Parenthood: A Training Ground for Heaven
My five-year old was too noisy for the narthex. I took her outside.
I had hoped our Spring Break would be one to catch up on rest. But we got very little sleep between late nights with friends and a five-year old who seemed to keep her usual school wake up hour despite them.
I knelt on the concrete at last Sunday’s Mass, trying to console my overtired daughter and worship the elevated Host I saw through the window at the same time. It wasn’t what I preferred. I felt my patience wearing thin. And I thought of the Gospel.
“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:24),” Jesus said. He certainly spoke of the brutal Passion He was about to endure, and the red martyrdom of bloodshed meant for a few. But He also spoke of the white martyrdom to which the rest of us are certainly called.
Parenthood is such a training ground for Heaven. You have to put yourself aside for another. So, I tried to remember that during Mass as my daughter hit me in frustration and cried for things that seemed like nonsense. I offered my repeated utterances of "Please don't hit me," and "It's going to be okay," as worship because I could not worship in the quiet way I wanted. And then I went home to do not as I pleased, but as my family needed for their lunches and much needed rest. I was frustrated because I was tired too, but I offered it to the Father.
And later, I was amazed to find two amazingly cheerful and cooperative sisters who wanted to help with dinner. I had pessimistically expected to find fruit borne years later. But the Lord was kind to give me a sample sooner.
Even the smallest moments of “dying” can be painful, but when united to the One who willingly died for us, they will bear fruit. Jesus guaranteed it. May we have the faith to remember and believe that.