May 31, 2023 It was strikingly beautiful. On Tuesday, I drove to Lake Placid to photograph the annual Jubilee Mass. As I waited with the jubilarians and attending priests of the diocese for Mass to begin, I was a little worried about how the space constraints would hinder my movement when taking photos. Mass was being celebrated in a room that’s much smaller than the chapel at Wadhams Hall, the location where I last photographed this same event. But that smaller space, that thing that was concerning me, also contributed to the striking beauty. When the music minister started playing, I readied my camera. A few seconds later, it hit me. It was sound of the priests of our diocese singing together. Because it was such a small space, it was a more unified sound, and it felt bigger than that same singing did last year at Wadhams. The sound was enveloping. It was strikingly beautiful. It was striking enough that I lowered my camera for a few seconds. In that moment, I couldn’t focus on lining up a photo. I was busy appreciating the beauty. Reflecting on the experience on my drive home from Lake Placid, “strikingly beautiful” was a good overall theme. I found the setting and our Adirondack Park to be strikingly beautiful. I found the strength and sound of the priests of our diocese in song to be strikingly beautiful. I found the fellowship and friendship I witnessed among them to be strikingly beautiful. I found the thought of having served Christ and his Church for 60, 50 or 40 years, as our jubilarians have, to be strikingly beautiful. I found and I find the gift all our priests have given us, the gift of their lives, service and the sacraments, to be strikingly beautiful. Congratulations and thank you to our jubilarians. Your love of Christ and willingness to share him with us is strikingly beautiful. |
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