Incarnation: Boot Camp for Kids

If you attended Catholic elementary school, that is, "grammar school," you spent many waking hours walking in line (See "marching") and practicing for important things: First Communion comes to mind immediately. But there were many others: Confirmation, Graduation, First Penance, the May Crowning, to name a few. There were, of course, the more regular rituals for which one practiced: mass, benediction, lining up in the morning, (first bell, freeze, second, walk to your line) dismissal, hymn practice ("egg shell see us"), and walking in the halls properly when you got to the upper grades and changed classes. We practiced for everything, even the correct way  to receive our report card. When the priest arrived at the classroom door, no matter what the teacher was doing, we had to pop out of our seat (Attention!) and in a unison sing song, say,"Good Morning, Father So and So" (Sir, yes, sir). Then, receive it, don't take it, say "Thank you, Father," return to your seat; do not look at it or discuss it with your neighbor. 


It was the Catholic kids' basic training. Follow the rules and you would be just fine. Step out of line and you could get whacked, literally. For me it was heaven. Naturally (or nurturally) inclined to follow rules, I was very good at grammar school. There was an us against her mentality most times, which was also fun. And fifty kids in a class made for a lot of action. Being smart was extremely helpful too in negotiating your way around the territory. Teachers back then did not suffer fools or dummies well at all. In some classes your seat was assigned according to your average. Can you imagine? What in God's name were they thinking. Yet I look back with fondness to those days, understanding the milieu and recognizing the many benefits of this eight-year training ground. After all, I am a Soldier of Christ, right?