Confirmation Report

[hobgoblinn]

So, last night, 11 youngsters from a couple of local parishes were confirmed by our bishop. For his homily, the bishop, a kindly, avuncular man, came over to the side where the kids were in the front couple of rows and began to ask them questions. Simple ones on stuff they've been studying about the sacrament, the readings they'd just heard.

Most of the kids just stared up at him blankly, or in some kind of shy, speechless awe.

Not mine, of course.

The only other kid who answered any questions at all was from our Cathedral parish, too. At one point, the bishop joked it looked like he was only going to confirm two people tonight. Then after answering a question correctly about the "tongues of fire" on Pentecost, Wee Hob asked if the people were Really on fire, and the bishop teasingly revised his estimate down to one.

So the Bishop was proud of one of his own, and Wee Hob's sponsor, Miss Emma, was beside herself with pride. As was his mom.

The Good Monsignor -- sigh. I won't rant about his behavior, both the rolling of his eyes we both (Wee hob and I) saw during different points of the service, nor the way he spoke to us a little as possible and offered no particular congratulations to any of us, (though he did compliment Miss Emma on her hat), nor how he did not even look at me directly when he spoke at all to us at the reception. I tried to tell Wee Hob that perhaps he wasn't feeling well-- I was actually getting concerned for the Good Monsignor during the service, as he seemed to be very distracted and looked a little pale. But I dearly wanted to smack him upside his most reverend head by the end of the night.

Guess I better f-lock this post, huh? I get that Wee Hob done wrong. But last night, he done Right. I wouldn't expect him to offer the lad the keys to the church, or even the kingdom, but a pat on the head, a "well done, keep up the good work, glad to see you're getting straightened out" would not have gone amiss, would it?

In other news, I'm on the cusp of needing bifocals. So I broke down and ordered no line bifocals. I'm worried now, though, how I'll navigate the typing issue, because-- dude. I don't touch type. I glance down all the time as I'm going, and over the years I've gotten very fast and good at it. Be interesting to see how I'll adapt to the different focal areas of the new lenses. I like my new frames, anyway, larger and more round and most definitely Not the trendy rectangular shapes currently in vogue.

I deserve some mockery, I guess-- I teased a local friend about this a few years ago, and she's a good deal older than I. My mom says she went to bifocals about my age, though. Guess I should call my friend and let her get a little of her own back, eh?

Holy crap. Lightning. Maybe I should go pick wee hob up at school after all.

Comments

[empresspatti.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't expect him to offer the lad the keys to the church, or even the kingdom, but a pat on the head, a "well done, keep up the good work, glad to see you're getting straightened out" would not have gone amiss, would it?

To err: human
To forgive: divine

He erred in not congratulating your son.

Bifocals! On you they will be trendy.....

I'd gladly wear bifocals if my butt would shrink....

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

To err: human
To forgive: divine

So, where's the smack 'em upside the head option?

You're right of course. I really should start my original Nano novel up again, about the priest, who looks more and more like this fellow in my head these days. I seem to have an abundance of empathy for Fictional characters....

Bifocals and butt size. Hmm... interesting correlation. I'll let you know if the one has any effect on the other. Always glad to do my part in the name of Science.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

Good on Wee Hob. You are rightly proud!

The Monsignor does not impress me very much. He should be a lot more forgiving of human frailties.

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

I was thinking later, maybe if Wee Hob hadn't done wrong, he might be just the same-- he's so painfully shy and socially awkward one on one. Maybe we're projecting it's about Wee Hob's past actions when this is actually "normal" for the Monsignor.

Dunno. I might say something to him next time he's on deck for the night mass and there's a quiet moment to chat beforehand.

Bravo

[emmeline33.livejournal.com]

Bravo to Wee Hob on answering the question and not getting jelly-tongue when he was on the spot.

I have to say, I'd be thinking very unholy thoughts if my priest rolled his eyes at my son in church. Kudos to you for your gracious behaviour.

Re: Bravo

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

My kid didn't kiss the blarney stone-- near as we can tell, he swallowed one. Problem is getting him to shut up, really. And he remembers just about Everything he hears, and he hears a good deal more than you'd think for almost 13. It's the main reason he's doing so well in regular classes, up from special ed ones. The school moved him to get him away from some bullies who resent him for his gifts.

I have indeed thought many ungracious thoughts over this situation these past few months. The tag "church" hits most of the good rants, but we discovered later the Good Monsignor has some reason for his ire towards us. He just needs some practice in forgiving your brother "70 times 7 times", and apparently Our Lord has put us in his life for the express purpose.

I really don't know what more we can do to make things right here. I'm going to have Wee Hob do some gardening work for the Cathedral this summer to work off some of his debt, and he's already had to give up his usher's badge for life and not be unsupervised Anywhere in the building, not even to go to the bathroom. And he got a lot of consequences at home as well.

But-- not my problem, really. If it continues, I'll address it again.

[gillo]

Good for Wee Hob, and congratulations to him. As for the priest, it's really his problem, not yours. He could do with learning a little more about Christian forgiveness and grace. Does he have a problem with other kids of WH's age?

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

Thanks muchly. And yeah, I've been thinking, and said further down the thread, I wonder if he'd have acted just the same if we Hadn't done him wrong-- he's painfully shy and socially inept anyway. And he Is very uncomfortable around kids of any age, really.

But Wee Hob says he saw the man roll his eyes at the "Do you reject Satan and all his evil works and empty promises" part of the renewal of Baptismal promises. I can't argue with what he saw-- I saw some similar kinds of behavior myself, which looked like reactions to when he saw Wee Hob, or while the boy was answering the bishop's questions. (Wee Hob was smack in the aisle seat in the first row, with a very direct line of sight to the Monsignor. Kinda hard to miss. I was on the opposite aisle, with similar view.)