Mass for Homeschoolers

Every year the Archbishop visits each area school to acknowledge the good effort of teachers and students in each school and to say Mass for them. Since the homeschool movement began to blosom within the past ten years, the Archbishop has also said a Mass specifically for homeschoolers at one church or another. This year's Mass was Friday at St. Jude's and I found out about it far enough in advance to make an effort to attend. I'm so glad I did.

We were looking forward to hearing Archbishop Wilton Gregory preside but were surprised to see the newly installed Auxiliary Bishop Louis Zarama! I am going to attempt to describe the event to the best of my ability and paraphrase what he said which will surely not do him justice. So please forgive the terrible job I do, but I would like to share and remember for myself his beautiful, simple message.

In spite of my best efforts at promptness, we didn't arrive until right before the priests processed up the aisle. I've been to Mass at St. Jude's a few times before so I explained to the children in the car on the way that every little noise they make will echo ten times over off the stone walls and they have no cry room wherein I could retreat. The children would have to be exceptionally quiet or we would have to leave the Mass.

The church was filled with large families like my own. There were several nursing mothers quieting babies outside the church and several mothers with toddlers and babies right inside the doors. Usually at events such as this I would have been one of those mothers, but this year my children were old enough to sit through a Mass in a pew! This is a big thrill for me to actually be able to sit and hear!

The choir were all made up of homeschool children. Their voices sounded like little cherub and several times I just wanted to cry because they sang so beautifully. Around this time little Nobby and JPII had to go to the bathroom so we left to find a restroom. (Had I arrived earlier we could've taken care of this little bit of business before Mass started.)

We didn't get back into the church until just as the gospel was being read. As everyone seated themselves after the gospel I became painfully aware of what a large group of large families sounds like when seated in a large acoustically challenged church. We are a loud bunch! This was not the typical Sunday Mass. No, this was definitely a homeschool Mass. And it sounded very much like my own homeschool - LOUD, though not unpleasant to those of us who homeschool because we are used to it!

Why the Auxiliary Bishop Zarama didn't wear a microphone to deliver his homily I will never know, so it was painfully difficult to hear him above the surrounding noise. The fact that I heard him at all is a miracle in itself. He is obviously a very humble man. He projects rather well, but there were a lot of competing voices! He didn't stand up behind the ambo either, he came directly down to the front pews which made him difficult to see as well. (Heavy sigh!)

Here is where I will try to paraphrase what I "think" he said. He began sharing his childhood memories of his school. He would often try to exit the noise and busyness of school to find the Lord in the quiet of the chapel. He knew God's love for him. God is love. Those who know God are always smiling because they are happy. They know they are loved. Homeschoolers have the unique challenge of bearing with one another throughout the day in close quarters. He challenged us, parents and students, to find the quiet "chapel" in our home to spend time with the Lord to hear his call and renew the knowledge of his love for each of us.

Mass proceeded with the background noise, but there was something about the music, the Lord's presence and the cacaphony of families present that made the whole Mass very beautiful and meaningful for me. We are indeed loved in spite of our multitude of imperfections. The children at the Mass were being children. We families are who we are. God's grace was present and moving there and daily in our schools because God is good in spite of our efforts just because he loves us.

I suppose to those who don't homeschool the whole affair might have seemed rude to the Auxiliary Bishop or rude behavior at Mass. But to those of us who are in the trenches daily this Mass, with all its noise, was a shout of praise to God and petition for the grace to continue in spite of ourselves.

If someone reads this who attended the Mass and finds that I've made errors about his speech or the events that unfolded there, then please leave a comment.

Now I have to go because my son is going to get x-rays for a possible broken wrist. Prayers, please.