Hearts joined together reflect the Son's light

By Mary Regina Morrell

"If thou have any good things, believe better things of others, that thou may keep they meekness." Thomas A. Kempis

Dining out with children is always an experience - and inevitably uncovers the creative potential of each child, especially in regards to food and eating utensils.

I'll never forget the evening all six of my sons joined my husband and me for a surprise party in honor of my brother-in-law's birthday. The restaurant was "exclusive" -- at least to a family whose most frequent haunt was the local diner.

We were joined by other family members and business acquaintances of my in-laws. As we waited for our first round of hot appetizers to appear at the table, my two younger sons had taken to amusing themselves with a "parlor" game - Who can find the most ways to use the fluted silver butter dish?

The younger of the boys quickly put two silver dishes to his ears and announced, "I'm Princess Leah!" His brother then held a third butter dish to his eye and said, "I'm the Terminator."

Not to be outdone, his sibling tied the elegant cloth napkin around his head, placed the intricately crafted dish on his shoulder and barked, "I'm Blackbeard and this is my parrot!"

Both children were oblivious to the fact that the entire group of 20 guests were now delightfully engaged in the show!

After spending almost 30 years in raising six very unique individuals I've come to appreciate the "unexpected" gifts that each child brings to the tapestry that is our family - whether it be their creativity, their sense of humor, their spirituality or their inevitable challenges.

Soon after that delightful evening, while peering out the window in my office, I found myself thinking similar thoughts about my parish community.

Standing near the window of my third floor office, I was reflecting on a unique view of the city around me. Towering above the shingle and tar roofs of the tightly woven buildings were the spires of three churches. On them, the cross of Christ seemed to be painted against a changing sky. Each cross was different - one the simple, but powerful symbol of a Protestant community; another bearing the three crossbars of an Orthodox faith; the last, the ornate stone cross of a Catholic parish, brought into existence more than 100 years ago by a community of people who struggled to keep Jesus at the heart of their lives.

For me, these spires and their churches, continue to be a constant reminder of the power of a worshipping community and the gift each member is to the others. They remind me, also, of the very precious gift of my own parish family - a gift that becomes all the more evident during the most meaningful of liturgical seasons, Easter, a time of wonder and awe and gratitude. Looking out across the congregation each Sunday from my perch in the choir loft, it is not hard to compare this group of God's children to a magnificent stained glass window.

If I were to stand so close as to see only a small section of the window - perhaps three or four pieces of glass -- I would see only some mismatched pieces, never grasping the sense of the whole.

However, when I step back, a work of art becomes apparent, with dazzling colors and brilliant symbols. Remove one piece and the empty space, though small, becomes a gapping hole. And what an ordinary window it would be if all the pieces were the same size, the same shape, the same color!

As in every family, each member of the parish is like a piece of glass, each with their own spirituality, each reflecting God's light in their own way, no one better than the other, but each needed to create the incredible work of art that is our parish, and our Church. And it is that magnificent creation that will shine with the Son's light come Easter morning.

Lucky for me I have one of the best seats in the house!

____________________________

Mary Regina Morrell is the author of Angels in High Top Sneakers from Loyola Press.

Contact

Diocese of Metuchen
http:\\www.diometuchen.org NJ, US
Mary Regina Morrell - Associate Director, Office of Religious Education, 732 562-1990

Email

mmorrell@diometuchen.org

Keywords

Heart, Easter, Jesus, light, love

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