USA Today has a story about a seven-year-old Catholic whiz kid who takes his Catholic faith seriously and loves baseball.
Here's the story: Got a Catholic question? Boy, 7, has the answers
Here's a quote:
James is really proud of a nearly 200-day communion streak — he hasn't missed a day since last October, when his pastor gave him a special dispensation to receive his First Communion a year and a half early.James has amassed a knowledge and understanding of all things Catholic that would send even the most devout nun's head spinning. The Nintendo you might expect to find in his room has been displaced by a small table of statuary, crucifixes, icons, saints cards and a mini Vatican flag. Plus a few baseball cards and a Red Sox pennant.
He once gave a lecture on the life of St. Patrick to the other members of his pre-kindergarten class.
You might think it would be easy to stump a 7-year-old. Not this 7-year-old. Even the priests at St. Peter's say they can't do it.
"What are the 10 commandments?"
James spouts them back, correctly. It takes about eight seconds.
"Give me something hard," he says, "really hard!"
"OK, what's the feast day of Saint Augustine of Hippo?"
James sighs and shrugs, disappointed he didn't get something more difficult.
"Aug. 27," he says.
He stops, pauses and corrects himself. "I mean Aug. 28th. Saint Monica is the 27th." He's correct.
Sts. Peter Damascene, Basil the Great, Bonaventure, Joan of Arc, Margaret, Titus — name this kid a saint and he's got the feast day and vital stats on their life.
His favorite saint? St. James the Greater (they do have the same name, after all). Feast day? July 25.
He can also explain the joys and sorrows of Mary, how all the martyrs of the church have died, the seven deadly sins, the corporal and spiritual works of the Holy Spirit, the 14 holy helpers, and the 33 "doctors" of the church — in order, including the pope who appointed them.
Speaking of the church's most eminent theologians, who was No. 8?
James sits and thinks, rolling his eyes as if scanning reams of church history in his head. St. John Chrysostom, the doctor of preachers, he says 30 seconds later. Born in A.D. 345, to be precise.
Just to be sure, he asks his father to check. He's correct.
After a thorough 20-minute pop quiz, there just aren't any more questions.
Here's another quote:
James' parents consider him their miracle child. He was born 10 weeks premature on All Souls Day, and was given just a slight chance of surviving. Around age 3, James became infatuated with Mary, often hugging and kissing statues of her.Since then, his mother said simply, being Catholic "is a way of life for him."
Any thoughts?
Makes it pretty clear that faith is a gift. I've always had trouble understanding exactly how that worked.
Posted by: materfamilias | Wednesday, May 02, 2007 at 08:34 AM
"...and a Red Sox pennant."
Obviously a very smart kid.
Seriously, he should be an example to kids and parents.
Posted by: Billy D | Wednesday, May 02, 2007 at 12:55 PM
In the Heralds of the Gospel, a Canadien 8 year old girl joined the congregation as a special case.
Yet you can commonly find as young as 10.
-Daily Mass or 2(usualy recieve Communion twice)
-The Complete Rosary (all 4 mysteries)
-Consecration to Our Lady as taught by St. Louis
-A prayer to the angels
-plus the personal prayers
-plus all the community life duties and prayers
-Adoration
-studies since they are under 18
That amazed me when I saw that.
Posted by: Some Day | Wednesday, May 02, 2007 at 07:23 PM
hahaha oh wow i wonder how much brain washing went into that kid. religion is a choice,it shouldnt be forced.
Posted by: jacob | Friday, May 04, 2007 at 04:22 PM
Jacob, I know many, many parents who raised their kids in the faith. Every single family has at least one kid who left the Church when he grew up. Would anyone ever leave the Church if brainwashing someone in the faith were possible? I doubt it very seriously.
Posted by: JMC | Friday, May 04, 2007 at 08:59 PM
By golly, there is hope for the future. God bless him and his parents.
And religion is a choice - God's choice; his Will. I wish all parents were as responsible as this young mans'. A little holy brainwashing is certainly preferable to the brainwashing our children are usually subjected to in our sick culture.
Let me paraphrase Dr. Kreeft. In the end, there are really only two kinds of people: those who say to God "Let your will be done," and those to whom God says "Let your will be done." No forcing there.
Posted by: Paul K. | Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 02:04 AM
Sounds to me like he has a photographic memory.
Posted by: LJ | Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 03:20 AM
Brainwashing? Photographic memory??
How about a saint? Kids devour information about the things they love.
Posted by: Lisa | Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 09:40 AM
What really matters is whether the kid comes to love God with all heart, mind and soul and strength.
No one knows what is in his heart. But being deeply interested in what the Church is and teaches can only be a good thing.
James
Posted by: James | Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 10:24 AM
I'm jealous of the prodigious memory--although I think if I had it I would use it uncharitably...or it would swell my pride to a size bigger than it already is. It is also clear that he has been blessed with a special grace. So many saints seem to have a profound love of Mary. St. Louis de Montford is being proven right every generation.
I'm not sure what his story can tell the rest of us, since this is an extraordinary case. And, no, I don't think it was brainwashing, but a grace. What a cynical, pathetic person you are, Some Day. I guess he was brainwashed to like the Red Sox, too; or, is he merely a bandwagonner now that Boston won the Series a couple of years back?
Posted by: Jimbo | Saturday, May 12, 2007 at 12:25 AM
Sorry, I mean Jacob, not Some Day.
Posted by: Jimbo | Saturday, May 12, 2007 at 12:27 AM
Hello, before reading this, I thought that all those amazing stories of the saints when they were kids, were some kind of "fantasies" to remark the holyness of the person.
I think this boy could be a proclaimed saint in the future, the description is just like those stories in saint's biographies.
Posted by: JDM | Friday, July 06, 2007 at 04:32 PM