Yesterday my granddaughter and her classmates made their first communion. They all looked so serious. The girls wore white dresses with veils and the boys wore blue suits. The Gospel for Mass was the story of the Good Shepherd. During his homily the priest asked the children to describe what a shepherd was and to tell him what a shepherd looked like. Chloe raised her hand and pointed me out to the priest. He smiled and most of the church laughed. The children did all the readings and Chloe read a prayer in front of the whole church. It was a proud moment for parents, grandparents, and all in attendance. As I sat in the church I looked at Chloe and felt great love for her. I also looked at the priest and thought about my youngest son. Soon he will be the guy giving such talks and presiding at such events. After the mass my other son beamed with pride as he took pictures of Chloe and family members. I am attaching one of the pictures. Family life can be a struggle. Raising children is hard work. However, when we celebrate rites of passage, whether they be first communions, graduations, or marriages, it makes being a family a joyous occasion.
After eating some first communion cake at my son’s home, I got roped into helping him carry a king-sized mattress up a flight of stairs. I thought I was going to die. It was like pushing a whale that had no skeleton up the stairs. We did it and I had no heart attack so he owes me one. My pain probably won’t kick in until tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment