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| The Duncans bought balloons for the party |
On Trudy's first birthday, Annie was sitting in the mulberry tree, picking leaves for her silkworms, Herbie and Doreen.
There was a craze on at school for owning silkworms and Annie's fellow pupils had their hands full, keeping their worms fed.
Annie was more fortunate than most; she didn't have to shop around.
All she did was climb the mulberry tree and pick leaves.
Yielding to the entreaties of her classmates, she filled a plastic bag to capacity with leaves each morning before leaving for school.
By the time she reached it, others would be queuing up, waiting for her.
It gave her a very important feeling.
When Annie had first asked permission to have silkworms of her own, Mother had said no.
She had enough problems without a silkworm invasion.
In the end Dad had persuaded her to allow Annie two of her own.
Now Annie noticed that Herbie wasn't eating any more.
He had spun himself into a yellow cocoon, but Doreen was munching mulberry leaves as if there was no tomorrow.
It was amazing to see how much mulberry one little silkworm could consume, though in actual fact Doreen was no longer tiny.
She was getting fatter by the day and small wonder, judging by the amount she ate.
The door of the neightbours' house opened and Annie watched Mrs Mitchell, their new neighbour, come out.
Mrs Smith had left the house to Mrs Benson and the Mitchells were paying a good rental, with the result that the housekeeper had finally been able to hang up her apron and her dustpan.
At present she was paying a visit to the parents of her son's fiancèe, who was soon to become his wife.
Father Tom's car stopped at their front gate.
Holding the bag with leaves in one hand, Annie skimmed down the mulberry tree and ran around the house to meet him.
Her Uncle Jimmy was to be ordained a priest the following week and Father Tom who was responsible for the arrangements, had become a frequent visitor.
He was as kind as ever, enquiring courteously after Herbie and Doreen.
"Only another week before your Uncle Jimmy's ordained, eh Annie?" Father Tom said.
"How does God call you to be a priest?" asked Annie.
"It differs from person to person.
I've wanted to be a priest since I was three," said Father.
Mother put her head around the door, Trudy on her arm.
Father Tom ruffled the baby's curly head.
"She's getting big.
How old is she now?"
"It's her birthday, Father.
She is one year old today," Annie offered eagerly.
"Happy birthday, little one.
So that's why she's looking so smart.
Is she having a party?"
Mother sighed.
"She is, I'm afraid.
Though what possessed me to arrange it is an enigma even to me.
I keep forgetting I've lost Mrs Benson's services."
"Yes, it was a blessing for her she got that legacy from Mrs Smith.
She must be so happy.
Now that she has gone away for her son's reception into the Church and his wedding, I miss her presence in my instruction classes.
She always wanted to know all the whys and wherefores."
"She thinks you're a wonderful teacher," Annie told him.
"I had a letter from her two days ago.
She says she can't wait to get back here after the wedding.
Now that William's becoming a Christian, nothing is holding her back any more, she wrote.
She always felt that it would be unfair for her to join a church if she hadn't even bother to baptise her own child but now that doesn't count any more."
Mother glanced at her watch.
"I've got to take my cake out of the oven.
Come in, Father."
"Sorry Monica, I've got some parishioners to visit.
I just came to check whether the catering for the dinner after Jimmy's ordination had been taken care of."
"Father, believe me, it's all under control.
Mother Duncan is organising everything and the way I know her there will be fourteen baskets of food left afterwards."
"I'll take your word for it.
Better get that cake out now before it burns and the baby's party's spoilt."
Mother hastily ran back indoors, Trudy crowing with delight on her arm.
Annie accompanied Father Tom to his car.
He was about to drive off when she remembered a question that had worried her.
"How can you tell if someone is called to be a priest, Father?"
Father Tom switched off his engine and said,
"Well, the first thing each of has has to ask ourselves is; Am I being called by Jesus?
The answer is a clear 'yes'.
Each of us is called by God to do something special for Him.
God has a project for each of us, a special path of life.
God created each of us with special care, gracing us with special gifts and blessings.
Sometimes He decides to call someone to do the task of being a priest.
A priest is a called to help people on their path towards God.
Someone called to be a priest will feel inside their heart that this is what God is calling them to do.
That is what I felt from my early years."
"What happens when a priest is ordained?"
"God blesses the priest to follow Him with special duties.
The priest takes on the responsibility of teaching others the principles of Jesus Christ in the Gospels.
This links back to the great times of the Old Testament where under the Law, priests were dedicated to the service of God.
The priest celebrates the Eucharist as Jesus told us to at the Last Supper.
Bread and Wine are taken and after a special blessing called consecration, are shared out as the Body and Blood of Jesus.
This is a mystery.
The priest also assist people to turn towards God and change their lives for the better when things have gone wrong in the past.
It is a wonderful work, and requires dedication and love."
Father Tom looked at his watch.
"Goodness. I must fly.
I wish I had wings like the children in the spiritual.
Do you know it?
I got wings you got wings - all God's chillun got wings ..."
He raised his hand in greeting and drove off.
As Annie walked back to the house to go and help her mother, she softly sang:
"When I go to heaven gonna sing all the blues away, heaven, heaven.
Everybody's talkin' 'bout heaven and I'm going there, heaven, heaven!"
See link for song "All God's Chillun got wings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StRzrTywUaM
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