4
THIS ROUND IS NOW CLOSED TO NEW PROMPTS.
ROUND FIVE WILL OPEN ON THURSDAY THE 24TH.
ROUND FOUR
closing at 5000 comments
Please read the [rules] before commenting!
ASK-A-MOD
PSA 1: Please remember to correctly format subject lines. Prompts with subject lines that are not formatted properly will be deleted! Also, please AVOID ERASING SUBJECT LINES ( Read more... )
While Thor listened to the music, a small group of middle-aged and elderly men and one elderly woman walked up the aisle from the front holding out baskets attached to poles into the pews. People dropped dollar bills and envelopes into the baskets.
Such an act in this place confused Thor. "They allow begging in here?"
"It's not begging," Steve whispered. "It's the collection basket. Churches collect money and send it to charities and people who need it."
"Oh."
Steve pulled a five-dollar bill out of his pocket. "Want to give a try?"
"Of course." Thor took the five-dollar bill and waited until the basket reached their own. He waved the bill and the old woman stuck the basket into the pew. He tossed it in, and the twins each threw in a dollar bill.
"Best part!" Gabriel whispered.
When the collection baskets had reached the back of the church, another man carried the biggest basket with all of the money down the aisle while his two daughters held a cask of wine and a large plate of wheat wafers.
"This is the 'presentation of the gifts,'" Steve told Thor quickly.
"Wine is a fine gift, but Jesus and his Father deserve much better than wheat wafers," Thor said.
"Sssshhh!!!" the tone-deaf old woman hissed behind him.
Steve glanced back nervously. "We're not giving Jesus gifts. The bread and wine are his gifts to us. And the wafers are called hosts."
When they reached the altar's steps, the man set the basket at the Cardinal's feet while the two girls gave the wine and wafers to the priests, who took everything up to the altar. Then everyone had to stand up once again while the Cardinal recited another prayer, this time over the bread and wine, and then the congregation sang about holiness. When that song ceased, they all knelt down on the pews' kneelers in front of their seats. Thor opened his hymnal again and found that this prayer was much longer than any of the previous ones, but this was "Eucharist Prayer Form II" which was the shortest of the four possible forms (he secretly thanked Odin for that). Thor could not fathom why this ceremony had so many particulars about sitting and kneeling and standing, but he decided it would be best to go along with it, so he knelt forward reverently, unlike the twins, who kept leaning back on the edge of the bench. As Thor read through the prayer, he noticed that it talked about turning bread into 'the body' and wine into 'the blood.' Did the prayer mean this Jesus's body and blood?
Reply
"No!" Steve whispered. "It's called transubstantiation. We believe that the bread and wine turn into Jesus' body and blood. We eat it at Communion because he sacrificed it for our sakes. We believe it really changes, but no one magicks it into actual flesh and blood---it tastes the same as before. It's blessed now."
"Oh. That's much less barbaric."
When they reached the end of this prayer, they stood up and Thor noticed that a lot of people around them began to hold hands. Gabriel smiled up at Thor and offered him his hand. Thor grasped his little hand and grabbed Steve's large one. Steve raised his eyebrows, but Thor just shrugged. As they all held hands, they recited the words, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..."
Thor might have said, "All-Father." Force of habit.
As they all let go and the Cardinal said a few additional words, Steve said, "We're about to shake hands with everyone around us. You say, 'Peace be with you.' That's all."
Thor turned to Gabriel. "Peace be with you, Gabriel."
"Peace!" Gabriel shook Thor hand excitedly.
The other twin pushed Gabriel's hand out of the way and grabbed Thor's hand. "I'm Michael! Peace!"
Thor chuckled. "Peace be with you, Michael."
Then the twins shook hands with each other and Thor greeted everyone else around him, saving Steve for last.
"Peace be with you, Steve," he said, giving the Captain a great big hug.
"And peace be with you, Thor." Steve patted him on the back.
