tonight, at vespers

Went to Vespers at the Oratory tonight for the first time in a while. As I was hurrying towards the church I found myself behind a woman who appeared to be from the area. She paused and snickered in front of the church, as if she couldn't believe it was still there. As she saw me entering she chuckled again and said to me: "You're never alone when you can talk to yourself, eh?" I said nothing and went in.

The service was beautiful and wonderful. I wish more churches would have a Vespers and benediction service.

Afterwards I ran into a few old friends and new acquaintances in the narthex. The gathering in there amounted to a convention of Toronto bloggers. There was Sheepcat, Vox Cantor, some fellows who comment frequently over at Friar Rick's and New Liturgical Movement, and unless I am much mistaken, I think I also saw James and Joseph from Toronto Catholic. There were about eight of us standing there, of whom five were converts. The conversation turned mainly on issues of the Church and such. These were good people, so I heard neither heresy nor even borderline heresy. While there, though, I wondered a few things: 1. Why would that place have so many bloggers? I know of no other church around here that has one, let alone several; and 2. why would so many converts become bloggers? Not just these fellows, but in other places as well, it seems that many of our most prominent bloggers, for better or worse, are converts. I wonder if the enthusiasm of the new, or the complacency of the old, that seems to tilt the scale somewhat in that direction.

At any rate, a lovely evening with some very nice people. I hope to be back again soon.