Photo: "Pint-sized server a surprise at morning Mass"

This story is precious, especially so because I actually know the "pint-sized server" in question, or knew him back when he was a "holy terror in diapers", as I believe his mother (affectionately) used to called him:

"He was barely big enough to see over the altar as he assisted at morning Mass in the chapel at San Marco Church on Tuesday, but the smile on James "Jimmy" Gates, 8, was as tall as truth.

According to his mom, Kim, that smile's been a long time coming.

"He's been wanting to serve and wanting to serve," she said. "Yesterday, he asked Fr. Andrew (Malarz) and he told him he could.

That's all he's been talking about," Gates' mom explained through a beaming smile. "When we arrived this morning, we told Father David and next thing, Jimmy was putting on his alb."

From that point on, it was all quite, well, miraculous. Drawing on the scriptural passages — Paul's Letter to the Corinthians (8:1-9) and Matthew's Gospel (5:43-48) — the Rev. David Foley incorporated the theme of generosity and service while "the littlest angel" listened attentively from his perch on the altar." (Marco Island Florida)

...Do you know a little boy who wants to serve? If he's old enough and mature enough - let him! If not, use it as an incentive for him to be more attentive in Mass, and allow serving to become his reward for good behavior.

Plenty of vocations start this way, and plenty more lifetimes of attentiveness at Mass do as well.

Hope: Catholics attend Mass in Ike-ravaged Houston

A beautiful tale emerging from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ike (ph/t to Whispers):

"At the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, also downtown, about 80 parishioners scattered throughout the pews in a cathedral that usually seats about 2,000 for the 11 a.m. Mass.

"This is an opportunity, with a small crowd, to pray in gratitude that there was so little loss of life even though the loss of property is enormous," said Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

In his remarks and during his homily, Fiorenza called on those present to be grateful that the storm had not taken many lives, though he acknowledged that an exact toll was not fully available. He also reminded parishioners to remain calm and friendly to family and neighbors as people struggle without electricity.

"This calls us in times of great distress to have patience and kindness with one another, to realize we are going to have a long time of endurance and great inconvenience," he said. "But with good humor and God's grace and our public officials ... hopefully the time of great endurance won't be too long."

At least the Cathedral they fled to looks like it could weather a storm.

*Sigh.*