Better than Coincidence

Last Saturday, after my tiring but exciting day at ECHO (learning how to draw blood), I decided to go into Manhattan to do some shopping. Even the rain did not discourage me, and it soon stopped. I took it as a good sign. Before I left Einstein, I looked up churches near the area where I was going (Empire State Building area). There were two very close together, so I picked which one to go to based on the ease of finding Mass times online. I arrived around 5:00, perfect for the 5:15 Mass at St. Francis of Assisi. In I went.

Yet another church nestled between tall, shiny buildings. It's the kind of surprise that always makes me smile.

It's the best Mass I've been to so far in New York, I have to say. It felt like home. I'm not just saying that because it had the same name as my home church, or even because it happened to be the feast of St. Francis of Assisi (seemingly two coincidences which are at least interesting, if not more). It was also the feeling of community. The realness of the people. The thick New York accent of the lector. The soulful music shared by the whole congregation. The radiating warmth of genuineness. I felt at home there, even though it was only my first time there. I would like to go back.

The building itself was beautiful as well.

Later, I was also treated to my first nighttime view of the Empire State Building. I had not realized that they lit the tower in different colors each night until I read an article about a recent controversy: The tower had been lit in red one night to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the communist revolution in China. Obviously, not everyone was pleased about this, so there were protests and disgruntled New Yorkers. Anyway, the article also said that the tower is usually lit in white, but that different colors are used especially for holidays or other special celebrations. On Saturday night, don't ask me why, it was blue. I took a picture of the tower glowing in the nighttime mist...

...and then I went home.