Pranks, in a different setting

Have you ever been at wedding and the Best Man or the Maid of Honor was giving a speech at the dinner and as soon as the second word was out of their mouth, you knew this was going to be long? Or, how about a funeral wherein Father does the Prayer after Communion and all of a sudden he looks like he's choking on a bone because he realizes that Uncle Joe has gone up to the podium and is - whether Father objects or not - bound and determined to deliver a Eulogy for Grandma Jane.

One of the pleasures of second semester in Theology III is that we finally have Liturgical Presidency I. As a part of the class, every Friday at 8:00 AM we practice some rite, whether it be a Baptism, a Funeral, the Easter Vigil, the various rites of the RCIA. Yesterday it was my turn to practice a Funeral Mass fulfilling the role of the Priest.

Now, sure, fine. I was the one who started it all. It was a minor point in that I was asked by my classmate (who was practicing as deacon in this rite) to kneel down and pray. Knowing that there were other options, I turned to the "Deacon" and asked, "Huh? Do I have to kneel?!" He looked at me, thought for a second and responded with some ire, "You may simply bow your head if you would like." Yesterday, as I was the priest in the Funeral, we got to the Prayer after Communion and I was chanting happily along the mournful prayer when suddenly I noticed in the corner of my eye what I wished I could disbelieve. I looked and sure enough. There he was. The seminarian who was playing the role of the grandson was walking right up to the ambo without my asking.

As I finished chanting the prayer, I looked over to the Deacon and he only waved me off implying, "Ah, settle down." What could I do? Run over to the "grandson" and tell him to sit down before he began speaking? That would not look good. So what was I to do? Nothing, except fold my hands in prayer and put on a smile for as long as this unexpected Eulogy was to draw on. Thankfully, it only lasted about 45 seconds, but as I looked out to my classmates, I saw a number of them smiling and giggling devilishly. At this point, I knew they had put our unsuspecting Pre-Theology brother up to getting even with me. Ah, seminarian humor. I wouldn't have it any other way.