Children of St Barnabas
Judith Alsop
It was a beautiful Sunday morning in southern California, both inside and outside of St. Barnabas Christian Orthodox church. Sunday morning Divine Liturgy never fails to enrich my soul in some way, but, on this one particular Sunday, blessings flowed through several children in my line of sight, all the way through the Liturgy. What a wonderful, unexpected blessing from the Holy Spirit!
First, a young boy about six or seven years old captured my attention. My husband and I had observed this little guy’s faithful attendance, along with his father, Sunday after Sunday. But this morning was different. He stood in front of us between his lovely blonde mom and his ruggedly handsome dad and could hardly contain himself. He would kiss the hand of his mom and then kiss the hand of his dad; then he would hold both their hands in his, sometimes jumping up and down. The boy’s joy bubbled over throughout the service, effervescent and contagious. “So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:4, NLT).
My second blessing came softly from a lovely pre-teen young lady lighting candles and praying directly in front of us at the candle stand with her younger siblings. The younger children returned to their seats fairly quickly after lighting their candles and praying. But, this sweet young girl lingered, her lips moving quietly in earnest prayer before her candle and the icons behind the candle stand. My heart was pricked by her devotion. Now, as I think of her, the prayerful beauty of Our Lady comes to mind. “Mary responded, ‘Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!’” (Luke 1:46-47, NLT).
Then came number three. You’ve heard that old saying, “Good things come in small packages.” Well, my third blessing arrived in the form of a small, live wire package of a tow-headed toddler. Held securely in his father’s arms, this little one was learning to venerate icons in a corner on the other side of the nave. Both were still in my line of vision. It was easy to see that this was very serious business to the toddler. And, when the priest came out to the Amvon to bless the people, both father and son reverently turned in his direction. Not a sound came from the “package.” His eyes locked onto the priest in anticipation. I thought to myself, “if only we adults would receive the priest’s blessing with such seriousness and expectation.” No wonder Jesus passionately loved the little ones: “Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them” (Mark 10:16, NLT).
As if three special children and the beauty of the Liturgy weren’t enough to fill my spiritual cup that Sunday morning, God began to pour out a flood of His compassion and love—making my cup overflow. At the end of the service, the priests and deacons assembled in front of the congregation to remember, pray for and bless “the blameless child, Jacob.” Nine year old Jacob had died earlier that week of a brain tumor. With tears in his eyes, our senior pastor shared with the congregation the joy he had in baptizing Jacob just days before. There were no dry eyes at this point, only wet ones. The clergy prayed and chanted, and we all sang the solemn “Memory Eternal,” in honor of our little brother Jacob. Together, we experienced the beauty, sweet sadness, and eternal quality of that moment. Silence reigned. And, Heaven beckoned: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14, NKJV).
So, my Sunday morning ended—in quiet contemplation. I have never been quite the same, and I’m still drinking from that overflowing spiritual cup blessed by the children.
Judy Alsop attends Saint Barnabas Orthodox Church in Costa Mesa, California with her husband Ron.