Chapter Thirteen: Moments of Grace

Time passed happily and mostly unnoticed. Each morning began waking to the dawn song and in the dark room. Sam asked to receive instruction about Iluvatar and so started daily sessions, either from Frodo, Gandalf or Galian. Most days this was after first breakfast, which if Frodo wasn’t teaching, gave the elder hobbit the perfect time to prepare a meal for the two of them, usually the three of them, since the instructor of that day came also. This, of course, continued to cause Sam consternation that his brother insisted on doing some of the work, but he resigned himself to the fact it was going to happen. He saw how happy it made Frodo and he could never begrudge anything that did that. But he drew the line at more than one meal, though Frodo did sneak in anything else he could get away with, usually a picnic lunch or an afternoon tea. Sam’s exasperation would always fade when he saw that mischievous smile, the joy and love flooding from Frodo’s eyes and soul and received the kiss to the cheek to apologize for "taking away your rightful duties once more." He could only laugh with his brother.

There were also the daily lessons in Quenya which Sam grew increasingly fluent in. Time was also spent roaming around the island, reading and re-reading from the journals they had kept for each other, studying in the library, working in the garden and listening to the tales and songs in the Hall of Fire. The two couldn’t have been happier.

Then the happiest day since his arrival came. Sam woke that morning to hear his brother’s voice be the one raised in praise to Iluvatar. Frodo had always softly joined in within their smial and Sam had rejoiced to hear that beloved voice each morning, but this morning Frodo stood outside their home, his arms raised up in praise, the light in his being almost too bright for his body to be seen. Sam’s breath caught at the sheer beauty of that and the joyfulness in his brother’s voice, the same joy he felt in his own heart. Silently, as he had every day since he met Frodo as a mere tween, he thanked his Creator for such a tremendous gift to know and love such a unique, lovely being. It didn’t matter that only now did he know exactly Who he had been praying to all the time. He had felt even a child that he had been heard and any pleas he had sent heavenward had been answered.

He added now his own thanksgiving for what would happen this day. He felt filled as though he never had before. He felt more complete than ever. He wished Rose was at his side to share his joy, but he knew except for that, he couldn’t be happier.

The song ended and Sam was released from the spell that had held him enchanted. Frodo’s light lessened to only a little more than its normal brightness. He nearly bounced into the smial and beamed at his brother.

"Oh, Sam! I just had to sing out my joy for you, today of all days! So I begged to be indulged and I was. I’m so happy, ammelda, I could burst!"

Sam smiled. "I was wondering if you had already. You were shining so bright, meldanya, I could hardly see you!"

"Well, Gandalf has told me my light shines brightest when I am praising Iluvatar and I have so much to praise him for today! Now get yourself ready, melmenya, we don’t want to be late!"

Sam hurried to his room and came out in a silk shirt, vest and breeches of purest white. Frodo smiled. "You look lovely, Sam," he said with a huge smile. Sam blushed, but returned the smile.

Frodo took his brother’s hand and sang as they walked down to the dark room. Sam just listened to that dear voice, trying to forget his nervousness and concentrate just on his excitement and joy. Gandalf, Galarion and others who had come to share in that joy stood outside the room.

The Maia stepped forward and smiled widely and warmly at Sam. "You are a child of Eru, Samwise Gamgee," he said. "Do you so will to be recognized as such and take up the light burden of that status?"

Sam’s hand tightened unconsciously around his brother’s and Frodo squeezed back. The light in both of them flared. "I do so will it," he replied, then Gandalf put a cord with two small woven panels to wear around his neck to remind him of his new status, the same one that Frodo wore. What joy flowed through both of them at that moment. Two souls already so tightly knitted together grew even tighter as Sam formally embraced the identity Frodo had over 60 years previously.

Gandalf smiled brightly, then embraced Sam and kissed his head. "Welcome," he said.

Sam hugged him back a bit embarrassed, then smiled back up at him, a little surprised to see how brightly Gandalf was shining. Frodo embraced his brother and kissed his head as well. "Welcome indeed," he murmured.

Galian smiled proudly as well. "You’ve done well, calmar," he said.

