Wages Of Sin by Mark Wheaton

Author:Mark Wheaton [Wheaton, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781477819449
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2017-06-13T04:00:00+00:00

XIII

There was no reason that Luis could determine why San Elias Nieves should have a spontaneous feast that night, but he got the sense that the congregation was overdue. It had started small, a dinner that would take place in the small yard between the construction site and the rear of the church, where a courtyard had been proposed. Then one of the volunteer construction workers called a neighbor about bringing pork. Another rang up his wife, who called her sister about making carnitas and morisquetas. A third texted his bandmates and asked Father Arturo if dancing was appropriate.

“‘Rejoice in the dance, both young and old together,’” Father Arturo had replied.

Somewhere along the line it was decided that they were honoring Sebastian Chavez for all his labor, and then everyone was invited.

Knowing he wouldn’t be allowed to duck out, Luis returned to the hospital to rest for the afternoon. His doctor came by in the early evening to see if his extracurricular visit to San Elias Nieves had done any damage.

“You’re in good shape, Padre,” the doctor said. “Will I see you at the church dance later?”

Now it was a dance?

“I believe so,” Luis said.

“Great. My wife is already cooking. You should’ve seen the clinic we had before Father Arturo built this hospital.”

“He built the hospital?” Luis asked.

“Well, not him personally, but he knew there was a real need in the community. So he set about raising the funds. Took him three years, some help from the archdiocese in Mexico City, but primarily he got the money from the community.”

Like the school, Luis thought, surprised the impoverished community could sustain the perennial layout.

“The church can do a lot when it puts its mind to it,” Luis said.

“That it can,” the doctor replied.

Luis fell asleep for a couple of hours, waking when his father entered.

“It’s already started,” Sebastian said. “Parishioners filed over even before sundown. People brought chairs. A couple of benches and some boards became a stage. There’s more food than I’ve seen since I’ve been down here.”

Luis thought about his congregation at St. Augustine’s. There were several congregants whose social life revolved around the church, so this wasn’t so unusual to him. What did stand out was the entire community helping out. Los Angeles was many things, but united when it came to a citywide religious preference it was not. Being in a town, however small, that was universally Catholic was a first for Luis.

“Will you pray with me before we go?” Luis asked Sebastian.

“Of course.”

Father and son prayed together before Luis went through his own evening prayers, utilizing a breviary he’d borrowed off Father Arturo. In the absence of God’s voice, the rigor of the Divine Office made him feel closer to his brother priests around the world and back through history in a way that was similar to being alongside God. It wasn’t the same, but he felt a part of a whole regardless.

Sebastian had brought Luis some clothes he’d picked out for him at a small mercantile across the street from the hospital.

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