Heart Warming

It started innocently, just like that... At first I noticed first graders stopping in their tracks on their way to our school as I was celebrating morning Masses in February, when the first grade class opened at that time... Some of more curious and inquisitive children would stop initially near the school and just stare wondering what was going on up the hill in the bright lit chapel in such an early hour of daylight...


I caught them in my eyesight as they were watching, some with wide open eyes, some with open mouths, some talking to their peers, sharing their curiosity and trying to find answers...

It didn't take long for some of them, those more brave and adventurous to come closer and closer every morning, stopping in the trees surrounding the open altar and looking inside through the open door in their quest to satisfy their curiosity... They were watching my moves and words, reacting to what was being said by subdued giggles as they were talking to each other...

Then, after another short period of hesitation, the bravest came up to the door and stand on the stairs leading to the chapel and participated in the Mass staring, trying to imitate my moves or sign of the cross, trying to sing along with the people, or just being there with their focused faces showing pure amazement and awe...

Then the day came the first child, a girl, came in slowly, slowly, step by step, and sat in the back pew, very carefully. The others did not follow...

And so it went. Now the children come straight to the chapel in good numbers and sit around our sisters, from the beginning of the Mass till the end. Sometimes I can barely maintain my seriousness and composure as their faces, behavior, singing is so heart warming and fantastic that I simply cannot help but smile and giggle, especially when they suddenly disappear in the moments of kneeling and only the tallest stick out from the pews, barely enough to show their wide open eyes...

We did not force them to come to church for daily Masses. We have planned from long ago that starting from June, there will be a weekly Mass for the pre-school and primary school on Tuesdays at 11 am. But it is such a fantastic, heart warming feeling to see children coming on their own impulse to the chapel, trying to do what adults do and being so focused as only great mystics and religious of contemplative orders are able to achieve...

I commended this this morning during the Mass, praising children for their own initiative to come daily for the Holy Mass and for their living faith, however childish, but this is the faith that got Jesus' highest praise!

I don't even remember for how many years I was dreaming about the school Mass in Kiabakari. And now this dream comes true slowly. Thanks be to God!

I will never forget these few months of our wonderful kids coming gradually closer and closer to the chapel and finally joining us for the morning Mass. This surely taught us an important lesson, as other inhabitants of Kiabakari, including those who come for computer course in the same school building, do not bother to participate in the liturgy. Maybe they believe more in the power of computation than the power of salvation?