***
When they stopped being dizzy they found themselves within sight of the gates of some ancient city. They were surrounded by men and horses. At that moment light brighter than the sun threw one of the men from his horse and a very familiar voice (the most wonderful voice that any of the children had ever heard) spoke. It said, “Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
The man on the ground said something the children couldn't understand.
“I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” When the man's companions recovered from the shock of hearing a booming voice coming from the sky, something which apparently never happened before sound systems were invented, they realized their fallen companion had become blind. So they took him by the hand and led him to the city. The children followed. It was apparent no one in that group could see or hear them, so they were able to talk freely.
“Now what do we do?” Lucien asked, still whiny.
“How should I know?” This was Lily.
“Oh,” Logan remembered to tell the others, “the rules changed after Jesus rose from the dead. Touching Jesus' ancestors doesn't work.”
New Rules
“Might have told us that befoy.” Even Molly was being kind of short with Logan.
“It's ok. I know what to do.” Logan addressed Lily, “You were reading the story. Any idea where the Christians are hiding?”
“No.” Lily chewed her lip. “But I know the name of the one who heals Paul of his blindness. Ananias. Maybe we could look for him.”
“So where do we start?” This was Lucien.
“Look for a church?” suggested Lily.
“I think the early Christians celebrated in home churches.” Logan was fiddling with some change he had found in his pocket.
“Stop making that noise. I'm trying to think.” Lily's face brightened. “They had to look for new members, though,” she said. “I think they found them at the Jewish church.”
“Synagogue,” Lucien remembered the word. “Let's go see where the religious people hung out.”
They followed groups of people as they walked about the city and eventually they were led to a large plain structure with an image of a candle stand imprinted in the stonework. They followed the worshippers into the simple structure, open, except for supporting columns. There were benches along the sides. The children sat to regroup. After a thinking pause Lily said, “Maybe we should split up and listen for anyone who says the word, Ananias. When you hear that name raise your hand.”
So they mingled. Have you ever tried to figure out what people are saying when they are speaking in a foreign language? All the words slur together and it seems the people are talking so fast. So to an outsider (if an outsider would have been able to see the children) the looks on the faces of Logan, Lily, Lucien and Molly were so confused and frustrated. Finally they regrouped to see if anybody would have another idea. As luck would have it (or grace…?) that was when one man yelled across the room, “Ananias!” An older gentleman near them looked up.
“There he is!” Lucien pointed, and then they realized that Ananias could see and understand them. They followed at a distance as Ananias spoke with the other man. He seemed aware they were waiting for them.
“You children are not from Damascus.” There was an understatement.
“No.” Logan gestured to his siblings. “We're from the future and we need someone who practices Christianity to help us get back home.”
Ananias nodded. “Jesus told me this when I was in prayer.” Then his face became disturbed. “He also told me that I need to go to the aid of one of the greatest enemies of our people.” He shook his head. “I am loathe to do it.”
“I know this is hard to believe,” Lily's face was earnest, “but you can trust Saul. He becomes one of Christianity's greatest heroes.”
Ananias stroked his beard, then he nodded. “What is it that you children need?”
“We have to receive the Eucharist,” Logan said, “you know-- the Body and Blood of Jesus.”
Ananias beckoned. “Come with me.”
He led them to a cave-like home where a couple dozen robe clad people had gathered. Their service began with Old Testament prophesies and psalms pertaining to Jesus. Then there were petitions and then the same prayers that St. Jude had prayed with Logan. When the children received their morsels of bread (or a blessing, for the littler ones) they were sent home.
“See…?” Lily looked around. No one had noticed. “Mere minutes.”
“What happens to St. Paul-- Saul?” Lucien asked.
“Ananias baptizes him and then scales fall from his eyes so that he can see he's sinned.”
“I'd like to see that!” Lucien exclaimed.
“So would I.” Logan looked at him again.
“Oh.” Lucien looked at his lap, then at his older brother. “I'm sorry Abel and I excluded you.”
“That's okay.” Logan smiled.
Cupcakes
“I feel sorry for St. John,” Lily said, as the Gonkers were heading to their car after Mass on Sunday.
“Why?' Lucien was trying to kick a pebble in a straight line as he walked, scooping it back when it strayed from center.
“Didn't you hear Father say he was a prisoner on Patmos?” Lily pursed her lips. “And he was really old then, too. We should bring him something.”
“Like a saw baked into a cake?” Logan suggested with a sneaky grin.
“Or maybe only a little cake. Remember how much George loved birthday cupcakes-- he bought them all the time. We could just try to brighten St. John's day.” The more Lily thought about it the better an idea it seemed. So she asked her mother if they could make some special day cupcakes, the ones with piped frosting and sprinkles. They baked them together and her mom, who was quite gifted in cake decorating, showed Lily how to make them look perfect. Then Lily put a sparkling little cake in the plastic container which had held the cupcake holders and all the Gonker children gathered around the Book as she read.
When the spinning stopped they were crammed with a very ancient and scraggly looking man into a very tight cave with a low slanted roof. St. John (the Apostle) seemed unsurprised by their presence. “Am I in the third Heaven again?”
Finne crowded into the old man's personal space. “What's the third Heaven?”
“You should know,” St. John's overgrown eyebrows shot up, “unless you came from someplace else.” He quickly made the sign of the cross.
“We did,” Molly gave him her most reassuring smile.
“We're children from the future,” Lucien continued.
“And we brought you this cake.” Lily placed the glorious confection in his lap.
“Happy Birthday,” Mags said in her small voice, and she started to sing. Hesitantly the others joined in.
