Small Town Church Memories

This past Sunday, Mom, Dad, and I took Adam to the church that was attached to my elementary school for the first time.  My brothers and I attended Holy Family when we first moved to Frackville so I spent 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th grades there.  5th grade was spent across town at St. Joseph's which was my favorite school before the 5th and 6th grades were moved back to Holy Family. 

We sat in the front pew and participated in the last mass Adam and I would attend as an engaged couple.  To the left of us was the Mary statue that I had stood in front of as a 3rd grader during May crowning by the entire school.  This was the statue I had been facing when I forgot the words to the Hail Mary when it was my turn to lead.  I remember being so mortified and crying to my Mom in the laundry room that night about how embarrassed I had been.  She taught me a trick to remember the words to the prayer by using the fingers on my hands that I still think of to this day.  The next day when it was my turn to lead the prayer I didn't forget the words.

From where we were sitting on Sunday morning, I could see into the back room where the priest gets ready before mass.  From my vantage point, I could see the area where 25+ years ago I sat as a child receiving the sacrament of Confession for the first time.  It was the only time I participated in face-to-face confession with the priest until I did it as an adult at St. Joseph's in 2008. 

So, as all the memories of childhood masses that were held each First Friday, and thinking of when a childhood friend's funeral was held there when we were 16 years old, and recalling what it was like to read the readings or prayers of the faithful, I tried to keep myself focused and present during the mass.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to hear one of our wedding mass readings during this past week's mass!  During the homily, Father talked about the "in between" waiting period and what do we do in that time?  He also talked about how we need to show kindness to everyone at all times and asked of us what do we do to show Christ's love to others?  Some of these statements reminded me of some of the topics we discussed up in Boston with the priest who will be presiding at our wedding specifically relating to hospitality.  How do we show others we care about them and we want them in our lives?  How do we make others feel welcome?  What are ways we can demonstrate their presence matters?  Hopefully everyone who makes the trip to York in a few short days will feel welcomed and at home even if it's the first time they stepped foot in southcentral PA!  However, I would challenge you, dear reader, to show a complete stranger he or she is welcome or better yet, someone whom you might not normally associate with...perhaps an adversary or someone whom you would rather not interact with needs to feel some of that love.