When you're sleep-deprived, any dream will do
What do Pope Benedict XVI and Andrew Lloyd Webber have in common? Not much, I'd imagine. But they did both play a role in a very busy, very sleep-deprived weekend for all of us — Sarah in particular. It started in the early hours of Saturday morning, when Sarah and I attended part of a 12-hour Adoration held at our parish in thanksgiving for the Holy Father's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, which liberalizes the use of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Sarah and I participated in the Adoration from 2:00 a.m. until about 3:30 a.m. She was amazingly good: we were in church for 45 minutes before she asked me "how much longer?" Even after that, she was very quiet and patient. I think she stayed awake the whole time. Afterward, we stopped at Denny's for an early pancake breakfast, which she found very exciting.
Unfortunately, back at home, Alex woke up, noticed Sarah was gone, and woke up Lisa. Lisa started to worry because we were later getting home than she expected (we hadn't planned the breakfast stop). It never occurred to me that our delay would be noticed. I felt pretty bad about worrying Lisa like that.
After spending Saturday recovering from lack of sleep, we were in pretty good shape again by Sunday. Following our normal Sunday routine of breakfast at home, Holy Mass in Oakland, and visiting with friends in the church hall, we came back home for a quick dinner. After dinner, we took the kids to see our friend Father Mark perform in the Woodminster Theater production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. We all had a wonderful time, but none of us got to bed much before midnight on Sunday.
Poor Sarah was a basket case Monday morning from lack of sleep. Live and learn. Happily, the kids got to bed early tonight. With any luck, tomorrow will be more or less back to normal.
Update: Over the weekend, while we were celebrating our 12-hour Eucharistic Adoration at St. Margaret Mary, Msgr. Michael Schmitz, Vicar General of the Institute of Christ the King, led a 40 Hours Devotion at the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago. The Institute has posted photos of the Devotion on the Shrine's website.