Vicious Minds by J.J. McAvoy

Author:J.J. McAvoy [McAvoy, J.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-64197-080-8
Publisher: NYLA

Chapter 11

“Naked I came from my mother's womb,

And naked I shall return there.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.”

* * *

~Job 1:21

ETHAN - AGE 24

Chicago, Illinois

Sunday, March 10th

“Saint Augustine once said the church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints. He said this because there is this mistaken belief that all Christians, all people who go to church are somehow immune from making mistakes, that somehow, they cannot also hurt you. But my fellow brethren, we have all sinned, some more than others...” My eyebrow raised when the Father Macrae’s, who happened to be a guest from Philadelphia, eyes shifted over to me and my family once again. Apparently this sermon was for us. “…and it because we recognize these faults in ourselves that we seek the mercy of the Lord. That is what we should do. You being here in the right choice, the only choice to save your souls. However, if you care, simply for show, if you come here so others can see you here, you are only fooling yourself. For the Lord sees all.”

“This is the third time he’s looked at us.” My grandmother whispered beside me, however that gentle smile never wavered as she gave him her attention. She looked out of the corner of her eyes. “Apparently the Lord didn’t give him the memo.”

A small grin appeared, and I focused back on the man of God as he went on. “You need to know…the Lord accepts you as you come, just like a hospital. You come in broken, in need of healing, but once you come inside, you must be on the road to recovery. You should be getting better, not worse.”

I fought back a yawn, shifting in the pew and it was just a flash in my periphery, but it caught my attention…that smile. I was very familiar with it. I couldn’t believe it. I turned fully and there, holding a bible and rosary in her hand passionately, was Calliope…or better yet Sister Calliope? She sat among the nuns, dressed in black and white, a giant cross around her neck. Her face was covered with freckles, her cheeks were a bit fuller, her nose slightly wider and her eyebrows red. But the real kick was the fact that her eyes were clouded like a blind person. She was completely unrecognizable, so much so I doubted…

No, it’s not her, it couldn’t be. She was due in a week.

Shaking the thought from my mind, I watched as the priest moved to his seat and I stood saying the Profession of Faith. “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God…”

I couldn’t help it; I looked back to the nun, who held on to one of the other nun’s arms, saying the prayer as well. Her robes made it hard to determine if she was pregnant or not. Everything on the outside said it wasn’t her.

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