Sowing a Seed

"Joshua and the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho! Joshua and the battle of Jericho! And the walls came tumbling down!"

I can still see the scene in my mind's eye: the cafeteria of St. Mary's School, surreal to me at night, with an assortment of neighborhood children pressing round a fortress of cardboard milk cartons. The gang of us are singing at the top of our lungs, before bolting forward with a whoop to topple the flimsy firmament at just the right moment. This simple, boisterous game was all part of "Family Night," an event promoted in those days by a young priest named Father Daily and filed away forever in my treasure chest of joyful childhood memories. I am not sure what I knew about Joshua or Jericho at the time, yet the fun and wild abandon of the game remains with me still.

Then there was Lent at St. Mary's Church and the 7:30 evening Mass in its dimly lit basement. My mother and our neighbor, Mrs. Maloney, would rarely miss it. Anne Maloney and I could not wait to pile into the car for the novel nightly outing, or better yet walk under the train trestle with its flourescent lights and cooing pigeons, pretty sure of a soda at Alexander's afterward, and, if we were very lucky, a piece of creamy white chocolate to split between us. How I loved those Masses with Anne at my side and holy Father Callahan on the altar. The memory of them brings a pleasing mist to my eyes even now.

Looking back on my early "spiritual" experiences, I see now that, although they were in some ways less than ethereal, those blessed moments are cloaked in a mantle of simple childish gladness and mirth. To this day, I love the Mass and the Church and the Holy Bible and our parish priests, and, it seems to me, the seeds of Faith and love and loyalty were sown deep, sown in the ready heart of a child and fed and fertilized with soda and smiles, war whoops and white chocolate.

In passing on the Faith to our children, it is a great hope of mine that we will allow them to form many happy associations like these. Armed with a childhood of fond religious memories, they surely will fare far better against the world's onslaught than those tottery milk cartons in the cafeteria. With this in mind, we have begun a new tradition in our home--First Saturday Outings.

The idea was born over hot chocolates in Starbuck's back in December. I had taken the four older girls and my favorite slingrider to do a little window shopping while dh watched Patrick and Maureen. The night was pleasingly temperate, and our spirits were so high that it made me wonder why we rarely go out together in the evening. It happened to be First Saturday, and I considered what fun it would be make a special trip every First Saturday night. The girls were at once taken with the idea and talked about the first Saturday of January for a full month. Even the wonders of Christmas and New Year's could not dilute their eager anticipation.

First Saturday morning, the children awoke already talking about Mass and Confession and the special trip planned for afterward. This month, our outing consisted of omelettes at a local diner with a walk through Border's Bookstore afterward. Dh and I decided to spring for a round of hot cocoa at the cafe, but, much to everyone's dismay, they were all out of (gasp) cocoa powder. Fortuitously, the girl behind the counter offered white chocolate as a substitute, and, you will be glad to learn, the pale variety was accepted by today's young Catholics as readily as it was by Anne Maloney and Alice O'Brien those many years ago.

We arrived home late and began the usual bustle of toothbrushing, pajama hunting, and laundry rounding ("It's like herding cats," quipped dh.) The little three were asleep in an instant, when I remembered we had not yet said a Rosary or meditated an extra fifteen minutes on the Mysteries for First Saturday. The four girls were only too happy to stay up a while longer for a cozy, quiet Rosary, and I was just about to remind them of the quarter hour's meditation, when an idea struck me.

"Get on your coats, girls."

Eight eyes opened wide, and even dh uttered a disbelieving, "Did you say 'coats'?"

Within two minutes, we were outside under the stars--barely chilly with the springlike weather we have been having--and singing around our outdoor creche. Everything but the creche was pitch black, and the children's voices rose sweetly in the thin night air. Hymn after hymn of their own choosing: "Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming," "Adeste Fideles," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "Do You Know What I Know?" "Away in a Manger"--they formed the merriest little quartet of carolers you ever heard, inventing harmonies and smiling toward the stable. I listened silently, my heart swelling with hope that these blessed hymns might be their "Joshua and the Battle of Jericho," with each heartfelt note girding them for adulthood.