Reply
"Thor, you can't take Communion." Steve sounded impossibly worried as he filed in behind Thor.
"Whyever not?" Thor glanced back and saw Steve's blue eyes darting nervously around the church, from the ceiling to the windows to the other churchgoers.
"Because you're not Catholic."
"Nonsense, my friend. I only want to know its taste." Thor grinned and continued shuffling toward the front as the line in front of him got shorter. He noticed that when someone received a host, they murmured "Amen," that special word everyone had repeated at least a dozen times already. He also observed that the twins received no hosts, but only pats on the heads from the Cardinal. After they ran along at their mother's heels, Thor stepped up and held out his hands, right over left.
"The Body of Christ," the Cardinal said.
"Amen, Cardinal." Thor smiled up at him and the Cardinal nodded. Thor put the host in his mouth and found that it tasted...flat. No flesh. No meatiness. Just wheat with all the flavor removed. Not unpleasant, though. Next, Thor moved towards the priest holding the wine chalice when a hand yanked on the his jacket collar.
"No, you don't! They need some for the rest of the congregation!" Steve moved his hand to Thor's wrist and pulled him back to the pew.
Once they reached the pew, Steve returned to kneeling, so Thor did the same. He folded his hands as Steve did, but he was not sure what to do next. So he asked Steve.
"Try to pray, if you can. You can pray about anything," Steve told him, refusing to open his eyes.
So Thor tried. Nameless God, it is my greatest pleasure to make your acquaintance, he thought as hard as he could. You must be quite a persuasive being to draw such a massive following. You should acquaint yourself with Odin, All-Father. Such a partnership would be most fruitful for both of you. After introductory remarks, Thor was not sure what he should say to this God. But the words of the Cardinal's homily echoed in his mind. Nameless God, if the All-Father cannot make Loki see the grievous error of his ways, perhaps you can. Some would deem it impossible, but I cannot believe it to be so. And if it is impossible, then I must place this request with a being who trafficks in such extremes. Thank you for your time.
Reply
As the congregation flooded towards the main aisle, people crowded around Thor and Steve.
"Captain America! I LOVE YOU!" "Captain! Over here, Captain!" "What happened to you, Captain America? Is that iceberg story true?"
Thor looked over and saw Steve begin to blush and hunch his shoulders as the hands and faces closed in on them and bodies blocked the pew's two exits. Then people began shouting at Thor, too.
"Superman! Blond Superman! Are you single?" "Where's your hammer?" "You should get a haircut! You'd be much more handsome with short hair!"
"HEY!" Gabriel and Michael shouted, stand up on the pew-bench and spreading their arms out in front of Thor. "Leave Super-Jesus ALONE!!!"
"Seriously! You people are in a church, you know!" Mary Claire added, pushing some of the hands away.
"Come on, we'll help you get out," their mother said. She place Mary Claire's hand on her shoulder, the twins followed suit, and so did Thor and Steve. The woman pushed through the sea of bodies and Thor supposed they looked like line-dancers in the middle of a mosh pit at a nightclub Tony once took him to. He ignored the cries and spontaneous touches and focused on Gabriel's little shoulder in front of him and Steve's hand clutching his own shoulder tightly. They had only moved about seven feet when the Cardinal's voice filled the basilica again.
"Brothers and sisters, if our Savior entered into our midst today, would you mob him like he was a Beatle? Treat these two men with the repect you'd show him." The Cardinal gazed steadily at the congregation for a few moments, and then turned around to greet people who were actually trying to leave. The crowd receded slowly and they made their way to back, still clutching each other's shoulders.
Once they reached the back (Thor supposed it was a lobby), Gabriel's mother turned around, looking apologetic. "I'm so sorry about that. I've never seen anyone do that in the house of God before. I'm Elizabeth, by the way. I think you've already met my kids."
"It is very good to meet you, Elizabeth. I am Thor Odinson. This is Steve Rogers." Thor gestured to the Captain.
