Indulging in Faith
By ice rivers
- 734 reads
As you've probably guessed,
I grew up a Catholic.
Big time.
Altar boy, bell ringer, candle lighter.
Cassock and supplement
Nuns and priests for teachers.
Me, the teacher's pet always
bluebird reading group.
Great expression
99th percentile
2nd grader reading to the 8th graders
First Communion
Eucharist
Rosary
A plus in catechism.
Weekly confession.
No meat on Friday.
Terrified by Playboy magazine.
Guided by 10 commandments.
Lent observant
Forehead full of ashes
Hands full of palms.
Open tabernacles
40 hours adoration.
Stations of the Cross
First Fridays
Plenary indulgences
At least a dozen earned.
Then of course college
The temptation
of the dorms
of the bars
of the babes
of the bull sessions
of the Beatles
of the Bob Dylans
and Bud Weisers
The doubt
The drift
The draft
The disillusion
The abandonment
The excommunication
The usual
Yet the plenary indulgences
Authentically earned
and solemnly promised
Guarantee of salvation.
Saved for near death.
My wife learned about them
Calls them
pulmonary indulgences.
Doesn't know what
I'm talking about
But wants some anyways
I have quite a few to spare.
Don't know how to cash them in.
Like going to OTB
except OTB is a church
Or a rectory
Or a hospital.
I might need one
any day now
I'm in some
mortal danger
as you know
some terminal threat
as you know
So I think I'll chill
Don't worry
where
or whom
or how
the salvation
the forgiveness
will come to me
as promised
as asked for
and believed
and this is
mystery
destiny
and
faith.
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Comments
What is otb? I've googled and
What is otb? I've googled and it says off track betting - is it like a shop? (we'd call it a betting shop) or something you do by phone?
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