"Father" Jeremiah

As I mentioned in another post, Jeremiah has requested, insisted might be a better word, that we call him "Father Jeremiah" from now on because he wants to be a priest "just like Father Hector" when he grows up. He did give me a dispensation to call him "honey" or "honey honey" at those times when he still he needs his "mama." The kids have been praying for him at school to become a priest. Many people at Church know he wants to become a priest and he has his own following of prayer warriors who are praying for him to become a priest. Monsignor and one of the other priests have even started calling him "Father Jeremiah." In fact, after the kids' school Mass on Friday, the priest was not feeling well, but he is always excited to see Jeremiah and greet him. He said, "I hear I am supposed to call you Father Jeremiah." Jeremiah said, "Yeah, 'cause I am going to be a priest." I was holding him in my arms and he reached out his little hand, placed it on the priest's head,  held it there for about five seconds with his eyes closed, and said finally, "God bless you, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen." The people in the back of the church could not believe it and the priest was totally shocked, and all he could say was, "God Bless you too."

On Saturday night at a special Mass for the RCIA candidates that we attended with my friend since I am her sponsor, the old lady sitting behind us heard him singing the "Alleluia" at the top of his voice with so much enthusiasm that at the sign of peace, she said to me, "This one is special. I have been watching him the whole Mass and I really think he could be a priest! I've never head a child sing the "Alleluia" like that." I replied, "Well, he wants to become a priest and he has asked us to call him Father Jeremiah!" This lady was just so tickled and she promised to pray for him and then told everyone else in her pew.

At the end of the Mass, Monsignor greeted Jeremiah, saying, "Hello, Father Jeremiah. How are you tonight," and Jeremiah gave him a blessing as well and then Monsignor insisted that he get his picture taken with Jeremiah.

I don't know if this is just a phase or if becoming a priest is his true calling, but I agree with the old lady at church: "This one is special."