"Oh, I know who he is." She smiled coyly. Steve blushed again.
"We should invite Super-Jesus and the Captain over for dinner!" Gabriel suggested. Michael nodded rapidly.
"Now, boys, I'm sure they have much better things to do." Elizabeth ruffled Gabriel's red hair. "We'll see you around." She shuffled them away through the crowd, and Gabriel, Michael, and Mary Claire waved.
"See ya, Super-Jesus!" Gabriel called out before the vanished from view.
"Goodbye, Gabriel!"
Reply
"Cardinal! You wished to speak to me, I believe?" Thor asked once the previous people had gone.
"Yes! I'm a big fan of yours, big guy!" the Cardinal said, gripping Thor's hand with both of his own. "Timothy Cardinal Dolan. I'm honored to meet your."
"The pleasure it all mine, Cardinal Dolan. I am Thor Odinson, Crown Prince of Asgard."
"Thor, like the Norse god of thunder?"
Thor beamed. "The very same."
"Well then." The Cardinal paused. "I think my superiors in Rome would prefer if I say I respectfully admire your work."
"And I yours. Your teachings are most admirable and your God is an interesting being."
"Glad to hear it, Thor. You know, we have a great R.C.I.A. program if you're considering joining the church."
Thor thought for a moment. "It is a tempting offer, but I would not want to incur Odin All-Father's wrath again."
"I understand completely. You're welcome back any time. And consider that Communion wafer on the house." The Cardinal shook his hand again.
"Cardinal, you made mention of my brother in your 'homily.' Could he ever achieve forgiveness?"
"He would have to be willing to accept others' forgiveness."
Thor glanced down. "I want to forgive him, though his actions were heinous."
"Then forgive him. You know, the Lord teaches us that that is one of the best ways to free ourselves from pain caused by those who hurt us."
"I believe your God is right." Thor smiled less brightly this time. Then Steve strode up beside him.
"Cardinal, this was a wonderful service," Steve said. "And thank you for your help back there with the mob."
"No problem at all. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Captain." The Cardinal clasped Steve's hand as he had Thor's. "You know, when I considered joining the priesthood, I had my doubts. But then I told myself that if Captain America could give himself wholly to the service of our country, I could do the same for our Lord."
"Wow." Steve's eyes grew as wide as they had right before Mass began. "That's...that's wonderful. Unfortunately, they need us back at S.H.I.E.L.D. But this has been great."
"We hope to come back!" Thor added.
"Please do, boys! Any time!" The Cardinal waved as Steve and Thor made their way down the Cathedral's graded steps.
*
"That was a fantastic experience, Steve," Thor said on the subway ride back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. "I can see why you would seek out such a place."
"It's a pretty peaceful place to think," Steve agreed. "When they're not mobbing you, obviously."
Thor slung his arm around Steve. "Just think of it as their way of welcoming you back into the fold."
"Maybe."
"And I apologize for my blunders during Mass."
Steve shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I didn't realize how much I'd have to explain when we got there."
"Oh, I believe I understand," Thor assured him. "Your God is not so unlike the All-Father. But I must admit, his son is much better behaved."
Steve chuckled. "Yeah, he is."
*
Notes:
St. Patrick's Cathedral Wiki Page and Official Website
One of Cardinal Dolan's homilies (sermons).
"Timothy Cardinal Dolan" is not a typo. A Cardinal's official title goes in between his first and last names (for reasons I have not yet discovered).
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
I don't know if that makes sense, but reading this kind of gave me another insight on how to approach going to Mass and appreciating it as an outsider. Maybe if I'd had Steve and Thor with me all of those years to keep me interested, I would have enjoyed it more XD
Thank you for this wonderful fic, you wrote it wonderfully.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Like series, you took such care with the story and tried to answer the questions on how steve would answer them, and the adding in the Cardinal... love i!
Reply
Leave a comment