“Dad, are we Christian or Catholic?” my youngest son asks on drive to gym and basketball practice.
“We are both,” I answer. “Catholicism is the first Christian Church founded by Peter as appointed by Jesus.”
He is in fourth grade, but he is thinking to his future. He is thinking of girls, or girl—and a family.
“When I get married, I want to marry a girl that is either Catholic or not a Christian.”
“Why is that?” I ask.
“So that when we have a baby, we can baptize them Catholic.”
I can tell that he has thought about it—far more than just in moment.
“You know, she can still be Christian,” I tell him. “Me, Papa, and G-G-Pa, we all married girls that weren’t Catholic but became Catholic because they wanted to and, as husbands and fathers and spiritual leaders of our families, our kids became too.”
He listens. I can tell that hie is thinking, processing and making sense of new perspective—possibilities and potentials—from new provided piece to our family history.
“Do you like any Catholic girls?” I ask.
He shakes his head, “no” in the sign.
“What about _______?” I ask. They celebrated First Communion together and share a religion class together now. I think she’s pretty. Her family is nice, and as a father, I think and pray as well for his future wife and family too.
He shakes his head. “No” again.
“Are there any Christian girls you like?”
He nods, meekened and humbled in admission.
He’s thought about it much.
I don’t ask him who it is. If he wants me to know, he’ll say.
Remembering, I believe we are all deserving of our private, first secret-crushes; youth romance-dreams that come in first spirit notice and heart-affinity for another.
“You can marry a Christian girl,” I affirm to him again, consoling and reducing a mental hurdle perceived by loving heart making sense of new experience to soul and mind. “Keep your heart and eyes open and God will guide you right.”
That time for him is far; though nearer than what, today, it seems.
I love my son. I pray for him—in present and in future. I pray for his future wife. I pray for his future kids and, as he, they also, too, are Catholic.