Quinn went to her first First Communion celebration. It was her Kuya Louie's special day!
But of course, she didn't have any idea of how important this event was. While she worked up a sweat running in and out of the giant doorways, reaching for the mucky holy water in their vessels at the doors, and trying to catch the attention of the canine church-goers — yes, dogs are a normal and common presence in church — Louie was reverently bowing his head and kneeling to get his first taste of that wafer about which he had so often asked his parents how it tastes.
I remembered how proud I was at my First Communion, of how I confessed to Father Hezel that I lied to my parents about how I lost my zories at the sewer plant at the end of the airport runway (in Truk), and that I bossed my little cousins into stealing some metal apparatus with a dinging dial (a timer?) with me and the only punishment I received was a penance of two Our Fathers, five Holy Maries, and an I believe (in Trukese... but don't ask me to recite them now, for all I can remember is "Samach mei nonomw win nang..."), and no spanking!
I watched Louie closely to see if he bore a proud countenance... Indeed, he was proud, exchanging high fives with his fellow catechumens.
Later, I asked him what the worst sin was at his First Confession. "I haven't been studying, and I talk too much in class," he answered shamefully.
What?! I thought. This kid is an angel compared to me!
And when the ceremony was over, it was like pulling teeth to get the two to stand atill for a photo.
Amen.
