“Forgiveness is not the fruit of our own efforts but rather a gift, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit who fills us with the wellspring of mercy and of grace that flows unceasingly from the open heart of the Crucified and Risen Christ.”
– Pope Francis
This past weekend was a double-header of second grade excitement with my youngest daughter Norah. Friday night was the annual Daddy-Daughter Dance followed by First Penance on Saturday morning. Over the years, the fantastic moms who organize the dance have figured out that the average threshold for both dad and daughter is about two hours. This being my tenth dance, I have my strategy: get there early to avoid the massive line waiting for the all-important photo booth. Most dads spend 25%-33% of their dance time waiting for three tiny pictures that will probably end up under a child’s bed or crammed in the kitchen junk drawer. There might be a solid third of the time spent actually dancing and the last third is usually the dad’s calculating and comparing the number of dances left to go – six for me.
The next morning many of us reconvened for First Penance. As I watched Norah line up and wait for her turn with one of the priests, a plethora of parents were standing up or moving over to try and grab a photo of their first penitent. I had certainly been in their shoes at one time, but this time - maybe because it was the last first penance in our house - I just enjoyed watching Norah, my phone tucked away, praying that this was the first of many visits to the sacrament.
As we drove home and Norah talked about how good she felt, I couldn’t help but think about the number of children in the Church for whom their first penance might be their last for a while. Despite my own knowledge and engagement in the faith, I can’t believe how infrequently it strikes me to make sure my children are taking advantage of this beautiful sacramental gift. How often in life and leadership do I focus too much on capturing the moment rather than being present to its meaning? Whether I’m worried about putting it on social media or in a frame, is it more important that I make sure the moment is safe in my heart?
I spent some of my Sunday trying to find the other photo booth reels from the older girls and I pinned them to the board of my home office to remind me that, as long as I’m their dad, I can and should always take them to dances and to the sacraments. Let’s start this new week grateful for all the moments we will have and, more importantly, may we be conscious of the meaning they have for us, those we love, and the One who loves us more than we can ever know.
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