Page 6 - Fruit of the Vine issue no. 1

Fruit of the Vine | June 2021
FRUIT OF THOSE WHO GATHERED
In May 2020, we were scheduled to celebrate First Confession and First Communion with our Good Shepherd children. I was looking
forward to it because the excitement before Confession is a real joyful longing. They express this by saying “When will Monsignor be back? Can we go to Confession yet?”
However, it was not meant to be because two sessions into our sacramental preparation we had to close due to Covid-19.
Here we are one year later, back together. We have made our way through our five preparation sessions and the retreat. It has been different, but it has been good. The children were very excited to finally get to have the retreat and First Communion! And let us not forget pizza dinner with Monsignor! We celebrated First Communion on the Fifth Sunday of Easter, the Gospel of the True Vine.
I ponder in my heart all the little pearls that the children have revealed to
me: They know the Good Shepherd and all the gifts he gives. They know the love he has for them and they are aware that they
are to share that love with everyone! They spoke of the relief that the Forgiving Father must have felt when he saw his son returning. They also spoke of the life in the seed that fell to the ground and died as being “infinity,” “not really an end,” “a
beginning”! They picked up on that quickly!
We were able to add some aspects of the Roman model to our preparation this year and I think it was made possible because of the
pandemic. We must move and change as needed. Parents attended the five preparation sessions. Juliana gathered with the adults in the Atrium to reflect on the scripture while Manuela and I gathered with the children in front of the tabernacle. We added the white garment to our celebration, having parishioners sew and hem them. Parents were willing to try this.
The retreat was a true gift, because again I could see the communion that takes place there, somehow
different than what is
experienced in our
regular Atrium time.
Because of the time and
space we are allowed,
and the fellowship that
happens in eating
lunch together and
playing outside, we
seem to get to share more of ourselves, more of our stories. I enjoyed seeing their unmasked faces while we ate at a distance outdoors. What a treat to see their little smiles again!
I am again struck by their response to the examination of conscience. It is as if that meditation sums everything up for them. The quiet, intense work that takes place afterward as they write their confession is impressive and humbling to say the least.
Reconciliation was lovely. The children were so relaxed, and a calm peaceful presence rested on them. They were ready. They commented that they felt “Good” afterward.
I look forward to the next opportunity to celebrate a retreat . Each retreat is unique, and I am constantly being shaped by the work the children and I do together with God.
Maureen Foster Fernandes (Winnipeg, MB)
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