Celebrating the Journey- in Prayer and Partying

Dear Friends --------May 25, 2008

Woke early to ready myself and Michael for Mass:. I usually try to take a few minutes to sip on a cup of mint tea and go over the scripture readings for the day. Well, today is the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. and the scripture reading from John 6:56 reads “Whoever eats of my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me”. Now that takes more than a few minutes and a few sips of tea to meditate on.

I thought on all the conversations I have had with both Catholics and Non-Catholics as well, on this tenet of our Faith. I thought of all the division it has brought when we tell Non-Catholics not to receive Communion in our churches. It seems so arrogant of us, so superior, I wonder why a Non-Catholic would ever even want to attend a Catholic Mass in the first place.

Then I recall one of the many conversations my friend Becky and I had regarding this very subject. Becky was raised a strict Baptist, then was a Baptist Preachers wife for 20 years, before the whole family, no longer finding the spiritual solace they yearned for, converted to the Episcopal Church. Becky spent so much of her adult years in hospitals and often they were Catholic Hospitals and it was in one of these hospitals that she found a priest who brought the Eucharist to her bedside daily. Becky spoke of these daily visits as being the core of her spiritual life and the best of all healing balms

I recall her words so clearly , when asked about what she believed—she said” I am not sure what happens at the Consecration, but I know SOMETHING happens and whether the bread and wine changes may be a mystery but that I am changed is a surety.”.

Thank you dear Becky for those words, for your friendship but mostly for your Faith. I know that you are in heaven now and “see clearly” not as in a “dark glass”. I look forward to future conversations on this and many other of our favorite subjects when I join you round the Lords table.


Michael learning to sit up by himself!

Mass was particularly meaningful and poignant, as the Nursing Students had done such a lovely job of preparation. There were flowers strewn up the middle isle and outside all around the hospital grounds, preparing a path for the Procession that would follow at the end of Mass, prior to the Benediction.

Michael was particularly adorable in a bib overall with matching cap, that Diana had sent from the States. Quite by accident (if there is any such thing as an accident) I was wearing a dress that had been Becky’s, with a wrap that complimented it well, which I had purchased in Kisoro

Fr. John was in a native language mood today, so I had a chance to daydream on past years and conclude that this was the best “Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ ever”!
Following Mass we all processed to the hospital to give communion to the bed bound, then we followed the flower strewn path around the grounds singing, until we all processed into the church for Benediction

Fr. John DeVinney is near 57yrs and has been a priest for most of those years and yet
The reverence, with which he carries the Monstrance (Eucharist) while in Procession, as well as the Benediction, is that of a new priest. Everything about Fr. John is “Look at the Creator thru my eyes. Never “look at me”. We, as a community are fortunate to have him as our Pastor and I, personally, am honored to call him my friend.



Me carrying Michael combination of Western style and Ugandan-smile

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Michael sitting up-----------------------------Nobert and Michael

Norbert (your far left) Playing their version of JAX'S


Walking home from Mass with Michael, I noticed I also had another little visitor trailing behind. It was adorable 21/2 yrs old Olivia, Sr. Justine’s daughter. Apparently she had taken her mother literally when she told her ”If you’d rather sit with Marie in church., then just go home with her and Michael” Ha

It is difficult to explain Olivia, unless you meet her: She is adorable, of course, but so strong willed. She does what she wants when she wants to and not an iota before that time. But, and this is the interesting part, she is not a bit contentious or irritable, nor does she have any desire to convince anyone (including her sometimes baffled Mom) that what she wants to do is the better way, she simply does it. In this case, she wanted to go outside during Mass after she had flitted from favorite lap to equally favorite lap, but when she fell on the stones and split her lip and scratched her defending hand, not a peep of complaint was heard, nor did she seem to expect or even want any sympathy. It is as if she is willing to accept the consequences of her decisions, no matter what they may be-ha

Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned for us all from Olivia--------------



. Well I offered her a glass of juice and a biscuit (cookie) while I visited with Michael step brother Wilber, who had walked a very long distance to see him. Wilber is a 16 yr. old, well spoken young man who genuinely seems to care about Michael (and he is not even a biological brother). He is also a gifted artist and presented Michael and I with several of his creations, which now adorn my walls.

Then having received my text message that Olivia was with me, Justine arrived and we all visited for quite a while .There was no concern on Justine’s face that Olivia had simply disappeared and I was reminded of the African adage (liberally taken by Hillary Clinton) that it does, indeed, take “a village” to raise a child

When they left, I started to prepare desserts for the two medical students I had invited later in the day, when all the sudden I got the idea “Why not have a dessert party and invite lots of people?” Hum, there goes my quiet day, but I thought the sign to follow this impulse would be if Michael went down easily for a nap and following his bottle, it happened. So I made two batches of chocolate .chip cookies, a chocolate cake and peanut butter balls, all within 2 hours and minus baking soda (ha) I text message several people on the grounds that there would be a “Dessert Gathering” at 5pm and Please stop by. Now no one had a clue what a dessert gathering could possible be but, maybe out of curiosity, about 20 people showed up-Ha

I served hot tea and coffee and ice tea (or they refer to it as American Tea). It was wonderful to have my home filled with people ( 4 Dr.s and maybe 15 Nurses) from Uganda, Holland. And me, the token American.

Michael was rested and loving all the attention and happily showed off his ability to “sit” by himself, to any and all visitors, breaking his record by sitting alone for 10 min. He was obviously getting tired but didn’t seem to know how to end the session (as he hadn’t tipped over) so I had to rescue him, which earned me a big smile..

I could kick myself for not taking any pictures of my visitors, but I did take a couple of photos of a mid day visit from Norbert (Justines 8 year old son, home from boarding school ) and his two friends, who had just come to visit .but finding me a trifle busy, ask to borrow the Jax’s, to increase their skill.. “Sure”. I said “but play outside on the front porch, so as not to wake Michael. Well, I am not quite sure what game they were playing with the Jax’s and two bouncing balls, but I seriously doubt it was Jax.s, as the ball seemed to be everywhere but near the jax’s. and from the hooting and hollering going on, I suspect a whole new use was found for those toys.

So, it turned out to be a day full of magical moments, reverent prayer, and giggling children , so unlike the (quiet) day I THOUGHT I wanted. Yes, as always, God had a better day planned for me than I could have ever planned for myself.

----------------------------------MARIE--------------------

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