If you weren’t a part of it, this past week...you should’ve been. Our annual Vacation Bible School was truly awe inspiring...not just because it was one of the biggest groups of children we have hosted, or because the number of tweens/teens and adults were amazingly giving of their time and talents, but because the children were a constant reminder of the innocence and joy we are called to exude for our world. Many thanks to Joanne Reich, Colleen McVicker, Annie Walter, our station leaders and all those who helped lead these children...or rather, allowed the children to lead them.
I went to visit a parishioner, Helen, who was not feeling well. When we talked about the children and VBS, she shared with me a favored children’s song she learned in 1933 at Our Lady of Sorrows School that came back to her as she was recuperating:
“To Jesus Heart all burning - With fervent love for men - Our hearts with fondest yearning - Shall raise the joyful strain. While ages course along - Blest be with loudest song - The Sacred Heart of Jesus - By every heart and tongue. And fondly we’ll receive Him - The Bridegroom of our souls - No more by sin to grieve Him - Or fl y His sweet control.
O Sacrament Most Holy - O Sacrament Divine - All praise and all thanksgiving - Be every moment Thine.”(taught by her music teacher, Miss Motley)
(Helen apologizes if some of the words might be wrong, but after all it was 86 years ago).
Why do I bring all this up? Because what we teach our children when they are young can come back as an adult when they need it most. During these summer days, encourage your children to read Scripture and the essential tenets of our Catholic faith. Teach and inspire them to sing songs of praise and worship when you’re in the car or running around. If it becomes part of their life when they are young, they will open to wanting it when they are grown up and too busy with so many other distractions. Pray for our teens this weekend as they venture to Franciscan University to do an older version of VBS. Soooo, what about you? How will you dance and sing and praise Him...to stay His child? Pax, Fr. Bline
