My penitential mass - week 3 of Advent. Is it Christmas yet?

The penitential services have begun island wide.  I picked out 17 Dec Monday at Novena church.  At 5pm, I  was tempted to go home.  Re-looking at the schedule of churches and dates, none worked better than 17 Dec at Novena.  Sigh.  Drag feet there.

It was raining yet traffic was remarkably smooth, a sign from the heavens.  I was there early, plenty of time for evening mass at 6:30pm.  I made mistake no. 1 - I browsed the bookstore.  Stepped into the church at 6:20pm - saw a queue for confessions.  Idea!  I can skip penitential service altogether and be done early enough to even skip mass.  God heard that thought.  Precisely at my turn, it was over. Drats and double drats.  If only I didn't waste time browsing the bookstore!

No choice, sat down through mass.  Then I made mistake no. 2 of the night - threw my stupid umbrella back into car before walking to dinner at Novena Square.  Triple drats myself as I walked in a heavy drizzle all the way back to church, just in time for penitential service as it begins.

Mistake no. 3 - I chirpily asked a warden where's the best place to sit.  She sternly replied, "inside the church - please follow our instructions".   Fine, be like that.

The presiding priest ask that we all stay after our individual confessions so that we can end the service together as one church. Right - of cos.  We were quickly directed to different sections for our confessions and I jumped up to queue at the foyer.  "It will be quicker", I whispered conspiratorially to the lady beside me as I brushed past her.  In return, she shot me a 'chao kiasu' look.

I had prepared a scribbled list and read it to the priest.  He heard me out, looked at me and asked me to "do something different between now and Christmas".  He repeated it then pressed "Do you understand?"  I nodded.  Actually I didn't.  Why can't he give me a normal penance of 10 Hail Mary or Our Father prayers?

"Do something different" - what does that mean?  The same unfriendly warden approached and asked me if I was done.  I nodded but kept walking... out of church... to the car.. drive....home.  So much for waiting and ending as one church.