The next day was Sunday. Devon arose late to the sound of the hustle and bustle of his mother getting his brother and sister dressed for church. She was in his and his brother’s room helping his younger brother pick out some nice clean clothes for church. Seeing that Devon was awake she said to him, “Get up, Devon, and get ready for church.” For Devon, church was okay but as he grew older it started to become tedious and was way too long. He liked the music but sometimes the preacher went on and on and he had a hard time trying to stay awake. But still feeling some of the glow from his experience with Father Peter, he got up and started putting on his Sunday best.
The custom on Sunday was to grab a light breakfast, maybe a bowl of cereal, and after church come home and make a big home cooked meal. Sometimes his aunts and uncles and cousins would come over or his family would go over to one of their houses for the Sunday meal. He knew that today everyone was coming to his house for he had seen his mom preparing some food on Saturday for the Sunday family feast. He knew his grandma would be there and he was anxious to tell her his story about the Catholic priest. She was wise, he thought, and would understand.
In church, after Sunday school, all the youth went upstairs to join the adults in prayer. After some singing and prayer there was a moment when each person had a chance to thank God for something. At the end of the thanksgiving they would all refrain, “Thank you Lord.” He liked this part because it was sort of an update of the good things happening in the community. Today, one young boy he knew, about his own age, got up and said, “Thank you Lord for helping my mom get beds for us kids and a refrigerator to replace our broken one. The congregation said, “Thank you Lord” and Devon quietly smiled since he knew the source of these blessings.
Near the end of the service the minister called on everyone to hold hands and say the Lord’s Prayer. When they got to the part of, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” he remembered that Father Peter had asked him what this meant and to think about it. He had forgotten to ask Father Peter what he thought it meant. But now suddenly it did not matter. He knew exactly what, “Thy kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven” meant. It meant families getting beds, stoves and refrigerators due to the generosity of others and passing their blessings on to others. It meant sharing and helping to create a healthier environment and that this would catch on like fire and multiply, like the bread or the millions, until someday God’s Kingdom on Earth, would be more clearly apparent to all. After the Lord’s Prayer, the choir sang out a big “Alleluia” and he joined in with the people praising the Lord.
When he got home he discovered his mother had been baking a ham in the oven during church and had made some greens and sweet potatoes. Soon his aunt and family came over with some good looking fried chicken and another aunt brought over salad greens. But the most awaited food was his grandmother’s pecan and sweet potato pies. They were for desert, so one had to save some room for them.
After everyone was present, Uncle Joseph, the eldest in the family besides grandma stood up to say a prayer before the meal. He thanked God for the family and food and said how blessed they were for grandma and everyone in the family. Then, as was his custom, he turned to one of the children present asking to lead the rest in prayer. The child would lead them in some prayer or song they had learned in Sunday school. Today he turned to Devon, and said, “Devon, last Friday was your birthday, could you lead us in prayer?” Devon stood up and all eyes turned toward him. Devon said, “Let us pray together the Lord’s Prayer” and then he began “Our Father…” and everyone joined in with him. When they came to the part of “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is Heaven,” Devon looked over the family gathered around the table and again smiled for now he knew the answer to the question posed by Father Peter on the meaning of “Thy Kingdom Come… on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
Written by Bob Graf and Joe Radoszewski with technical assistance by Dave Kruschke.
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