It seems like I’ve been speaking a lot of different languages lately (or at least singing them). Last Thursday night, Nicole and I attended a workshop with Liam Lawton, where we sang his new Irish Mass setting. Guess what it’s called? Aifreann Muire na nGael! For those of you who don’t speak Irish, that’s “Mass for Mary of the Gael.” St. Brigid of Kildare is called “Mary of the Gael” for her incredible evangelization in Ireland. I wish I could bring the “Gloria” back to the States but… it’s in Irish. Nicole and I did our best to pronounce everything correctly as we sang, and according to the other workshop participants, we did pretty well.
Nick and I have been in Scoil Mhuire very often in the last few weeks, between Class Masses and carol rehearsals. I’m looking forward to the 3rd & 4th classes singing in Polish and the 5th & 6th classes singing in Yoruba (a Nigerian language). Everyone has already done so much good work on their carols, and those groups in particular are doing so well with the languages! We are also working on more familiar carols like “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” The other day, in the senior infants classes (age 5), I asked, “Who are the faithful? Who came to see Jesus?” “Kings!” said one child. “Wise men!” said another. And then one little boy in the front, processing the murmurs around him, raised his hand and said, “The German shepherds!”
This doesn’t have anything to do with German shepherds, but you all needed to see the sunset from my window last week.
As Season 3 volunteer Dan would have put it, the kitchen smells like love this week. We are getting ready for Thanksgiving! I cooked my first-ever turkey on Monday. We have also been lucky to receive the gifts of meals and good company from our friends here in the last week. On Friday we had a great session (posing as rehearsal) with the Folk Group at Eimear’s house. (Why is it that my limited Irish dance skills are only called upon in rooms filled with people and heated by an open fire? Whew!) We dined with Fr. James on Saturday and with Fr. Sean McGraw’s family at Fr. John-Paul’s house on Tuesday. Fr. John-Paul told us a few weeks ago that meals together were the best example of his family’s love for each other. We are blessed to be invited into so many of our friends’ homes and made to feel welcome with their families – and tomorrow, we’ll dine with many in our Clonard family!
Preparing my first-ever turkey. So much butter!
