Catholic Code

Today in the bustle at work, a woman came in wearing a saint medal, and after we concluded our business, I asked, "Who've you got there on your medal?" "Oh...it's St. Bernadette. It's my confirmation name." "I see. St. Bernadette. Mine's St. Monica." She looked at me, pleasantly surprised, and said, "St. Monica?" I said, "Yes, it was a bit awkward when I was confirmed a few years ago...being presented to the priest as 'Monica' but I got over it." "I bet it was awkward. Why did you choose Monica?" "Many reasons. One of which was I figured if God could save a man like St. Augustine, then even I stood a chance, and if St. Monica was willing to hound God and her son until he was safe, then it would be a good idea to have such an advocate as she. I need hounding." "That makes sense." So, we spoke together this way for a few minutes, and in parting she said, "Well...I'm glad you're Monica." "And I'm glad you're Bernadette."

After she left, I looked around and realized I was being stared at by my fellow-workers. Truth be told, they looked a bit stupid--they had just witnessed their own language do things they never dreamed it was capable of, like when you see a contortionist do things with her body that should be painful, all with a smile. Also, they're used to my rants and religio-philosophical asides, but they are not used to them being accepted by others as a normal thing--how fitting, then, that Bernadette and I were talking about Confirmation. It was a moment of confirmation for them that this Catholic stuff exists outside of Monica Man's head, that it's not all part of a monologue that they happen in on at various times. There is action, and there are interlocutors.

Well, I used that opportunity, let me tell you. There were, as I said, strange looks, and these were followed by questions in semi-hostile (but really playfully so) tones with various mild oaths thrown in. No need to reapeat them. But I got to talk a little about St. Monica, which led naturally to St. Augustine, which led naturally to Christ, Who always seems a hop-skip-jump away. I have long ceased to understand why some (some) Protestants think that Catholics get "hung up" on  saints, because that is precisely what we do not do. We swing on 'em, like monkey bars, and the goal is always the other side. Hopefully some of the people there came a little closer to understanding that. But more importantly, I hope that in a couple of them particularly, there was some desire awoken for more than beer in the evenings...I mean, a desire for better beer, if nothing else. That Bud Lite stuff just ain't the stuff.

I'm not exactly what you'd call an evangelist. I have not that burning desire for souls for Christ that some have--my "methods" are soft, and my assumption is that this Catholicism stuff is true, and the truth will out. It's natural for me to think of this kind of thing in a way that it isn't for most people, and I think it has a kind of shock value when it comes up in normal conversation, which is why I was grateful for Bernadette. But really it comes out anyway. My tone is light (too light sometimes, no doubt) and matter-of-fact, which I think also has some shock value. I don't think my friends at work are shocked at me--they know the kinds of things I'm going to say and are used to my comments on the dissolution of the Roman Empire or Saint So-and-so, like I might be commenting on the weather. We laugh about it. No, they are shocked that they can understand what I'm saying, and my own assumption that they can and should understand it. Again, they witness their language performing odd capers and twists. They hear me speaking in code, but it's not a new language altogether. More like a crossword puzzle, and they find they can work it out.