First Holy Communion, 2010

I could wait a week until I have enough energy and … oh gosh, what’s the right word for the ability to choose just the right thing to say, like when your brain is not all chemo-muddled???  Or I can share with you some photos from First Holy Communion this morning.

Have I ever told you how much I love my Sunday School class?  27 students this year, and all with beautiful faith and such eagerness to learn.  There were 23 second graders from the school, too.

It went pretty well, mostly.  One boy from my class decided near the beginning of the homily that he didn’t want to make his First Communion after all.  The school’s second grade teacher started to take him out to the back of church, but I rescued him and we went to get a little sip of water and make his tie not quite so tight on his neck.  It’s amazing how fast that made things better, and then when we snuck back into the church, I sat him happily right next to his friend, Mrs. Asinger, and all went fine.

And then there was one of those other moms… while communion was still being distributed all the way through until Father sat down right before the final blessing, this lady stood in front of the first pew on the girls side… right in front of the pulpit, her back to the altar, and took photos of her daughter.  It was a challenge to keep Sister Judy from getting up and having a word with her ….

This was the first First Communion since the church was renovated.  It worked SO WELL to have the children kneeling at the communion rail – three boys and three girls at a time…    Everything was just a little bit slower and more peaceful, and we didn’t have to worry about the lines and the timing and the piling up, KWIM?

So it was good.  But gosh, was I ever tired by the time it was over. 

It was worth it, but I think I might be tired for days from this adventure.  One of my friends pointed out to me right after Mass that I was tired before this morning because of everything, and I’d be tired after anyway…. with friends like that, what can you say???  Thank goodness the Mathis family had George for the day – I was able to come home and take a LONG nap. 

But before I whine too much about my troubles, I need to think – often – about the mamas who can do even less than I can, and the mamas who have even more to worry about than I do…. especially the ones who manage their troubles with more grace than I have   .  The three First Communicants in the picture right above are triplets, and they have been so much fun to have in my class this year.  They ALWAYS have their Mass worksheets and their folders, ALWAYS get to class on time and ALWAYS have good attitudes.  I’m not kidding.  And their mom has ALS.  They like telling the class about all her new technology whenever she gets equipment.  She talks using voice software that she controls with a little light on her glasses.  She even orders her family’s groceries on the internet using her communication technology.  Pretty nifty.  But when I think about how much I struggle with letting people help us out – rides to soccer for the boys, meals, even letting Danielle take George! – and when I feel like there’s so much extra burden on my husband and older children because I spend so much time on the sofa, I try to use those thoughts to remind me to say an extra prayer for the mamas who really can’t take care of their families at all.   It must be so very hard for them sometimes….

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