Stu introduces himself

My name is Stu. I am a rabbit and I live in the backyard of Saint Mary's Church in a hutch. One day, Father Peter asked me if I would write a letter to all the people who come to Saint Mary's. I told him that I would like to but that I couldn't write, he would have to write for me. I would tell him what to say.

I like being a rabbit! Mainly because I get to eat lots of grass and sleep a lot.

Also, everyone likes me.

I was born on a farm near Casino. One day the family, who live on the farm, brought me to Father Peter. He told them that he would give me a home. So he set about building a special place for me. It is clean and comfortable with plenty of water and fresh straw.

Father Peter makes sure that I have fresh water to drink. lots of hay and fruit to eat. I especially like apples.

I know he likes me because he picks me up and gives me a hug when he says "good night".

I also know that God likes me. At times I can get a bit naughty, especially when I'm bored. Even then, I know that God, like Father Peter, still likes me.

Children, I want you to know that God likes you, too.

Until next time I write, please be good. Next time I shall tell you about my friends.

Stu's friends

Every evening Barry the Bandicoot comes to visit me. Sometimes we sit in the yard and look at the stars. Sometimes we just sit.

"What do you want for Christmas, Rabbit?" Barry asked me.

(Barry never calls me by my name. I find it a little annoying but he has a good heart.)

I had to admit that I really didn't know.

Later that evening, as I got ready to go to sleep, I thought of Barry's question.

"I don't really need anything," I said to myself. "After all, I have plenty of food and water. I have good friends and Debbie, the Presbytery Housekeeper, always gives me a piece of apple every day. "

"As well," I thought to myself, "I have all my friends. There's Maggie Magpie who wakes me up every morning. Then Willie Wagtail always comes to the fence to see if I'm all right. Even Lionel Lizard occasionally comes to visit."

As I snuggled into my hutch I sighed happily, "I already have the greatest present. I'm loved!"

Then I thought for a moment .....

"...... a bunch of carrots would really top everything off!!!!"

Stu and School

"Do rabbits go to school?" I asked Barry the Bandicoot one day.

"Of course, rabbit, everyone has to go to school!" was his reply.

"Can you remember your first day, Barry?" I asked.

"Of course," Barry replied rather impatiently. "I was very nervous at first because I didn't know anyone. All the bush animals were there: Magpie, Wagtail, Lizard. But I soon got used to it."

"What do you do?" I asked.

"Lots of things," Barry replied. "I can't talk now, I can hear the bell."

"I wonder when I will go to school," I thought to myself. Then I spied a delicious piece of apple and forgot all about it.

Stu's first day at school

I usually wake up very early but this morning I woke up extra extra early. It was my first day at school. As I stretched and yawned I must admit that I was a bit nervous. After all, I had never gone to school before. I quickly cleaned behind my ears, as all good rabbits do, and ate my breakfast which Father Peter had put in my bowl the night before.

 "Are you ready, Rabbit?" I heard Barry ask from over the fence. I poked my face out of the hutch."Come on, come on," Barry said, "We'll be late."

As I hopped along beside Barry I had all sorts of questions to ask but as Barry was almost running I did not have time. We arrived at the gate of the school. I wanted to go to home.

Barry grabbed me. "Don't worry, stick with me, rabbit, you'll be right," he said.

I had never seen so many animals and birds. And they were making so much noise. I really wanted to go home. Soon we all found ourselves in a room with yables and chairs and all sorts of pictures on the wall.

"Hello, Stu," a friendly voice said. "I'm Miss Budgie, your teacher. " She was the most beautiful person I had ever met. And I felt all right.

Stu learns about Jesus

Do you like school? I do. There's lots of things to do. I have friends to talk to and play with after I have finished my lunch. Each morning our teacher Miss Budgie asks us to sit and we say a prayer. Today we learnt how to make the Sign of the Cross.

Then she reads from a special book which is called the Bible. Today Miss Budgie told us about a shepherd who had lots of sheep. He looked after the sheep and made sure that nothing happened to them. I think Father Peter is like the shepherd. He makes sure that I have plenty of water and food to eat. He looks after me.

Miss Budgie told us that Jesus is like the shepherd and he looks after us. I wonder if sheep eat carrots. I will have to ask Barry the Bandicoot. He knows all sorts of things.

Stu says sorry

White Beauty looked up from chewing a piece of hay.

“Reconciliation?” she asked, with a puzzled look.

“Yes, reconciliation,” Stu said. ‘It’s rather a long word, I know. I think it means “being forgiven.”

White Beauty looked at Stu and thought how clever he was. He knew the meanings of all sorts of words. As well, he knew how to get out of the yard so that they could go exploring.

“We all need to be forgiven,” Stu continued, “Especially when we do wrong things.”

“What sort of things,” White Beauty asked.

“Let me think,” Stu said and chewed a piece of grass. He always ate grass when he was thinking.

“Do you remember the other day when I was cruel to Barry?” Stu asked.

White Beauty thought for a moment. She had heard Stu and Barry the Bandicoot having an argument. Usually they were the best of friends. Something had happened and Stu, who was usually very quiet and respectful, had shouted at Barry and called him cruel names. Barry had been very hurt and had run away.

“Yes, I remember, Stu. You and Barry were fighting and you called Barry cruel names. He ran away,”  White Beauty said.

Stu was quiet. He was very sorry that he had hurt Barry’s feelings and called him cruel names. He could still see the Barry’s face and how he had been really hurt.

“I was really very mean to Barry,” Stu said. “Later, when I saw him again, I said I was sorry that I hurt him and promised that I would not do it again.”

“What did Barry do?” White Beauty asked.

“He told me that it was all right and that we were still friends,” Stu replied. “He told me that he had forgiven me.”

“Now I am going to say sorry to God for what I did to Barry,” Stu added.

“How will you do that?” White Beauty asked.

“It’s very simple,” Stu said. “ I am going to talk to Father Peter. I just tell him what I have done, say I am sorry and he will pray a special prayer. Its called absolution.”

“Absol … absolute …..! Why do adults use such big words,” White Beauty asked.

“I don’t know,” Stu said. “The important thing is just to say sorry and know that God has forgiven me. That’s the important thing.”

“Let’s go and find Barry,” White Beauty said.

Together they hopped away.