World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
A newly planted garden is a kind of rebirth of the earth – an exercise in stewardship – a small celebrative space where creation thrives. We planted our garden a few days ago. The seedlings appear so fragile, so vulnerable to wind and rain. We hope they will flourish. We watch the growth and enjoy.
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When our children were little, they often had the opportunity to “help” in the kitchen preparing meals or baking desserts. Kitchen activity involved specialized tools and appropriate clothing. The children put on aprons to shield from whatever ingredients were at hand. It could be a bit of an adventure. The apron was part of the job, a way of “getting into” the joy. We dress for the work to which we have committed ourselves. In a sense, we “put on” the task.
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After Mass on Easter, we returned home to prepare for a family visit. Our children, their spouses, and grandchildren gathered for brunch with us. These gatherings are brimming with conversation and celebration. Seeing everyone enjoy themselves and trying to listen to all the voices and stories attentively is a delightful challenge.
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When I was a child, Sunday had a happy specialness, Mass, a big breakfast, and visits with cousins, aunts, and uncles. I always felt at home with them. My dad worked every Saturday, so Sunday was a cherished day off, a time to rest and re-create. It helped us see the coming week with a new vision, a renewed energy, and recover from the previous week. Each Sunday had an Easter dimension within!
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When our children were young, we would do a project with construction paper to prepare for Easter. The concept was to create a three-dimensional “garden.”
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Our youngest child, now an adult with a family of his own, will turn forty-two years old this week. I don’t know if it’s a bigger passage for him or us. I remember he was born on Easter Monday. We anticipated an Easter baby, but the timing of birth, as we know, is according to nature’s time. “Timing is everything,” as the expression goes. I suspect there are things about birth and life that both our children have learned as parents that we could never have adequately explained when they were growing up.
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