Joyful pupils listen to Jesus

Red Deer students listen to Jesus during Eucharistic Adoration

- Photo by Ryan Ledene The two Grade 3 classes at St. Elizabeth Seton School in Red Deer adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in a special day of Eucharistic Adoration at the school May 5.

By NATALIE TUCHSCHERER
Special to the WCR
Red Deer

The news came from the joyous outcry of the children, from youngest to eldest, in St. Elizabeth Seton Elementary School. It proclaimed that Jesus, the real Jesus, was coming into the heart of our school to speak to the heart of our souls. Jesus, Emmanuel . . . God-With-Us . . . the real Jesus.

Some children dressed up just for him. Some children pondered what Jesus might say to them. Some children skipped into their mother's arms, speaking of such a wonder.

The inaudible news came from the heart of Jesus himself, speaking into the hearts of the organizers: urging us on, holding us up, helping us to be bold disciples of Christ. Be not afraid! That was Pope John Paul II's call. Jesus, with these words, was guiding us the entire way!

God is so good. So very, very good.

So we worked on:

• Teaching the children about Jesus' real presence in the Eucharist.
• Preparing our hearts to be listening hearts, so we might hear his words to us.
• Asking the children what songs of worship they would like to sing to him.
• Transforming our library, the physical heart of our school, into a throne room for our Jesus.

Friday, May 5 came and so did Jesus! All praise be to God!

Priests say Mass

Fathers Paul Moret and Julian Bilyj celebrated Mass at 8:15 a.m. in our new "chapel." Father Paul stayed the whole day joining the children in prayer and singing with heartfelt gusto.

Scheduled grades came to adore Jesus, in 40-minute intervals, starting at 9 a.m., until 3 p.m. We read Scripture, we prayed, we listened (there was five minutes of silence when the kids would listen to what Jesus was saying to them) and we adored. O, how we adored!

My students sang with such conviction, that I was choking back tears of intense joy and exultant love - all of which was from the throne room of heaven, itself. O, to spend all of my days in worship in this way!

Upon entry, students and staff alike were in awe of the Eucharistic Christ.

Upon sitting before Jesus, each face changed - some became radiant as the sun, some grew still as the moon, some burst with joy as in playing with a dear friend. No face was left unchanged. Least of all, we, adults.

All left that day in utter amazement at the glory of God. It is tempting, sometimes, to think that we make things happen - the music at Mass, the liturgies during Advent. But in simply sitting before the Risen Christ, quiet as he is, in the Eucharist, one realizes there is absolutely no way that any of this was done by human hands. And so, we can only sing bold praises to God, who chooses to come and sit with us in the Eucharist.

"Let the little children come unto me," he said once. He is still saying that.

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