The Eucharist

Gemma did something at Mass this past weekend that she has never done before. We were at a different parish than our normal one (I don't think that had anything to do with it, but still...) and as we went up for Communion (Kolbe in sling, Gemma in front of me, no hubby with me) Gemma told father that she "wanted one" Eucharist. I tried to gently and quietly tell her she couldn't, I'd explain later, and to please come on. Well, she did that "go completely limp, fall on the floor and totally lose-it" thing. In the front of church, successfully bottle-necking the entire crowd behind us. So I tried to stand her up, hold her hand and get her to walk. And she did it again. Twice. Before we got back to our place in the pew. OH heavenly days. Mass with children is. an. adventure. So anyways, the rest of Mass was kind of a disaster (she really is very good at Mass most of the time) and we cut out a bit early just because I really didn't know what else to do. As we were getting our "blessings" (holy water) before leaving, the priest came up and gave me the nicest smile and talked to Gemma very kindly. It did my heart good, as he very easily could have given me directions to the the cry room (or the nearest other parish), yet he chose to be kind, compassionate, and understanding about something that he probably honestly has no idea (having no children of his own). It made me happy even though I was still feeling a bit disheveled. So anyways, all this time I am racking my brain..."how do I explain to a two-and-a-half-year-old, in an age-appropriate and loving way, why she can't receive Jesus in Holy Communion?" So I tried, as best I could, to explain to her on the way home how when she got a bit older, and studied and learned a little bit more about Jesus, then she could receive the Eucharist. I asked her if she understood, and she said, "okay," but I still wasn't sure. I mean, she's only two.

Well, the conversation that night while she was in the bathtub went like this:
Gemma: I want to watch "funnies" (the little clip of funniest videos she and daddy often watch before bed)
Me: Okay
Gemma: I want to watch the old ones
Me: oh yes?
Gemma: Yes, because I am not old, I am young.
Me: oh?
Gemma: And when I am old, then I can eat the Eucharistes.

I about cried. She heard me. SHE LISTENED!!!! She remembered. And it meant a lot to her. And she talked about this on and off for the rest of the evening as we were putting her to bed (and honest to goodness, I kid you not, the story she was ready for in her Children's Bible for her bedtime story was the one about the Eucharist. Seriously.) God is good, and the Holy Spirit is always working.

Oh that she will always have such a love and yearning for Jesus in the Eucharist.

Prayer and the Internet

The Internet. Great invention, yes? It certainly can be. I did a presentation for my Motherhood group several months back on how technology can play a part in our role as Catholic mothers. Or just Catholics period. Because it certainly has its place, but on the flip side of the coin, who of us hasn't just been totally sucked in? You log on to check your email, and 2 1/2 hours later you're not exactly sure what you've done, but you decide it's time to log-off and take care of, oh I don't know, things that actually need to be done like laundry and dishes and caring for children, only to realize you have yet to check your email. Yeah. Been there. But the Internet can and even should play an important role in our lives. If you'd like to read more about it, check out what the Vatican has to say here. I used this document as kind of an outline for my aforementioned presentation, and I really think it had a lot of good points. If you have a chance, I'd highly recommend giving it a read. Anyways, I've never been too much into the whole YouTube thing. Just another way to waste more time (as previously mentioned). However, a friend of mine posted this video earlier this week, and it really captivated me. And Gemma, too. I started playing it, and she came over and said, "mommy, I like that song," so she sat up on my lap and watched and listened. And has done so no less than a half-dozen times since then. I think we often forget what an integral part that music and the visual arts can play in our prayer lives, and this video (along with the Prayer discussion at our Motherhood group I mentioned in a post earlier this week) really reminded me of that. Prayer is so much more than just rattling off this or that memorized prayer, and it can involve all of our God-given senses. Even the sense of smell (ahhhhh, incense). Anyways, it really gave me pause watching Gemma watch this video. I mean, she was just enthralled. And I really was moved by the pictures of the Eucharist, it just kind of takes my breath away thinking about the universality of our Church and Jesus in the Eucharist and what-not, but to see it do the same thing for my two-year-old was really, really cool. The power of the Eucharist never ceases to amaze me. Happy Friday, everyone.