"Hantanyel," the hobbit murmured with a blush.

They entered the dark room. Frodo’s clasp around Sam’s hand tightened a little. They bowed and kissed the image of the sun and then turned to face Gandalf who stood beside a large basin and held a small urn filled with water in his hand. Frodo let go of his brother’s hand, but remained at his side.

"0 Eru, our Master," Gandalf began, "You crushed the heads of serpents in the waters. You are awesome and who can withstand You? Look, 0 Eru, upon this Your creature and upon this water and grant it the grace and blessing of redemption. Make it a fountain of incorruption, a gift of sanctification for the forgiveness of sins, a healing of sicknesses, the destruction of demons, impregnable to hostile powers, and filled with angelic strength. Let those who would like to ensnare Your creature flee from this water. For we have called upon Your Name, 0 Eru, which is wondrous, and glorious and fearful to the enemy.

"Call Your servant, Samwise, to Your holy enlightenment and count him worthy of this great and holy gift. Continue to fill him with the power of Your Spirit, that he may be one with You; and that he may no longer be a child of the flesh, but rather a child of Your kingdom."

At Gandalf’s nod, Sam took a few steps forward and held his head over the basin and Gandalf poured the water over his head. Frodo gave him a towel to cover his shoulders when it was done and smiled at him. Sam looked into those shining, beloved eyes and smiled back.

The next part of the ceremony then began. "0 Lord of Power and Might," the Maia continued to pray to Iluvatar, "You heal every disease, look now upon Your servant, Samwise, drive out from him every evil and unclean spirit hiding and lurking in his heart, so that he may no longer be a child of the flesh, but rather a child of Your kingdom."

Then Gandalf approached Sam with oil and said, "May this be an anointing of incorruptibility, a weapon of righteousness, and a renewal of soul and body, turning away every work of the dark one. May it deliver from all evil those who are anointed with it in faith and partake of it for Eru’s glory."

He knelt and as he lightly anointed the hobbit’s forehead with oil, he said, "The servant of Eru, Samwise, is anointed with the oil of gladness that his mind may be opened to the understanding and acceptance of the mysteries of faith."

He moved to Sam’s chest next and said, "For the healing of soul and body, and that he may love Eru with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind, and that he may love his neighbor as himself."

Then he touched the ears. With each new place that was touched, Sam felt stronger and stronger. It was a wondrous feeling. And Frodo felt the same joy, remembering his own ceremony and even more thrilled to be at this one. "That his ears may be ready to listen to the teachings of faith and accept the words of the One."

The oil next touched Sam’s shoulders. "That he may willingly take upon himself the easy yoke of Eru and gladly carry His light burden and that he may shun all craving of sensuality."

When he anointed Sam’s hands, he said, "That he may innocently raise his hands to heaven and do the right thing at all times and bless the One."

Last he touched the hobbit’s feet with the oil and said, "That he may walk in the path of the Eru."

He stood then, gave Sam a candle to hold and said, "Receive this lighted candle, and continue as you have your whole life to shine with the light of faith and good deeds, that when Eru calls, you may be able to meet Him with light and enter unhindered into the court of His heavenly glory."

Sam’s hands trembled just a little as he held the candle.

Gandalf then prayed directly to Iluvatar, "Now, to Your newly enlightened servant, You have been pleased to give new birth, for the forgiveness of his sins, whether committed willingly or unwillingly. Therefore, 0 Master of all, keep him in Your holiness, strengthen him and deliver him from the evil one and all his deceitful ways. Keep him in purity and righteousness, that he may please You in his every word and deed and become a son and an heir of Your heavenly kingdom."

When it came time to receive the lembas for the first time, Sam folded his arms across his chest, fingers touching the opposite shoulder as he had seen Frodo do. He felt a little light-headed when he swallowed that wondrous gift, as though he could float away, but then marvelously strengthened and shining brighter than ever. Frodo received it next and when they returned to their seats, the two lights stood next to each other, heads bowed, praising Iluvatar silently.

