Due to the effect of the previous day's rains, Saturday afternoon was clear and the temperature was warm enough to wear a shirt. The hostess had decorated the garden with lanterns in the trees, a white table for the rings and chairs on the lawn for about 40-50 family members.
Readings, homily, blessing of the new rings, a kiss from these married couple who looked more like sweethearts, petitions from their three children, final blessing... Then I stepped aside and left the microphone available in case someone wanted to say a few words. Jorge, the 76-year-old patriarch who had invited us, took it. He wore a white shirt with cuff links and sunglasses. His presence inspired respect.
-Mini, I love you very much. I've been very happy with you, and without you I wouldn't have gotten anywhere," she paused, looking around the guests' faces with her eyes. That's the first thing. Now I want to tell you something else, taking advantage of the fact that the whole family is together. For some time my wife has been asking me a favor for this anniversary. That I commune with her. The problem is that my last confession was about 60 years ago... when I made my Confirmation. I thought about it a lot, I resisted. But yesterday... yesterday I went to confession. -
Another silence, this time to look at the floor and adjust his glasses. So tomorrow I will accompany Mini to Mass and we will take communion together. And this, Mini, I want to thank you especially, because you can't imagine the joy I feel at having returned to the Church.
My throat tightened. Several ladies pulled out handkerchiefs. And a 15-year-old teenager got up from his seat to hide somewhere in the house.
Once the speeches were finished, the catering. I got an orange juice with one hand and, with the other, a bowl of “pastel de choclo”. Then a young couple approached me.
-Father, thank you for the blessing you gave my parents," he said. There is one thing we want to tell you. Several years ago, when our oldest son was about 7 years old, we were going out to Mass one Sunday and Grandpa excused himself from going. The boy asked us why his Tata didn't go. We explained that he was Catholic, but didn't practice much. He nodded very serenely and decided to pray that he would return to Church. Well, from that day until today, our son has prayed a rosary to Our Lady every day asking for that intention. That is probably why we can't find him now.