As we walked back to the house, I found more than one young hand had made its way into mine, and a couple of the girls walked ahead arm in arm. Margaret turned to me with a face as bright as the moon above our heads and proclaimed, "This was such a fun day!"

More music to my ears.

Comments

[Kelly]

Alice, making memories like this with your childen is something that will live on in them (and you!) forever!
My children range in age from 24-5 and nothing pleases me more than when my big kids "reminisce" about things we did when they were little.

Your children are blessed to have a such a mother as you. One day they'll even be old and mature enough to tell you:)

[Paula in MN]

What a perfect end to a perfect day. Absolutely beautifu, Alice.

[Cay]

Keep singing, little mama. The music is beautiful (and enchanting).

Thank you for sharing the melody with all of us.

[Therese]

Alice,
Crying again,those are some lucky kids.A walking tour by my house could be fun for a Saturday.

[Cheryl]

Alice,
My eyes are watering. I would have LOVED to grow up in your home. (I hope my mother never sees this.) I'm sure the memory of this day will stay with your girls.

[Kathryn]

Alice, you are so, so right about the importance of memories. It has only recently begun to click in my brain and I am kicking myself for not doing more of this happy-memory-building earlier.

[Jenn Miller]

What a beautiful memory! Divine inspiration to put together those links.

And you have me all teary eyed thinking of the scene in front of the creche.

[Dawn]

Alice, this is such a *beautiful* post. I hope you don't mind if I print this out and keep it in my journal - it just speaks to my heart so. Blessings!

[Kristen Laurence]

Have you discovered my favorite word in the entire English vocabulary? BEAUTIFUL! This post is so moving. It speaks to the heart of every mother. It brings me to my own joyful, magical moments as a child in a faith-filled home. Thank you!!

[Agnes]

Mommy, this is a beautiful post. If anyone has ever been good to us, you have! That was such a fun trip. First Saturday will always be a happy memory for us, and I pray that my children will be similarly blessed with such a wonderful mother. (I'm working on it!) :-D

[Jane Ramsey]

Dear Alice,
This post was so inspirational! I was just thinking last night, after an exuberant Epiphany celebration with my boys, how these joyful celebrations of our faith will hopefully stay with them for a long time. They will know a Catholicism that is beautiful, comforting and ALIVE! Perhaps that is the greatest gift we can give them.

[Melanie]

Alice,
I love reading your blog.. I am always inspired. Thank you for sharing this with us.. my dh and I have been wanting to start some traditions like that as well, and both of us being converts, we didn't know where to start.

[Jennie C.]

How lovely! We have never celebrated first fridays or saturdays, and our little church doesn't even offer a saturday mass, but I love the idea of a first Saturday outing. The expense of weekly Sunday outings is too much for us, but once a month is not and these little traditions are indeed so looked forward to by children and adults alike.

[Jennifer]

They will remember this throughout their lives. I agree with your daughter. It sounds like a fun and beautiful day.

[Lindsey @ enjoythejourney]

I think this is a beautiful and perfect example that faith (whether it be your Catholic or my protestant) CAN and SHOULD have moments of sheer joy and fun, for the sake of nothing more than making memories and having a good time. I know in the protestant denominations, sometimes we take a hum-drum approach to church and faith because it seems holier or more pious than enjoying it. I have never understood that and don't think I ever will.

It sounds so lovely listening to your family and how you live out your faith. I'm blessed by it.

[Heather - NY]

Wonderful!!! What a great day - thanks for sharing it!!!

[Michelle]

Alice, What beautiful hope you have given me! To hear of your dear memories! Having not grown up in the Church, I often wonder (and then worry) if my children will remain faithful, if the "little things" are enough to touch their hearts. I see that Our Lord is a steadfast and faithful gardener, using the smallest seeds to grow beautiful flowers. Thank You!

[Karen E.]

*So* beautiful. You are the perfect mom.