With students

Two days, two schools worth of children.

Yesterday, we welcomed the students from a nearby High School.  They came to celebrate the Eucharist with us at our regularly scheduled daily Mass.  By the time the students had found their seats, and the staff members had joined them, there were not many extra seats to be had.  Any that might have been vacant were taken by the 'regulars' who are here to celebrate Mass.

Students at this particular high school have recently established a multi-cultural group among their students.  These were the ones who took a leadership role in organizing this liturgy.  They prayed the psalm in various languages (English, French, Spanish and Italian), while others prepared the musical parts of this gatheirng.

Students aren't used to entering a church, so it takes some time, lots of patience and constant guidance to get them used to the established culture that exists inside our walls, but then again if any of us were to set foot within the walls of their school, would we be any different?

***
As it turns out, only one day later, we also welcomed the students from one of the local elementary schools.  A much smaller and younger group, they too are part of the fabric of this place, so it was wonderful to see them here.

Children of all ages need the guidance of the adults in their lives to teach them about the faith tradition that sets us apart.  For those who are involved in this process, we give thanks today.  Recognizing the call for all of us to play a part in educating our young people, we each have a task ahead of us.  The question is, 'are we willing to accept the challenge'?