I've started and stopped posts a few times over the course of this month, but never have gone back to finish them. (It turns out I may never write a blog post at home again, I guess. I keep waiting for inspiration to strike in the evening hours, but... nothing. So Lent has meant a full abstinence from blogging, which wasn't the intent -- the intent was to use my work-time more productively.) But it's Monday morning and I never want to just gear up and get to work on Monday. I prefer to eeeeeeease myself into it with some online news reading, some Facebooking, and today, a little blog posting.
Yesterday I hiked up Kennesaw Mountain. All the way to the top, and all by myself. It was a pretty day, and I dropped AJ off at his First Communion workshop at church, and found myself with 2 hours to kill. The mountain is right around the corner so off I went. I had worn good shoes on purpose. The park was FULL of hikers and walkers and picnickers, and it was the perfect day. I am so glad I did it, even though my glutes wanted to kill me, and will probably want to kill me even more by tomorrow! I do love a good walk in the woods, though. It was a long workout AND a mental treat.
This week my manager is out of town, and since I'm the only other team member, I'm hoping things will be relatively quiet at work. (Ha, ha. Doubt it.) And then next week is AJ's Spring Break, for which I have Wed, Th, and Friday off. Hooray!
Of course, a chorister never has Holy Week off, and I'm not really looking forward to all of those committments. I've never made the DH or kids attend any Holy Week services, but I'm thinking this year they should all go to Holy Thursday Mass. They won't like that. I get so much pushback about going to Mass and especially when it's a non-Sunday event. I suppose that's normal for kids. I wish it were more fun for them. Speaking of fun at Mass, at AJ's workshop yesterday, the kids got to taste the bread and wine. You should have seen their faces! Haha! Most of them winced about the wine, but later AJ told me it was the bread that tasted the worst. Like paper, he said, and asked 20 minutes later if he could have some water to wash the taste out of his mouth. "You'll get used to it," I said.
When I was a new communicant (i.e., a kid), I remember I liked to go to different parishes and see what their bread tasted like. ;) I remember when we moved from Texas to Florida, it was a whole new kind of hosts and took a long time to get used to. I hope First Communion will be special for AJ but I'm not trying to push a lot of theology on him. I think part of the reason it works to have 1st Communion at this age, is that it's just simple. They don't need to understand everything about it yet, they just need to be open to it. It's hard to resist telling him all the things I think he should know, and I have let myself babble a few times when we've worked on the at-home lessons, about how it's a gift, and how Jesus wants to be with us, and how we all share in the meal together... and then I try to shut myself up.
It's sweet and somewhat satisfying to watch a child's faith take root in the traditional order, same as it was when I was young. It is also a comfort to send them to Catholic school (or CCD, I imagine, would feel equally comforting), because you know they're getting the catechesis that isn't so easy to just bring up at home in everyday conversation.
3 comments:
Unless you feel like the catechesis is woefully inadequate. :( I have to go with Caleb to his sacrament classes, which is a good requirement, as it exposes parents to things they may have forgotten or never learned. However, I feel like I am still adding to what is being taught. It is just not that great. And the weekly regular faith formation is even worse. I'm helping teach Pre-K and Kinder and I know we have to keep it simple, but that doesn't mean we can't at least start introducing some things to these kids. It just seems like a lot of it is not Catholic specific, which is a little frustrating. We don't usually go to Holy Week Masses either. I should take my big kids to Holy Thursday--I like the washing of the feet. But it feels like so much struggle with the little ones that it is not worth it, yet. Bah.
Your hike sounds wonderful.
Randomly: I used to LOVE the home-baked Communion bread. My mom used to bake it for weekend masses, and she'd always make extra so that we wouldn't bug her to eat the "real" loaves. Now of course there is only the wafer-style bread, but I do miss that yummy brown bread.
When I was Lutheran I loved the individual little cups that they had - with white, non-alcoholic grape juice in the center for people who couldn't do alcohol. I always thought that little addition was so kind and inclusive.
I love hearing all your thoughts on this stuff, and I can't wait until my girl is working on her First Communion prep. She's already jealous that she can't go/asking questions about it.
i grew up completely outside the church, but i do remember vividly an aunt taking me up for communion during mass once while i was staying with her during the summer. i first felt like i was being super-naughty - would they KNOW i wasn't really supposed to be up there?? - and secondly remember how super-gross and papery the wafer was :)
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