"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Pray for Us"

As a Roman Catholic, I was raised with lots of dogma that really isn't related to any organized religion-- I realized this as an adult.  Some of it was instigated by being a member of a large, Irish Catholic family.  Throw in a bunch of Norwegian Lutherans and a smattering of Methodists and my  religious upbringing is as electric as....as.....ANY of us.

I used to be terrified of thunder and lightening.  My Aunt Francis was directly responsible for this.  Aunt Fanny, the oldest of my father's 14 brothers and sisters, would run through my Grandmother's house splashing us with holy water and chanting, "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, pray for us!"  I never remember this activity during the day, but I vividly remember being wakened from a sound sleep by a face full of water and her prayers being louder than the thunder.  Maybe I wasn't scared of the storms, maybe I was scared of Aunt Fanny?

During Lent, the children of our parish would meet for mass once per week before school.  I liked going because of the donut, the homemade hot cocoa, and the glass of HiC orange drink that were served after the 7:30 a.m. mass.  That sugar high was amazing.  After the breakfast we all walked the four blocks to school.

For two weeks each summer, the our church in State Center partnered with the Catholic Church in Rhodes and imported nuns to give us an uber-dose of church.  The nuns would pile out of cars with their long back habits swishing silently and their long rosaries giving out a warning sound that they were coming our way.  They were graceful, holy, and brides of Christ.  Do NOT MESS WITH NUNS.

 I still remember having to memorize the Baltimore Catechism-- lots and lots of Baltimore Catechism.  But, my Biblical knowledge is limited to what I have learned as an adult from my own readings and friends.  I love the Proverbs.  I love Corinthians.  (But, I can still "do" the Baltimore Catechism at the drop of a hat.)  The Bible was read to us daily-- and I wasn't paying attention.  (No, for many of the years I watched a mink wrap that one of our wealthy parishioners wore that had the little mink heads attached.  It captured my imagination.  It looked like they were biting each other's tails.  I waited for them to wake up and bite her neck in a million places. This kept me busy for years.)

Back to "Summer Sister School"-- I also remember a sister (nun or as I heard the older boys saying "don't get none") getting after another one of my classmate so severely that I got sick to my stomach and wouldn't go back to "Sister School".  I refused.  My stomach hurt.  My mother took me to Dr. Sokol....my stomach hurt.  It was the year of my first communion and I took to the bed.  I had two weeks to get my act together and get religion.  I was staying in the bed.  No way was I going back to that land of milk and honey.

Father Heimerman, our parish priest and neighbor, made a home visit to find out what was wrong with me.  He was a good priest.  His mother was his housekeeper and they had two exotic Siamese cats.  I thought he was dandy.  He was very quiet when he asked me what was the matter.  I ratted out the nun.  I told him how mean she was to a child that had special needs....he quietly said, "The nuns scare me, too."

He told me I wouldn't have to get near them that year.  He heard my first confession.  He told me what to do for that special day.  And I don't know what he told the nuns about me-- but they gave me wide berth that summer.  And I made my first communion on time.

So, here comes Good Friday.  God gave his only son so that the rest of us could have eternal life.  Today always brings a solemnity to my soul that's rarely found on the other 364 days of the year.  God made little children so the rest of us can aspire to the faith they so sweetly hold in their hearts.  I hope I live the 10 commandments by my actions.  I want to make the world a better place for all of us.  God Bless and Happy Easter.  "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, pray for us."