2010-04-25 - I was invited to the regular CCD session . . .

Living in New York City means that you have to expect surprises, and the only really surprising surprise would be a day without something unexpected happening. One of the nicest surprises for me recently was a birthday party given me by our children, parents, and teachers. I was invited to the regular CCD session for what I was told would be "Questions and Answers" - but very soon everyone stood up and sang "Happy Birthday." I have a birthday each year, like most people, although I know some grownups who claim not to have them, and I also know some children who like birthdays so much that they mark half-year birthdays.  It is my lot to have a birthday usually in the lengthening days of Lent, which is not the best party time, although two years ago it was on Easter Day, which is the best feast of all.  So it was nice that we could have a birthday party somewhat belated, because each day of the Easter season is a celebration.

     Our children also made this a thanksgiving for the Year of Priests. I thank everyone for the huge cake and the flowers, but I cannot possibly express thanks well enough to our young people for the cards and especially their Spiritual Bouquets. The cards are now nicely bound, and I shall keep them with their fine art, some done with crayons and pencil and others ingeniously cut and pasted.  Best of all, though, is the book with promised prayers along with quotations from the Bible, saints, and popes. There are so many Our Fathers, Hail Marys, Glorias, Creeds, Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Novenas and Holy Hours, that it would be hard to count them all.  I know that these will be a kind of spiritual engine to help our church run better each day. I am especially grateful to have the photographs of our children as a reminder of what a fine church family we have.

     There are many challenges to rearing families in our culture, especially in a city, and it is the most heroic kind of vocation, but also the most rewarding. Parents and guardians are specially blessed by God, and children are specially blessed to have such good helpers showing them our Lord's love. Only a few years ago, our children were a small group, and each year more and more arrive, and we have almost outgrown our space. I often think of the part of James Hilton's novel Good-bye, Mr. Chips where the headmaster pictures passing by in his mind all "his" children he taught over the years: "thousands of them, thousands." I pray that there will be many more. And I also repeat what I said at our party: that I have never worked a day in my life, because when you are very happy with what you are doing, every day is more like a holiday than work.