Who Jesus Married

In keeping with our spiritually mismatched home, my children are being raised in two churches. They and I go to an Anglican church, where we've found a wonderful community that is both nurturing and theologically disciplined. They also attend a Catholic school. This year -- with Aidan in Gr 8 and Anna in Gr 2 -- was significant since Gr 2 is the time for First COmmunion and Gr 8 is for Confirmation. While Aidan made a decision to be confirmed in the Anglican church, Anna was quite adamant about taking First Communion. After having a conversation with the priest to assure him that we would try to come once a month and Anna would not take communion outside the RC church, we went ahead with it.

I've been watching as she's been preparing in her classroom, trying to correct some of the inaccuracies that pop up from time to time -- they are instructed by the teachers, not the priest, so these things happen (such as Jesus is the son of God, therefore not God.)

Yesterday, as Anna was having her bath and washing her hair in preparation for putting on her pretty, and simple, white dress, we talked about why she was making such a big deal out of being prepared and looking her best, and what it meant to take first communion.

I explained that since the church was the bride of Christ we are to imitate a wedding as we join with Jesus. When I told her that white was also the symbol of purity, she asked why the boys were wearing black, so I said you girls and boys are mimicing a wedding occasion that you become officially and publicly committed to Jesus.

She then asked me if Jesus got married in real life, and I said no. To this she thought a moment, and then said: That's good. Because it would have been unfair to the rest of us if he had.