My Mass Book

A Young Catholic Missal

By Rev. Demetrius Manousos

Ill. by Catherine Barnes

Copyright 1954

While the Mass of my childhood is slightly different than the 1954 Mass depicted in this children’s book, looking through the pages does bring back some very early memories.

My first memories of going to church are from quiet early morning Masses I attended with my mother.  I was always an early riser and sometimes when I got up very, very early, I could catch my mother before she headed out the door to church.  I knew she was going to church because she was wearing a little hat with a veil.  I think I remember her wearing skirts and nylons too, and that was definitely not a common occurrence!  She was most likely hoping to get some quiet time without children before the start of a busy day, but I wouldn’t hesitate to ruin her plans by asking if I could go with.  And I remember that sometimes she would sigh deeply, but then agree to take me along.  I didn’t know why we went to Mass, it was just something we did.

This little book uses simple language to attempt to explain something very mysterious.  I say attempt, because how can you really explain the unexplainable in words?  

I’ll be taking a little walk down my block today to go to church for Easter Mass – the same church I went to so many years ago as a very young child.  While I have a greater understanding than I did back then, no book can really explain to me what is happening at the Mass.  After all, faith is so much more than words. 
  

Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose

Dr. Seuss

Copyright 1948

“Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.”  This is the biblical principle commonly referred to as The Golden Rule.  On the surface, it seems like a good rule to consistently live by.  After reading Dr. Seuss’s Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, though, it becomes apparent that some cautions are warranted. 

Thidwick happily lives with his moose friends and indeed shows that he has a big heart.  When a tiny Bingle Bug, looking for a place to live, decides to take up residence in Thidwick’s antlers, he is enthusiastically welcomed.  As the story progresses, more and more creatures take advantage of Thidwick’s kindness and soon, his antlers are loaded with guests.  Some painfully pluck hairs out of Thidwick’s head and others go so far as to peck holes in his antlers.  Thidwick knows the importance of being kind to your guests, and quietly suffers.  
  
Eventually, poor Thidwick is so weighed down by his heavy load that he finds he can’t even run from the hunters who are chasing him.  Fortunately, at the last moment, Thidwick remembers that moose shed their antlers each year.  He drops his antlers and then escapes, leaving behind that load full of the creatures that had been so selfishly taking advantage of his hospitality.
  
I wonder if Thidwick learned his lesson.  The following year, did he temper his kindness with the knowledge that he can set boundaries?  Did he realize that he needs to take care of himself too? I hope he learned that there can be a fine line between showing kindness and hospitality and being taken advantage of by bullies.  

 

Christopher Robin Gives Pooh a Party

By A.A. Milne

Illustrated by Ernest Shepard

Copyright 1926

This edition 1990

This particular volume is one of a set of six books that was produced by Dutton Children’s Books as a promotional item for BP.  I came across it recently at a used book store.

In this Winnie the Pooh story, Pooh has previously saved Piglet from a flood.  Although he couldn’t swim, Pooh had bravely used first a honey pot, then an umbrella as a boat to rescue his friend from disaster.

Christopher Robin decides to throw Pooh a party in honor of his bravery.  While gathered at the table with the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood, Pooh is given a present from Christopher Robin.  It is a pencil box with special pencils labeled B for Bear, HB for Helping Bear, and BB for Brave Bear.   Pooh is delighted with his gift.  

The first lesson in this book comes from Christopher Robin.  Celebrate your friends.  Celebrate their acts of bravery, however big or small.  Honor their acts of kindness. 

The second lesson comes from Winnie the Pooh.  Accept gifts with joy and with knowledge of the spirit in which they were given.

Christopher Robin gave graciously and Winnie the Pooh accepted graciously.  What a lovely combination. 

Strawberry Girl

Lois Lenski

Copyright 1945

This edition 1977

Strawberry Girl was the first chapter book I ever read on my own.  I was in second grade, and very proud of my newfound ability to read, and obviously very ambitious.  I remember struggling through it, sounding out the words. A month later, I had finished the book, having absolutely no idea what it was about.  The effort it took to sound out each individual word hampered my ability to comprehend.  

Birdie Boyer’s family has just moved to Florida with plans of growing strawberries and other crops to sell.  Although they all work hard, their plans are sometimes complicated not only by nature, but by the rowdy Slater family next door.  In the opening chapters, Birdie’s first day of school was going quite well, until the rough neighbor boys beat the teacher so badly that school was cancelled for a long time after.  At the beginning, it seems the Boyers are all good and the Slaters are all bad, but Lenski develops the characters well so we see that neither family is free from blame for their sometimes violent disagreements.  This story captures a time and place in history quite well and gives us a glimpse into the hardships faced by a family in rural Florida in the 1920’s.

The lesson I recall when seeing this book is not from the story itself, but from my memories of reading it as a seven year old.  It’s not enough to sound out the words.  One also has to grasp the full meaning of those words as they are linked together.  So much of life is like that.  Take each event, each conversation, each experience separately and you might not comprehend the meaning.  Only when you link it all together is there true understanding.