Let’s call him Matthew (because it is a name I like). Matthew is a seven-year-old boy whom I had been seeing at Mass lately. He’s usually sitting in the first row in the semi-circular church of the University of Malta. While on holidays, a few friends and I would go for Saturday evening celebration there, and then go out for supper at a restaurant. So, for a few weeks, I used to notice Matthew. He would always come with his mother (for some reason I never saw a father), and, as soon as he would come in the church, he would be the centre of attraction.
Mathew, you see, is a cute little boy with Downs’ Syndrome. Most seven-year-old boys, as we know, are quite fidgety and cannot stay put, and most children with Downs’ Syndrome get our attention because they seem to have a knack for making friends and attach to people very easily. This is the case with Matthew. As soon as he comes in, he runs immediately to the sacristy to meet the priest, who seems to have known him for quite a long time. Now, imagine a young boy who has to stay quiet, and sit properly with a mask on (because of COVID protocol) for a Mass which is targeted for intellectual adults!
Last Saturday was no exception. Matthew’s mother had a hard time to try to make him sit properly and not in the lotus position on the chair. He wouldn’t. And as soon as his mother would quietly try put his legs down, they would immediately bounce up automatically. But again, there was no way to stop the activity, and I noticed that his mother did not want to make a fuss.
The time for Holy Communion arrived. Matthew did not stand up like the rest of us. He sat, but he put out his hands in the proper way for receiving communion. It was then that a most extraordinary thing happened. As soon as he put the consecrated host in his mouth, he put his hands between his legs, his shoulders raised, a big smile on his face and his whole body shivered with what looked like pure delight. It was as if something out of this world took hold of him, his eyes looked upwards and through them shone an immense joy, pure bliss. The whole experience was over in a few seconds. I could not believe my eyes. I looked at one of my friends sitting next to me and she nodded and smiled. She had seen the whole thing!
Bro Carmel Duca MC
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