Sam will be receiving first communion near the end of May. He wanted to be a reader for the Mass that day. He tried out and received the second reading from the First Letter of St. John.
Last night, we went to practice for the second time. The DRE said, "Now, last week before you left here, I gave you some homework. Does anyone remember what that homework was?" Of course no one did. The DRE continued and said, "I wanted you to understand the readings. So, let's start with the second reading because it is easier. What does the second reading mean."
Sam whispered to me, "God is love." I told him to raise his hand and tell the DRE. She was ecstatic. She was equally pleased when she heard his analysis of the first reading. "God shows no partiality--that means he doesn't have any favorites."
Well, we've practiced and practiced and practiced his reading to glow it down from Warp to merely supersonic. Last night he slowed in Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay down. With the result that he sounded a lot like a Baptist minister. The great moment was when he did this line:
"Whoever does not love does not know God, because," and here there was a short pause followed by a ponderous, thudding, emphatic all caps delivery it a beat between each word, "GOD IS LOVE." The DRE let out a little snicker and afterwards said to us, "The boy is surely headed for Broadway." But it was, in all, a magnificent delivery, and you couldn't be seated in the congregation, understand English, and not get the point of the reading.
God is love. And boy does He show us that everyday in this precious child.
Congratulations to all the family, and I hope Samuel enjoys God's love all his life.
Rosalina
Dear Ms. Rosallina
What a wonderful and powerful blessing. Thank you very much.
shalom,
Steven
Steven,
Thank you for your report and impressive description. I wish that I could have heard that -- but YOU did a pretty good job, too! Thank you for sharing.