Ta da!

We have had our first official performance of the new season!
It was for a youth retreat in Ocala, Fl. On Saturday, we got an early start to the day (think rising at 5:45 am! Eek!) , since we had a four hour road trip ahead of us, plus a McD’s stop… ☺ It was a bit drizzly and cloudy out, but that didn’t dampen our enthusiasm or that of the kids we performed for! There were about fifty of them from 6 different parishes in the Ocala/Tampa area. They were a really great group, very attentive and very lively. Perhaps too attentive though, as I quickly found out. In the play we did, I start out as the worldly narrator and at one point I ask the kids to give me some examples of what you need to be perfect. The idea is to get them to say cars, money, fancy clothes, lots of friends, etc, to set up for my next lines. Unfortunately (fortunately?) they were too smart for me. One kid raised his hand, and said “No one is perfect.” “You need to love Jesus” was another one. Rats. They spoiled my lines… What was I supposed to say? “No, no, no, guys, you’re supposed to be worldly and answer all the wrong things….” And so confuse them? And yet I couldn’t stay in character and admit they were right either. Ah, well, the difficulties of life on stage. ☺
The rest of the play went well. Both the youth leaders and the youths loved Mary’s performance as the perfect girl whose little falls lead up to a big fall, and who at the end finally returns to Jesus and His Love. One boy asked me if I was the devil. It was amazing to see how seriously they took the play, and how much they really do understand. One of the kids came up to us to compliment us on the simplicy of our set and props. "I was able to really focus on the story," she said. Another one raised his hand during the little talk I gave after the play. Expecting a question on the real meaning of perfection, I knodded at him. "Can I have that bracelet?" he asked instead, pointing at one of our props... Yes, kids are indeed a serious bunch.
We ran an icebreaker game (Immaculata, a fast-paced version of Musical Chairs) later in the day, and also gave out white paper roses to help remind the kids about the theme of the retreat: making good choices. Those roses looked so simple… but tell that to our hands after rolling, folding, and trimming, fifty of them, petal by petal, stem after stem! Ah me! Ok, fine, so I don’t really merit too much sympathy…
It was a great experience! May the Holy Spirit work His wonders and inspire us all to love God more and more!
Elizabeth