According To B

"You know, Nanay," B said as we were walking home this evening from anticipated Mass. "Jesus has a judging book."

"A judging book?," I replied. "Is that where He puts the good boys and girls on one page and the bad ones on another page?"

"Yes," he said. "We're all in Jesus' judging book... That's what we learned in school. And also in church."

"That's marvelous, B," I said, and my thoughts went back to last night's bedtime routine.

Last night, as we got him ready for bed, B had spontaneously sung me two songs they had sung in church that morning for the Feast of the Sacred Heart, and I had silently praised God for putting B in such a good school, with good academic teaching, but also with a great spiritual ethos. Today, reflecting on how B pays attention at Mass and what he had just shared with me, I thanked God yet again.

Then I decided to pursue the matter a bit further. "But what does it mean to be good, B? What should good boys and girls do to get into Jesus' judging book?"

"It means," B declared without hesitation, "being polite."

Well, I did try to convince him that loving and caring and sharing also had something to do with being good, but now, as I reflect about his answer, I'm inclined to think he got the basics right. After all, when we are polite to God and to others, we think of not hurting their feelings. We try to put their needs first before our own. We try to say nice, encouraging, positive things. We try to make them feel good and safe and at ease, we are hospitable and friendly, we pay attention to them and not take them for granted.

You know, in his own simple, childlike way, I really do think B has got it right.