It is not a coincidence that the last post we made was “Opening Day”. Baseball season has come with a vengeance this year. It is our first year in a new league (different city) and the league does not play on Saturdays. I was a little torn about that. I love spending the day at the ballpark, but it is also nice to have a real weekend in the spring for yardwork and dog walking and going to the park. Unfortunately, with the rain we’ve had we have baseball games almost every night. Soooo, no time to post. We just got back from Cole’s game, Reed has one tomorrow and Cole has one Wed./Thurs. and Fri. Normally I would have fallen in to bed and been asleep by now, but Reed is in with Kim and I don’t feel like moving him, so here I sit.
I do have a story to tell. Cole had his First Communion a few weeks ago (April 10th). The school he attends does it as a class, so there were 60 boys and girls in their Sunday best with beaming parents all around. Cole, Kim and I had a good discussion about the Eucharist and said a prayer together before heading over to church. It was a great day. The Sunday before that day was Easter and after Mass Cole was very excited that “this is the last Sunday I’ll have to do this” as he placed his hands on opposite shoulders. The Mass was moving and the family celebration afterward was fantastic. Everyone was proud of Cole and our family felt close to each other and our God.
The only possible exception was Reed. He was not at all pleased that he was the only one in the family that was unable to receive Communion. He was a little pouty later that day and said it was not fair, he wanted to do it, all the normal things the youngest child says when they want to be like their older siblings. After a few days it subsided and all was back to normal. On Sunday, we loaded up the family and headed to Mass. At Communion we walked up in line, Craig, Cole, Reed, Kim and Mike. This is where things get interesting. We get to the front of the line. Kim and I proceed forward to Fr. Michael, we reverence the Eucharist and extend our hands (we receive together). As I start to turn to my left I see Reed step away from a Eucharistic Minister, place something in his mouth and cross himself. I almost fell over! When we get back to the pew I see Reed with his mouth open, Eucharist on his tongue. He swallows it, looks at me, shrugs his shoulders, smiles and says, “He gave it to me.”
My mind races. Of course, he knows how to go up and receive Communion, he has seen us do it hundreds of times. He knows how to extend his hands, what to say and what to do. Crap! But….who would give Communion to a 5-year-old!! Turns out it was an older gentleman who probably figured, “The kid knows what he’s doing. Sure, he looks young, but they all do to me nowadays.” I was flabbergasted.
After Mass we had a loooong talk with our youngest about lots of things. It hasn’t happened again and I have a pretty good feeling that it won’t until it’s his turn to sit in a packed church with his second grade classmates and receive his Second Communion
