DEAR ANN LANDERS:

I loved the letters you printed about misinterpreting the Lord's Prayer. When my twin daughters were young, I taught them to say this prayer before going to bed. As I listened outside their door, I could hear them say, "Give us this steak and daily bread, and forgive us our matresses." My husband and I always had a good laugh over this. That was over 50 years ago, and the memory still remains in my heart.

From San Francisco: When I was a child, I learned this prayer as "Our Father, who are in Heaven, Howard be thy name.
" I always thought that was God's real name.

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Groton, Mass. My mother spent her early childhood saying, 
  "Hail Mary, full of grapes."

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Missoula, Mont. My son, who is in nursery school, said,
"Our Father, who art in Heaven, how didja know my name?"

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Uniontown, Ohio I remember thinking this prayer was
"Give us this day our jelly bread."

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Covina, Calif. I recall reading something years ago about the 
Pledge of Allegiance. Some child thought it began,
 "I led the pigeons to the flag."

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Cleveland, Ohio When I was little, I often wondered who Richard Stands was. You know: "I pledge allegiance to the flag . .. and to the republic for Richard Stands."

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Schenectady, N.Y. I once knew a child whose favorite
Sunday school song was "Gladly, the Cross-Eyed Bear."

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Tampa, Fla. When my husband was 6 years old, he thought a certain prayer was "He suffered under a bunch of violets." The real words were "under Pontius Pilate," but at that age, he didn't know better. To this day, we still snicker in church whenever that prayer is read.

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Lake Forest Park, Wash. When I was a little girl, we sang a song in Sunday school about Noah. Part of the chorus was "And the rains came down, and the floods came up." We lived next door to a couple of charming little girls who always sang this song while playing in their garden. Their words were, "And the rains came down, and the spuds came up."

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Oak Harbor, Wash. When my older brother was very young, he always walked up to the church altar with my mother when she 
took communion. On one occasion, he tugged at her arm and asked, "What does the priest say when he gives you the bread?" Mom whispered something in his ear. Imagine his shock many years later when he learned that the priest doesn't say, 
"Be quiet until you  get to your seat."

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Grand Junction, Colo. When I was younger, I believed the line was "Lead a snot into temptation." I thought I was praying for my little sister to get into trouble

God’s House

Every Friday of the school year our students attend 8:30 am Mass. Each grade level takes turns planning and participating in the Mass. Recently our first graders shared their thoughts about God’s House, at the Mass they planned. We’d like to share the following with you.

  God’s Bedroom

  “In God’s bedroom He has a triple bunk bed for God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The blankets have crosses on them and there is a Holy Water Fountain.”

  God’s Living Room

  “God has a big screen t.v. and a very large couch in His living room. He likes to relax with his friends.”

  God’s Dining Room

  “God’s Dining Room has many chairs. God has dinner with all of our loved ones that are with Him in Heaven.”

  God’s Kitchen

  “In God’s kitchen there is a microwave to cook His bread and a big refrigerator for His wine. He has a long table to seat His disciples and the angels and saints.”

  God’s Garden

  “God has a bird bath and a lot of flowers in His garden. He likes to read the bible in the garden next to His favorite tree.”

  “God’s Garden is filled with many wonderful fruits and vegetables that he sends to us with love.”