At Mass yesterday.

Usually, we take “art supplies” – a box of crayons and a sketch pad – with us to keep the Boy occupied during what, for him, are the more boring parts. Plus, since the Girl and Beloved sing in the contemporary choir, and they sing at the 6 pm Mass every Sunday except the first Sunday when they sing at noon, we usually are their for two hours. The contemporary choir practices at 5 pm on the Sundays they sing at 6. However, I always make the Boy stop coloring and pay attention during the Consecration. I want him to understand this is the most important part and have it slowly sink in that this is why we’re here.

Okay, so yesterday, being the first Sunday, it was the noon Mass, and we were coming to the consecration.

Our priest yesterday was our associate pastor. He is a tall, black priest (I love that my son gets to see a black priest regularly) who has an accent because I believe he’s from Africa. He’s a very spiritual man who sings a prayer before every homily and has the congregation sing “O Come let us adore him” after he consecrates each element.

Anyway, as he’s doing the prayers leading to the actualy consecration, I heard the Boy say something about “coconut.” He sometimes talks to himself for I ignored him. He was watching Father so I thought at least he wasn’t playing with some kid behind him.

Father begins to consecrate the host and the Boy said, “Is he going to say coconut?”

I whispered, “I don’t think he’s going to say that.”

The Boy watched.

Then it came time for the Precious Blood and the Boy’s eyes got big and he turned to me and said, “He’s going to say coconut soon. Listen.”

I was pretty sure Father was not going to say coconut, but the Boy was listening intently.

Father said, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting…”

The Boy said, “Coconut!”

I started laughing. “Covenant. Not Coconut.”

As it was All Soul’s Day, I’d been teary-eyed since my friend and her husband sang a duet they sing at funerals as prelude and I’d been thinking about my father and sister, this bit of laughter (probably not in the best place to lose focus, but whatever) was a gift from God.