I swear, I read the bulletins & websites carefully and the two Catholic churches in town start religious ed. in first grade.

So why did E come home the other day listing off four kids in his class of only fifteen who are having first communion? Huh? He’s in kindergarten! When I was a kid we did first communion as second graders.

Today’s bulletin said registration for fall religious ed. is now starting, so I mentioned to him that it will be time for him to start. I said that I am doing my best to explain things to him, but they will know how to explain it better for kids to understand. (At the same time I know I’ll be checking with him each week to see what they teach him so I can help him understand or so I can “spin” the message if I don’t like their take on it.) He didn’t seem enthused, but really wants to have First Communion. Go figure. Wants to be like the other kids.

This discussion followed me answering him when he asked why some people walk right out after getting communion. Once when I was in college, the priest launched into a diatribe after a number of people did this. Of course, we who were still there to hear it were not the guilty ones . . . anyway, in answering E, I had a really hard time saying that the communion wafer is literally the body of Christ. I’m more comfortable with metaphor, but I know that’s not what I’m supposed to believe. Also there were flyers around encouraging us to be strong supporters of marriage. (Legislators vote here in MA on Wed., apparently, in some step toward keeping or removing the legalization of gay marriage.) Why, when I have so much discomfort with so much that’s said and done by the church, do I also draw back in alarm at the thought of just rejecting it and walking away? I do believe the church can/will change, but slowly. Very, very, slowly. Maybe staying in and keeping my liberal beliefs and raising my son to be a critical thinker and loving person will help hasten the change.