My Goddaughter
Tomorrow is the baptism of my niece, Alexandra Paige King, and I am the Godfather. Lexi is not a blood relative, but our families are close so ‘Uncle Mark’ comes natural. I am so proud, but a little nervous. This is a Roman Catholic service and according to the rules, “A Godparent must lead a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken.” That is a high hurdle.
Born and raised Catholic, I considered being a priest with some pressure from our pastor and my mom. I took Latin in high school, hoping to be either a priest or a lawyer, but ended up somewhere in between. As a somewhat unruly student in parochial school, (putting it mildly), the punishment was daily mass as an altar boy. That was more a penalty for my Dad, who each morning took me to 6:00 AM mass. I once calculated that I attended enough masses that averaged one mass per week for 46 years. That average diminished during the last decade.
Recently, my Godfather passed away and we said the rosary at the funeral home. I asked my Mom, “When did they insert a long prayer at the end of each mystery, (or every ten Hail Mary’s?).” Mom rolled her eyes and said it was over thirty years ago. My mother can also count my trips to mass – when she visits me, when I visit her, marriages, and funerals.
Well, my sweet little Lexi, my catechism needs some polish and oil plus a translation from Latin to English. Not a problem. Your parents are wonderful, so watch them and follow their footsteps. I will be there to hold you. Together, we will celebrate, laugh, cry, and keep on a positive pathway. With all my Latin, I can help translate strange words, but you must depend on your Godmother for spelling. I want to be your mentor, and you mine. The Chinese say a teacher learns twice.
Lovely Lexi, in a world of spin I can meet the Church’s rules as your Godfather. From my heart we will fine harmony with the faith and the world, together.
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