Merry Christmas
As I was sitting spellbound in our new building last evening at the ‘18th annual Mount Royal Christmas Pageant’, my thoughts were immediately brought to just how far we have come from the ‘1st annual Mount Royal Christmas Pageant’. But have we?
On my way to the office this morning after dropping off my nine year old at MRA, my thoughts went back to the early formative days of MRA. We had very humble beginnings to say the least. MRA occupied a wing of an old hospital building. The patient’s rooms were the classrooms. The newborn nursery was the office. The hallway was the site of the first pageant. At that first pageant the kids sang, kids dressed up to emulate the holy family, parents were snapping pictures, teachers were scurrying around watching over their little cherubs, directing, guiding like dutiful teachers. Then the climactic end to the pageant the baby Jesus was placed in a make-shift manger. Christ was born! Everyone in attendance say “Yay”, in a school no less. Wow my kids could profess the faith without fear of reprisal. This school thing could work? Maybe? Hopefully?
Last night’s pageant was in a sparking new building with microphones, comfortable seats, ten times the amount of people in attendance. Wow! Guess what, the kids sang, dressed up to emulate the holy family, parents were snapping pictures, and teachers were scurrying around watching over their little cherubs, directing, guiding like dutiful teachers. Then the climactic end to the pageant the baby Jesus was placed in a make-shift manger. Christ was born! This school thing is working! It is safe to say that Jesus, Mary and Joseph were at the center of MRA at the beginning and they remain with us today. We are even blessed with the True Presence of the Lord. Is it any wonder that this school thing is working?
I was blessed to have four children participate in the pageant last evening. My seventeen year old daughter Mary, who was a recent graduate from MRA, directed the choral portion of the program, and three of her brothers performed. A proud Dad and Mom moment to be sure. Huh, this school thing works!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Fred Bocko