Once the ceremony was over, they left and Frodo fairly ran home. They shared first breakfast, made lovingly of all of Sam’s favorites, new and old, with Gandalf and Galian as guests. Lunch was a picnic at Frodo’s favorite tree which he danced around in celebration. Sam’s heart rejoiced once more in seeing that joy and in his own. He wondered how a heart could hold so much and not simply burst. But he had wondered that many a time before and it never had.

Evening was spent at the beach. "I begged a favor from Gandalf for this joyous day," Frodo said cryptically and after the sun had set in glorious rose, pink and purple, the two hobbits sat back with their friends, including Galian, Eruanna, Auna and Halarin and enjoyed a fireworks display over the water. Auna sat in Frodo’s lap and they all ooh’d and aah’d over the tremendous variety and beauty of it all.

When it was all over, Sam hugged his brother around the shoulders. "It’s a perfect ending to a perfect day, melmenya. Hantanyel."

Frodo hugged him back. "You are most welcome, ammelda."

That night, as Sam slept, Frodo softly sang to him in Quenya.

"Sleep, thou child of Eru,

Safe in His embrace;

May Elbereth surround thee

With her light and grace.

Close thine eyes, beloved,

May thy dreams be blest;

Sleep, thou child of Eru,

And may thy soul find rest.

"Sleep, thou child of Eru;

Dreams I’ll weave for thee:

Dreams of rivers flowing

Onward to the sea,

Dreams of stars that glisten

In the heavens high,

Dreams of fields and forests,

Slumb’ring ‘neath the sky.

"Sleep, thou child of Eru,

Cradled in His arms;

May His love surround thee,

Keeping thee from harm.

Hush now, my beloved,

May thy dreams be blest.

Sleep, thou child of Eru,

And may thy soul find rest."

Frodo traced a circle on his brother's brow and kissed him there goodnight. "Eru bless you, otoronya," he murmured.  "Melinyel, calmar, dearest part of my heart." He lay his head against Sam's chest and tightened his hold on him a bit. Sam’s arms tightened around him as well. They slept peacefully, both filled with light, and embraced by Another.

A/N: Sam’s baptism and confirmation is the same ceremony that Frodo had that he wrote about in Love Letters, except that he had been baptized by Iluvatar Himself by a rainstorm in the Shire (see that chapter in The Lucky One), but Sam is baptized here. For those who may not have read those, what Sam now wears around his neck (and of course, Frodo), I modeled after the Roman Catholic devotion of wearing the scapular, but they don’t wear it for the same reason I do - for the grace of final perseverance and a promise of the Virgin Mary’s not to suffer eternal fire if one dies wearing it and has led a good life. They wear it as a symbol of who they are, formally recognizing themselves as servants and children of Iluvatar. That part I just made up, it has nothing to do with an actual baptismal ceremony.

The prayers Gandalf says and the anointing with oil are adapted from the Rite of Baptism and Holy Chrismation according to the Byzantine Catholic Church. I chose Gandalf to be the one to do this as there is no priest and Gandalf is a Maia. In the Byzantine Rite, children are baptized, confirmed (chrismated) and receive their first Holy Communion all at the same time (though I have the baptism taking place before anointed with oil which is the opposite of the way it’s really done). Normally this is done as infants. It is the way my two sisters and I received these sacraments, though our parents were at the time Roman Catholics (my dad has since formally switched from Roman to Byzantine) and we consider ourselves Roman, though we were raised in both rites from before birth. I have only taken a fraction of a much larger ceremony that in our church is done as part of the Divine Liturgy (what the Mass is called in the Byzantine Rite) and with the entire congregation present and participating, not just the family and godparents. It’s really quite beautiful. The kissing of an image (icon) of God, the bowing (instead of genuflecting) upon entering and exiting and the crossed arms upon receiving Communion is also from that Rite. Our church has icons just the right height for children to kiss which inspired the hobbit-sized one. I have no idea how the Elves perceive their Creator so I chose a sun. If anyone knows of anything else, do let me know. I know there is much I still do not know about these marvelous lands and peoples. If this ceremony intrigues anyone enough, feel free to visit http://www.byzantines.net for more information about that and much more.

The song is, of course, from the queen.