Planning Way Ahead

On the way to church yesterday, we drove down a street where several houses sported "for sale" signs. Seeing these, Little Brother commented, "I wonder where I'll live when I grow up."

"I thought you wanted to be a priest, so I guess you'll live at the house that goes with your church," I replied.

"But Mom, priests can't have all 7 sacraments. I want to be a deacon. Do you think Deacon B and Deacon D have received all 7 sacraments?"

"Maybe they have," I told him. "The only one I can't be sure about is Anointing of the Sick. But after church tonight, you can ask whichever deacon is there."

(Such are the advantages of having 2 wonderful deacons in our parish, both of whom know my kids, both of whom are dads and granddads and willing to talk to kids and answer questions about how many sacraments they've received.)

After Mass, Little Brother waited his turn and when Deacon B was done speaking to a group of adults, Little Brother asked if he had received all 7 sacraments. They wound up in a good discussion about being a deacon, Holy Orders, and how old you have to be to become a deacon. And Deacon B promised to be there, if he could, when Little Brother receives that sacrament.

Collect 'em All!

Little Brother is in second grade this year, and he's excited because he'll be receiving two sacraments for the first time. This morning he asked me a little bit about Reconciliation, which he seemed fine with once he discovered that no one else will hear him talking and praying with Father. Then he listed all the sacraments he knows of. He could name 5 so far, only leaving out Marriage and Holy Orders. So I told him about those two.

"Then I'm gonna have to be a priest," he told me. "That way I can have all 7."

"Well, no," I answered. "Priests can't have the sacrament of Marriage. But deacons can, and deacons also have the sacrament of Holy Orders."

"I'll be a deacon, then," he declared.