celebrating St. Francis

Today was so special. It started at church, our church, this morning. I was so busy getting the bake sale up and running that I forgot to wonder where Dennis was. I needn't have worried. He found Grace and they went to their Sunday School classroom and stayed until it started. I left the church service when it was time for Communion and quickly went to get Dennis. He was out on the playground with his class and didn't come when his teacher called him. I yelled out to ask him if he still wanted to go to Communion, and he stopped what he was doing, yelled "Communion? YEAH!" and came running! I can't find the words to express what it means that going to Communion is important enough to make him voluntarily (eagerly) leave the playground! David and I were charmed as we watched him solemnly bow his head and fold his hands (and we both noticed that his fingernails were completely gross). He is used to Communion by intinction and today we had to go up to the altar rail and take the juice in individual cups. He was excited by the idea as he watched the groups go up and whispered "do we get to do that, too?". When it was our section's turn, he stood at the altar rail beside us (he tried kneeling but couldn't see) and asked "are those the blood cups?" as he noticed the empty cups along the back of the rail. Afterward, he held a hymnal and sang just like us, and after the hymn concluded, asked "now how do I learn that song?". He was eager to talk tonight about Communion and he told me the crucifixion story and the last supper and the body and the blood (and he had everything right) and the soldiers casting lots ("playing a game to win Jesus' robe") and the tomb ("and the three ladies that came and found out that he rose from the grave"). I'm so proud and so touched by his spirituality.

This afternoon we went to the Blessing of the Animals service at the Episcopal church. Dennis loved this, loved seeing a horse and lots of dogs and cats and even some flying squirrels! Dennis held Lemonade in his lap as the priest came by to bless him. He'd been dipping a sprig of rosemary in holy water and letting each animal sniff it before he anointed their heads with it. Lemonade bit off the end of the sprig of rosemary and ate it (to the delight and amusement of the crowd). He still received his blessing!

Though it isn't technically his feast day, we honored St. Francis of Assisi today at the service. Animals are a blessing to us, and often a great source of both love and entertainment. This morning a bird was flying around in our kitchen. We were holding our basket of bake sale goods to take to church, Dennis and I, and we went into the kitchen to turn off the light before we left. There, flitting from cabinet top to pot rack to light fixture, was a tiny bird, panicked at finding himself in our kitchen. I've no idea how he got in but suspect some opening in the remodel project. I started to worry, looked at my watch, and decided "oh, well" and left for church. I left the bird to do as he pleased rather than get worked up over it and be late for the bake sale setup (since I was in charge). He'd flown out by the time we got home. This morning in my Sunday School class? Genesis 40 & 41, wherein the Pharaoh's chief baker dreams in prison about holding a basket of baked goods while birds ate all the baked goods. Joseph interpreted it as rather unfavorable news for the baker. Imagine reading that after a morning where I held a basket of baked goods as a bird flew around inside my home. Eerie!