Sing for Love and Pray for Peace

Kiaran, age 7, wrote this on the day of the Pentecost celebration, shortly after his First Communion:

Sing for love and pray for peace.
God in heaven has prepared a room for me.
The goal of heaven is mine.
Sing for love, and pray for peace.
You can't see Jesus in a blink of an eye, but he is around you and me all the time.
Oh, oh, h, oh, sing for love and pray for peace.
Pentecost is the day I love
a day of coming of the spirit's love.
Pentecost we celebrate as the birthday of the church.
Pentecost is the day of love
and the gentle coming of the dove.
Pentecost is the day the holy spirit came from above.
Tongues of fire came raining down on the birthday of the church.
Send me off, send me off to where I need to go.
Send me off, my life is the road that takes me where I need to go.

God can speak our language

Bethany, age 8: "When we get baptized, we start learning about God. And we're just babies! Our parents take us to church and we CAN UNDERSTAND THINGS!! We can understand things without anybody telling us because GOD is telling us. God can speak our language. And when we sleep, God sends angels into our dreams."

The Language of God

After reading Acts 2, 1-11 with a group of 9-year olds, the catechist asked, "How could people from so many different places all understand the apostles?"

Noah replied, "Because when you speak with God there is only one language, and they were all speaking the language of God."

The catechist asked, "Is there any other time we know of when all people will be speaking the 'one language of God?'"

The children replied, "Parousia." "Perhaps we have here a preview--a foretaste--of what Parousia will be like," mused the catechist.

No one can take us out of Jesus!

During the lesson on preparing the chalice at Mass in her atrium of 6-9-year-old children, the catechist said: "The wine represents Jesus." She pours a full cruet into chalice, then continues, "The water represents you and me." She stops again and pours one drop of water into the wine. "Now, what could this mean for us?"

Silence descended among the children as they stared at what had just happened. Then they burst out: "We're inside Jesus...We disappear; we're gone...Yes...No, we're still us...We become Jesus...No one can take us out of Jesus!"

God made things to help us

Evan, age 7, was working with The Gifts (a material exploring the many gifts of God to humankind in creation and sacred history) and commented, “God made things to help us. God welcomes us when we use his gifts for good, not bad.”

Who in our world needs the light?

These words of 9-12 year old children reflect both their global awareness and that the light of Christ illuminates moral questions. For older children, the Risen life we celebrate during this season of Easter extends to all people and all concerns:

During the bombing of Yugoslavia a catechist asked a group of 9-12 year olds, "Who in our world needs the light?" A fourth grade girl, Dana, answered, " The Serbian people need the light so they can stop. The Albanian people need the light so they can hope."

Thea's Prayer

("She" refers to the Spirit)

When She leaves on the wind like the ocean tide retreating, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She calls on the breeze like a whisper in my ear, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She hears my plea like the lambs a calling, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She keeps my love like the last leaf hanging on, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She lays down Her life like the shepherd does for a sheep, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She know I'm safe like the mother bird and her little chicks, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She is free like a box without a lid, Then Lord let me go free to be with her in heaven.

--written by Thea, age 12

The Gate is open

At the First communion Mass Fr. Joe asked the children what it means to receive/eat the bread and wine. Kenneth, age 7, answered, "It means the gate is open."