Universal Church

For the first fifteen years of my life I was ensconced in the Catholic Church. Being the son of a man who's life was immersed in the church it was inevitable that mine would be also. My life in the church didn't follow my dads fully. He was an alter boy, I never was; he went to all boys Catholic schools, I never did; he was part of the Knights of Columbus, I was out of the church before I got to that stage in life.

I remember Sunday School, Catechism, CCD (not sure what that stood for), my first communion and all that. I was a kid and it bored me but it was what my family did. We were Catholic for crying out loud, what else do you do. The one thing I never really understood was the title Christian. I don't remember it being used much in my childhood. If somebody asked me what religion I was I would answer "Catholic".

Although I don't remember it I was baptised as an infant. As a grade schooler I took my first communion, this I remember. When it came time for my first communion I remember being assigned the task of a greeter. Most kids had to get up in front of everybody and say something or read a scripture. Me and another girl in my class were assigned greeter positions which meant we had to go up and down the aisles and shake hands of the people in the pews and great them in the name of Christ. We had a little pat greeting we were to offer. I don't remember it. What I do recall was how glad I was I didn't have to get up in front of everyone and talk. I must have been really excited about that because I did my greeting job with such passion I was done in seconds. I recall my parents and their friends laughing at the speed in which I completed my task. I didn't drink coffee at that age but I can picture myself all wound up, bustling down the aisle like a squirrel with four shots of espresso in it.

I remember that story being told for years. I wasn't sure if I was to be embarrassed or proud. Oh well, if it gave people a few chuckles and something to talk about I guess I did my job. God has a sense of humor so I'm sure he enjoyed it. He is the one who created the duck-billed platypus after all.

That done, in my progression as a good Catholic was on the right path. Sainthood here I come.