Monday 26th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Luke 9:46-50

Childlike Wonder

St. Kateri Pow Wow 9/25/21

My computer crashed out on me Friday right in the middle of working on my reflections!  Every time I tried to restart it, I still couldn’t recover my files.  I felt that they were lost and I would have to start all over from scratch.  It was a good (?) old-fashioned meltdown.  I was not a happy camper; and Ginger can certainly attest to that, unfortunately!  It was the closing to a very stressed-out week, some things going from bad to worse, one big ball of stress!

And then Saturday happened and everything changed, everything brightened!  We, the St. Kateri Center, held our first Pow Wow in almost 2 years.  An outdoor festival of music, dance and food!  Finally an opportunity to gather together with friends and family to celebrate and to commemorate all those children who lost their lives and their innocence in the tragedy of the residential school system in Canada and in the US.

We got to reconnect with so many friends and community members, even my 3 favorite ‘baptizees – Skye, Sofie and Phoenix!  And we were delighted to be there when Ayasha (little Jellybean) entered the powwow circle for the first time, dancing in her regalia with family and friends and blessing the blankets as she danced.

Sometimes that is all it takes – the simple joy on a child’s face, the sheer exuberance as they play and dance – to remind us all that lost files can be replaced, that time is precious, and that the love and grace of the Creator is all we need to get through the worst of days.  Aho!  Miigwetch!

“Jesus took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”

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