Advent ideal time for kids to ponder what
Baby
Jesus would want for HIS birthday
By Ann Hauprich
“How
would you feel if it was your birthday and everybody -- except you – was
receiving presents?”During her four decades teaching the
Liturgy of the Word to children in three states, Barbara Garro never ceases
to be amazed by the answers she receives from kids ranging from preschoolers
to fifth graders.
Indeed the Saratoga Springs, NY grandmother who
sometimes makes bookstore appearances costumed as Mother Goose could fill
multiple volumes with the equivalent of Kids Say the Darndest Things
responses to that question and its segue: “What do you think Jesus would
most like to receive from you on His birthday?”
While gold,
frankincense and myrrh were once upon a time proverbial favorites with those
on the brink of adolescence, replies more often than not revolve around the
latest popular Christmas toys, increasingly those in the realm of electronic
gadgets.
To which Garro, a longtime active St. Clement’s parishioner,
is apt to seize the teachable moment by asking:
“Can you really see
Jesus playing with that?”Mindful of the importance of
encouraging youngsters to use their minds as a gateway to opening their
hearts to the needs of others, Garro then gently nudges:
“Let’s take a
moment to think about this. Imagine giving Jesus something HE wants – not
something YOU want.”Taking time to examine their consciences,
Christmas tree light bulbs can almost be seen popping in the heads of
members of the younger generation.
“Maybe Baby Jesus would like it if
I tried to be nicer to my little sister,” piped up one tyke. “I think it
might make Baby Jesus happy if I didn’t always wait until bedtime to pray to
Him so he doesn’t get lonely during the daytime,” suggested another.
Variations on the theme ranged from picking up toys and making beds
without being asked by a parent to offering to bring added holiday cheer to
an elderly or disabled relative or neighbor.
Indeed once the presents
to Baby Jesus portal opens, Garro is often awed by the ways children yearn
to perform both corporal and spiritual works of mercy consistent with their
age groups. “It’s inspiring to discover how much love is in their hearts.
How much they long to find ways to grow closer to Jesus and to honor Him
with presents they believe would please HIM on HIS birthday.”
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Perhaps
most inspiring about Garro as she joyfully goes about the business of
preparing her newest evangelization adventure
5 Minutes with Jesus radio
program that Alive Radio Network out of Cohoes, New York hosts Sunday
through Thursday at 7:25 a.m. is how much research goes into her
family-friendly grow your faith show.
“I love what St. Francis said
about how it is in giving that we receive and, unbeknownst to my young
students last December, I was at the receiving end of much comfort and joy
from them as they shared their plans for making sure Baby Jesus came first
as His birthday neared,” reflects Garro.
While some of her Liturgy of the Word teaching plans for the
New Year remain under wraps due to ongoing COVID parental concerns, Garro --
who is also the author of several Christian books -- is determined to find
ways to inspire her students to glorify God by making the best possible use
of their talents.
“Several years ago, when Father Joseph C. Tizio,
C.Ss.R., was Pastor at St. Clement’s, Our Parish Council had a poetry
contest for an upcoming Taize Service in Our Lady’s Chapel that resulted in
a booklet created by St. Clement's Regional Catholic School students in
grades K-5 being published and sent to Pope Benedict,” recalls Garro.
Her inspiration for sending the booklet to The Vatican? “Imagine just
for a moment being the Pope and the kinds of things he normally receives in
the mail. The booklet he received from St. Clement’s contained a copy of
every single poem that was entered in the contest. And judging from the
thank you letter Garro subsequently received from Pope Benedict, the verses
penned by some of St. Clement’s youngest parishioners made an indelible
impression on the Pontiff’s heart. “The Pope received all the poems entered
in the contest and responded with a letter that blessed both the students
and me,” beams Garro.
Some St. Clement’s students were also featured
in a volume of a four-part “Jesus Series” by Garro. All four titles received
an Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat from the current Censor Librorum and Bishop
of Albany, New York Diocese. “My third book in the Jesus Series (
Living
the Call of God) has stories from various St. Clement's parishioners
ranging in age from their 90s down to fifth graders whose comments on how
they live their calls of God are in a single chapter whereas the rest of the
stories are spread throughout the 33 chapters of Parables,” explains Garro,
who hopes to contribute to the building of children’s faith long into the
future.
To learn more, visit
http://www.barbaragarro.com/.
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