This month, Pip reaches a ‘faith milestone’ at school by celebrating her reconciliation. I love the word reconciliation, especially when it applies to reconnecting, forgiving, making amends, being sorry. There’s a nice sound to the word and there’s an even better application to its meaning.
Lately I’ve been chatting about Catholicism with a couple of different friends. One asked about whether the sacrament of Reconciliation prepares the child for Communion. Another told me about the church’s view on euthanasia. The third? Well, she and I often talk about the differences in our upbringings (and the similarities) due to religious doctrine.
These conversations led me to muse over:
- the story I was told as an under-10 by our Assistant Parish Priest. He came into our classroom and made the analogy of our soul — our lives, too — being like an immense wooden fence. When we are born, the fence is slightly stained (because, hey! In that era, the RC church believed that all babies with the ‘smear’ of original sin) but it’s not marked, as such. EVERY time we tell a lie, think impurely, hurt someone, act unkindly, then a nail is hammered into our fence.
- when we ask forgiveness, that might be granted by God, but remember! The nail may be removed, but the mark that the nail left will always be imprinted on our fence (soul, life).
- I had a big imagination as a little kid. The story scared the bejesus outta me!
- When I made my own reconciliation, it was called confession. Sinners (ie: me, young child, huge stains and nail marks on my fence) had to go into a little, dark box with Father as he hid behind a curtain.
- You weren’t allowed to see Father’s face, but you knew he was frowning while you were telling your ‘sins’.
- The bigger imagination you had, the more sins you could concoct.
- I was relieved that God might forgive me, but underneath, I was scared.
- The sorrowful ending to this story was that the priest who heard the majority of my confessions at the time (or invoked me to ‘reconcile’ with God) was himself a sinner on the most heinous stage.
With this in mind, I often ask myself why we have chosen to educate the kids within a Catholic environment. Each Easter I cringe at the retelling of the crucifixion in all its horrific glory, gulp at the story which describes Jesus’ bones being broken to bring him down from the cross, shiver at the idea of my own children being exposed to this. At Christmas time, I rethink the concept of the Virgin Mary and that entire story, trying not to take it too literally. Every time someone within the Catholic church does/says something I don’t agree with, I try to remember that I’ve used the teachings of the church as guideline only since I became old enough to make the decision not to attend mass.
One thing I know for sure. The children wouldn’t be educated via the Catholic system had the teachings been as rigid as they were ‘in my day’.
Take tomorrow, for example. Pip has been discussing the notion of being given choices to make every day (which fits in with the trend of discussing choices and repercussions with teens and young adults). Sometimes these choices mightn’t be great but reconciliation gives us a chance to think about the action and seek to make amends. The school teaches them that God will listen, that Father is good to chat to (in an open, private, well-lit, uncurtained area) and that forgiveness can be obtained. Once it is, you have the option to confront that choice again, hopefully making a different decision.
I’m okay with this. In fact, this is easy to set in motion within family life, and is the basis of the love-guidance-mistakes-forgiveness-acceptance stuff we try to do here (on good days).
To be honest, I have so many nail marks on my fence that I can’t see the timber from the palings, but children do not! This is one analogy that can go to hell.
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13 Responses to I confess to almighty God
At least you’ve still got a fence Lady, mine was so full of holes, it fell down a long time ago!! That old fashioned “confession” thing scared/scarred me sooooo much……..actually there were quite a lot of things back then that were totally wrong.Lots of love to Pip as she embarks on another step in her exciting life’s journey and I hope (and pray) her spiritual experience enriches her soul. Much love xoxoxoxo
Hey dollface. How’s KL? Looks like that Skype thingy led to computer malfunction : (
Rosie recently posted..The Flying Kangaroo Bunny Hops to 90
Great post, Rosie. I always cringe at Easter too, and Presbyterians aren’t usually as graphic as Catholics! I am always torn about teaching religion to kids, precisely because of what you describe here. It’s such adult content, it scares kids silly if they don’t have the right context to understand. (And do any of us understand?!)
This is so true, hon. What the hell do we understand after 30 years? 40? It’s mind boggling, let alone teaching it to kids. I’ve always found it interesting reading your thoughts about religion as it does make the RC old fashioned ways seem very macabre.
Rosie recently posted..Halloween for Hicks
Congrats to Pip on this new milestone!Sorry about the fence ‘analogy’ you had to hear at her age. I find it slightly scary NOW, and I’ve long been not under 10 (love your new editor btw! You can do italics and THINGS lol)
Thanks for the congrats, you. That fence thing was horrific, wasn’t it? I hate to think there’s no way to remove that stain/mark from the soul. Unlike my sister, at least I have a fence, *g* although it is very droopy.
Rosie recently posted..The Other C-Word
well, maybe not LOL
Do you see any formatting in the comments? I don’t here. But the editor lets you do cool things, I tell you!
NO. WHY. Lookit what it can do:
Rosie recently posted..Cup Day
WHY CAN’T I DO THAT?? I also can’t reply within a thread
*cries*
WHY lady. I wonder why. It must be something to do with me.
Rosie recently posted..The Britch Returns
I don’t understand the whole Catholic thing *g*. You’re a weird lot!
Oh, don’t be jealous, beyotch. Are you available for a phone convo one of these days? No, well bad luck
Rosie recently posted..The Britch Returns