From the Mouths of Babes

Blessings on this great Feast of the Annunciation! This morning in the Divine Office, we chanted Iam Caeca Vis Mortalium, a 4th century hymn written as a poem by Prudentius. It is a beautiful reflection on the mystery of the Incarnation, in which the fifth and sixth verses read,

This is the day when life itself 

Leapt down to earth in secret guise, 

Becoming truly flesh and blood 

To rescue man, his love’s great price. 

What treasure, hidden and divine, 

Reposed in Mary’s virgin womb, 

The golden dawn of perfect day, 

New light dispelling sin and gloom.

In honor of Our Lord’s entrance into the world as a child, we thought we would share with you some of the many profound and humorous reflections we hear from the children we know.

From an eight-year old in a class that was having Q&A with visiting sisters,

Boy: “Sister, John the Baptist had his head cut off, right?”

Sister: “Yes, that’s right.”

Boy: ” So… is he in Heaven with his head, or without his head?”

From a kindergartener, learning that Jesus had both died and was Resurrected,

“Wait! That’s what Easter is all about, that Jesus came back to life?!”

From a non-Catholic 4th grader, receiving his first exposure to Eucharistic Theology by hearing a Eucharistic hymn,

Boy: “Wait, when you receive Holy Communion you receive God?!?”

Sister: “Yes, that’s right.”

Boy: “and when you receive Him, you become more like God?!?”

This boy has retained great attraction for the Catholic Faith, and even for the priesthood, ever since, though not yet a member of the Church.

From a 6 year-old, upon her Mother’s commenting that she’s not sure why she has a tradition of serving Lasagna on Palm Sunday,

“Mommy, I know why we have Lasagna! Because when Jesus came in the city, all the people yelled, ‘Lasagna! Lasagna!”

From a sixth grader, looking queasy on learning that King David had multiple wives,

“You mean… he married a lot of girls?”

From a kindergartner, during a lesson on Adam and Eve, Sister was teaching that in the Garden of Eden, the Devil told Adam and Eve that if they disobeyed God, they would become like God. Eve listened to the Devil and disobeyed God.

Little Girl: “Then they became like God, right?”

Sister: “No, the Devil had lied to them.”

Little Girl: “Oh, that’s bad.”

And, a few photos to show what the Sisters have been doing lately: