My cousin asked me to read the lesson at her wedding.

I hadn’t read any lessons before and I hadn’t practised my faith for a few years. I’d become a Lapsed Catholic not that I admitted to being lapsed to my cousin, or to my aunt who I loved dearly, or to the Dominican priest who was going to marry the young couple. I guess if it came to the crunch God knew like he knows all things.

The wedding was going to be held at St. Laurence’s Church and by a strange coincidence it was at this church where I had last practised my faith before it had begun to wane.

It had begun to wane because another Dominican priest at this church had refused to marry me unless my first wife-to-be consented to become Catholic. She wouldn’t and so we found another priest and another Catholic church and got married and in three years it was all over but that’s another story.

I was asked to read the lesson at my cousin’s wedding because I had a fine, clear voice. I could articulate well. I would do a fine job. I enjoyed articulating.

 I also enjoyed meeting this Dominican priest. When we were introduced he asked me what I did for a crust and when I told him that I edited the Football Budget he said, ‘Good God, meeting the editor of the Football Budget is as exciting as meeting the Pope!’

That was some confession.

The sort of confession that made me forget any lapses.

Never had I felt so blessed.

Bernard Whimpress

© 24 April 2010