the day before when everyone had walked the nine miles or so to the site; everyone had slept in a field, been caught in the biggest storm of the year and then back to 90 degrees. Then pack them, all 800,000 of them, onto a subway commuter train.

Yep. All you need to know about big outdoor rock concerts Papal Masses.