By the end of the song St. John had a peaceful contented grin. “You surely are from the third Heaven,” he said with a sigh. “Now what does one do with this beautiful thing?”
“Oh, Mr. St. John, you eat it!” This was Lily. “It's delicious!”
“Usually they make me eat scrolls,” he muttered to no one in particular. “And they're never as delicious as they seem…” Then, “I can't eat it now,” St. John said to the children. “I'm about to celebrate Eucharist and I'm fasting.”
“Then save it,” said Logan. “That's what I do.”
“Mr. St. John,” Lucien asked with his most persuasive dimples showing, “would it be possible for us to accompany you to this third Heaven?”
Now St. John's face was very grave. “I have seen wonders there, but I have also seen most horrible things. I do not know that such things are fit to be seen by children. Besides,” now he seemed very humble, “I'm not in control of where the Spirit sends me and when.” He gestured around his stone prison, “As you can see I am in control of very little.” Now, if you'll excuse me, I must prepare.” The children sat crisscross applesauce while he began to ready the b
read and wine on a small stone, which served as a table. Suddenly there was a cloud and the whoosh of a great wind and none of them were in the cave anymore.
The Third Heaven
St. John and the children could say nothing at first. They were surrounded by gleaming and color and light which danced and there were nearly countless Angels fluttering and swooping through the air near them, for they were in a balcony. Far below they could see an altar, and it was one the children had seen before on TV. St. Peter's Basilica-- the Cathedral where the Pope prayed his daily Mass. There was a man in the center and he was wearing a tall pointed hat. There were also many white-robed men with little round caps like their Bishop wore when he came to their church. Sometimes the tall hat priest would disappear and in his place was a wounded lamb. The wounds were such that it should not have been alive, but it was, and gloriously so. In front of the altar was an immense sea of glass and on this sea were countless people, all wearing white robes.
Great clouds of sweet smelling smoke were rising from the altar and all of the people and all of the angels were singing, “Hosanna!” The children found they were able to sing as well. For that matter they wouldn't have been able not to sing, if they tried. After the Song, all present fell to their knees and the Great Prayers were spoken by the Lamb. Afterward one word rang and echoed powerfully through the immense hall, “Amen!”
Then those men surrounding the Lamb formed a line along the altar, and the people began to approach for Communion.
“How can we get down there, Mr. St. John?” Logan asked the ancient seer, who was prostrate on the floor of the balcony.
“Ask the Spirit to guide you,” was his response.
So Logan did. Then six angels broke away from those nearest them under the dome. They flew, one to each child, and opened their arms. Lily later said it felt as if half of themselves had been missing before, only they never knew it. Their Guardian Angels swooped them down to the altar and, as they received or were blessed, each child found himself spinning. When the spinning stopped they were back in the rec yurt.
Francis
“Sqwappy's not acting right.” Lucien was struggling to hang onto the critter, but it just kept wriggling until he would have to put it down. The only kid he would allow to hold him was Brody. And he kept going in and out of the kennel where he slept at night. Very restless. “What are we gonna do?”
“Take him to a vet?” Lily suggested.
“What do they know about sqwaps?” Logan said, slapping a bean bag he had been tossing and splatting it against the wall.
“I know who we should take him to,” Molly said. (Where had she popped in from?) “St. Francis. They bless all the pets on his feast day.” She spoke with confidence. “He'll know what to do.”
How can you argue with that? So the older five Gonkers plus Brody (because he was the only one who could hold the little creature) gathered around the book while Lily chewed her lip, trying to decide where in his story he would have time to deal with them. Finally she nodded and began to read. They landed in a rundown church. It was empty, except for Brother Francis, who was pounding at a beam to stabilize it.
“What are you doing?” Finne asked him.
“Rebuilding this (he looked like he wanted to put an expletive in here, but controlled himself) church, like He,” Francis gestured to the San Damiano crucifix on the altar, “asked me to.”
“Yeah, remember guys?” Lily turned to the other children. “Janette told us all about how St. Francis thought Jesus wanted him to fix the church building when He really wanted him to convert the church people. Then she gave us a San Damiano cross for our house.”
The others were nodding. St. Francis stared at them, then he pointedly put down the tool with which he had been pounding. He wiped his sweaty brow and took a long drink from a nearby goblet. “What was that?” he asked, “and by the way, who are you?”
Saving the Sqwaps
After introductions had been made and explanations given the children finally got around to the reason for this excursion.
“Well, let me see the little guy, then.”
Brody set the Sqwap in St. Francis' lap and backed away quickly.
St. Francis was very delicate but thorough in his examination. When he was finished there was the hint of a smile on his face. “There's nothing wrong with this creature,” he pronounced, gently handing the pet back to Brody, who kissed it furtively, before tucking it into his shirt. “There is something you should know, though…” He paused for effect. “This -- you call it a sqwap? -- this sqwap is a female, and she is about to give birth.”
As this thought settled into the minds of the stunned children, the next quickly followed. “So then,” Logan said hesitantly, “they aren't extinct?”
“Not if you take care of them properly.” After he said this everybody looked at Brody. He wasn't even five yet. The whole future of the sqwap species was tucked under his shirt, close to his heart.
“Maybe we should pray about it.” Lily suggested, after that thought had sunk in. “Will you lead us, Saint Francis.”
He nodded. “I'd really prefer you call me Brother Francis, though.” So he had the kids hold hands and he lead them in a special prayer for the success of the sqwap species. He finished by kissing his finger and touching the sqwap's head. The critter looked up at him. “Sqwap,” it mumbled, then fell back asleep against Brody's rib.