Aunt Monica
You might find it hard to believe but growing up I could be a
bit bratty. I did not like school I had/ have dyslexia I learn from
watching something rather than reading about it. So the standard of education when
I was a child did not have room for a child such as myself to really learn and
stay engaged …
So you can imagine how much I hated the thought of "school" on a
Sunday morning … as a kid Sunday was the time to sleep late then get up and
watch cartoons … screw school on Sunday …
My parents tried to send me to "Sunday School" when I was small … but I
was kicked out (yes I was kicked out of Sunday school) there was no way those
nuns were going to tell me what to do and how to think … even back then ..
Plus
I was pissed off that I had to be there and not at home watching “toons” …
When my parents gave up and said I did not have to go to CCD
anymore … I thought “VICTORY”!!!! …
That is until my Aunt Monica stepped in …
she told my parents I had to receive my sacraments at the very least or face “damnation”
… My parents caved and said OK to my
Aunt …
hmmm now I am a bit pissed off at
my Aunt … but I think OK there is no place she can bring me… the local Parish kicked
me out and at that time parishes were very territorial … if you did not live in
their “district” you were not their problem (so “universal church” right?!) …
So I thought OK it is all good… I can still
stay home Sunday mornings and watch cartoons and Abbot and Costello …
Now the thought
of taking in a “foreign child” (meaning me) from another parish and a child that was “kicked out” was
akin to asking the Pastor this … “why yes, Father she is Reagan the demon
child from the Exorcist move, but can you take her in ”…
https://thekindledspiritofebooks.blogspot.com/
The Pastor said...NO… to my Aunt … (now I am thinking great news
for me!) …
But then my Aunt Monica did
this … she looked the Pastor right in the eyes and said … “one day Father your
will stand before the throne of God and he will ask you, why you allowed this child
to be damned when you were
asked to save her!”
The Pastor paused and thought about what my Aunt had just
said… as if he were mentally picturing himself standing before God with a “hell
child at his side”… after pondering the Pastor
changed his mind and said “Yes” he will take me, teach me and give me the sacraments”
…
And that is how I received my sacraments …
I will never forget the first CCD class I had with this
Pastor … he looked at me as if any moment I would spit pea
soup at him … kind of the way some priests look at me now …
But here is the grace of God … for both this Pastor and I …
several years ago while making a communion visit to a nursing home (I was a Eucharist
minister there) …
I was told about a priest who had just arrived and maybe I
would like to go and visit with him … I looked at the name and it was “The Pastor”
who gave me my sacraments … I had not seen him in over 40 years …
I walked into his room and introduced myself and reminded
him how we met so many years ago …
The Pastor then said … “you were a tough kid and tested me
all the time and now you are a Eucharistic minister”… I said … yes Father because
you took the time to teach me about Jesus... with that the Pastor’s eyes teared
up a bit … and he said this, which made us both laugh... “Now I will not
have a demon child standing next to me when I meet God”… No Father you will not,
you will have a grateful child standing next to you … The Pastor died a couple
of months later … but what a grace it was for me to be able to say to him … “thank
you” …
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| My Aunt Monica (please note she had a drink in front of her, many need a drink when dealing with me) |
