Strong and Humble

The Triduum services are truly some of the most beautiful in the Liturgical year. Our family tries to attend every year. For the past several years, our son, now age 15, has served every Mass from Holy Thursday through Easter morning.

How beautiful to see a teenage boy offer so much of his time for the Church.

During our recent Good Friday service, our pastor and the servers made the great procession up the aisle, carrying the huge wooden cross, in order that we, the congregation, might venerate it.

I sat, silently praying and thanking Our Lord for His great sacrifice and gave thanks that my family and I could gather with our parish family to pay homage and worship, together.

In the moments just preceding the time when we would get in line to make our way to the cross, the altar servers were given an opportunity to do so, first.

My heart welled with joy and my eyes, with tears, as I watched these strong, tall, handsome young men, in full cassock and surplice, hold the cross for each other. One at a time, each server stepped down, turned, and humbly bent over to gently embrace and kiss the cross, as my son wiped it with the pure white cloth he was holding. Then, he handed the cloth to a fellow server and took his turn to honor this great symbol of the central belief of our Faith.

These teenage boys, who, when found in a front yard, on a football field, in a parking lot, or at the mall, are often seen laughing, boisterous, competitive, and active, were now silent, intentional, focused, prayerful, and humble.

Each one kissed that cross with such love and emotion.

I was so thankful for these mentors to our younger sons in the pews beside us...these teens, whom they look up to...were showing themselves to be strong, yet humble...acknowledging their "littleness" before their Savior and venerating His cross in solemn ceremonious unity.

These young men, I thought, will save the church. They will restore our families.

They will serve the community and government. They will change the world.

Strong and humble.

How blessed I am to know them.

image credit: Doctor Bob