This weekend

My godson (who is also my first cousin) is making his First Holy Communion this weekend, so I'm going to Ireland for a few days to be there for it (so probably won't be posting for a couple of days). Our uncle is celebrating the First Communion Mass on Saturday morning, so it's a real family occasion.

I've become very aware of the 'rules' and the 'right' way the Mass is celebrated - our PP is very fussy about the rules, and not necesarily in a positive way (but that is a whole other story I doubt I'll ever tell because I get too frustrated. Anyway...). In Ireland, they have a different focus - but I haven't worked out what it is yet. The Mass tends to be more relaxed, correct (as far as I can tell), but less 'right'. The Mass is less formal, but the relationship between people and priest is very formal. Whereas in England, the Mass is very formal and the relationship between people and priest is more relaxed.

When we go home to Ireland, we (me and my sisters and my godson and his brothers) have a tradition of going to the local graveyard to pay our respects at the family graves, especially our grandparents. Last time I was home we went to the graveyard as usual. And suddenly the boys came out with all these questions: 'What happens when you die?', 'What's heaven like?', 'Are all these people in heaven?', 'What's God like?'....... I was completely overwhelmed - it was so unexpected. It was almost like they had been saving up these questions to ask me - they knew I would answer them (or try to).

I'm almost afraid what I'll be asked this time (!).