All my children

Over the past three years, I have had the extraordinary privilege of getting to know some of the most precious people in the parish where I live and exercise my ministry. Every Sunday morning from September to June, I meet a group of children who are invited to participate in the weekly Children's Liturgy.

The routine is pretty well established by now: I call them forward at the beginning of Mass, speak some simple words of encouragement with them, and then they leave the church and move to another part of the building where other adults (who some would call catachists) review the readings proper to the Sunday liturgy and then use discussion, arts and crafts and other means to teach these children the value of prayer.

This week, they prepared small oragami boats for their own fathers, and as luck would have it, they also prepared one for me, along with an oversized card which each child signed. In addition, this year they also had some fun. On a white T-shirt that I can now wear, each child who has been partaking in the Children's Liturgy program was invited to leave a colour imprint of his or her palm. There were also two smaller children (babies still in diapers) who left their foot prints instead of palm prints. There are no words written on this shirt, but because I know the children who prepared it with such love and affection, I don't need the words to know who they are. Each time I wear it - to do my walks around the city, early in the mornings or late at night - I will remember and pray for the young ones who have taken the time to prepare this most precious gift.

Of course I will also remember and pray for those adults who helped these little ones to prepare these precious gifts too. With a thankful heart, I pray for all those who work so dilligently to bring the light of faith to minds young and old. This is indeed a privilege which should never be taken for granted.