How I Became Mrs. Watts ✓

How I Became Mrs. Watts (27)

CHAPTER 27

I spent the night on Monday, and the rest of the week as well. I moved everything I owned into Andrew's apartment. I notified the school that I wouldn't be needing it anymore and they stopped charging us for it. I told me parents I was staying with a friend. Technically it was true, I just wasn't saying that I was staying with a boyfriend. I loved calling Andrew my boyfriend. I smiled whenever I thought of him, which was often, considering I was living in his house now. Andrew had even helped me study for my retake of the history final. He really was the sweetest guy ever.

On Friday we arrived early and sat, talking just like usual. When people started filing in, Andrew began the class. “This week we are discussing the very grave matter of statues, graven images.” We, especially myself, groaned at his lame joke. “You might get this quoted to you, 'You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them.'1 That's the first commandment right there. Other versions switch 'idols' for 'graven images.' Yeah, I know, it was a very lame joke,” he smiled, mostly at me. I returned it.

“The CCC says, 'The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, 'the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype,' and 'whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it.' The honor paid to sacred images is a 'respectful veneration,' not the adoration due to God alone: religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.'2 'The veneration of sacred images is based on the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. It is not contrary to the first commandment.'3

“God was saying to stay away from false gods and idols that pagan religions constructed for their worship, It's a prohibition of idolatry and construction of false idols, not images used as reminders of the one true God. Whoever is asking you this question most likely has a poster or drawing of Jesus or a print of Jesus or the Last Supper hanging in their house, Maybe in their church's Sunday school or a Bible? It's very likely. But the way they interpret the first commandment, wouldn't all those things be a violation?” I nodded and flipped my notebook to a new page.

“Art in worship spaces are reminders to us of the holy, reminders that we creatures with the sense of sight and hearing and touch so sorely need. We don't worship them. We don't see them as having powers. They simply help us to focus on God and the good that He's done through His saints. Most of us need all the help we can get.

“The Church has always been firm about idolatry, 'Idolatry is a perversion of man's innate religious sense. An idolater who “transfers his indestructible notion of God to anything other than God.”'4

“And anyway, what about the Ark of the Covenant? God, Himself, commanded it to be built the way it was. It was certainly not a violation of the first commandment. Class dismissed.” I smiled at him while I was “busy” packing up.

“You're very biased,” I said, still smiling.

“Yeah, well,” he shrugged, also with a smile.

“Well?” I prompted.

“I didn't used to have this kind of bias. I was raised Lutheran,” he said.

“Really?” I was surprised, thinking he was a “Cradle Catholic” like myself.

“Yeah, so was Charlotte. I converted after high school.”

“What about your family?” I asked.

“Still Lutheran,” he sighed, obviously not liking that fact.

“Well, that explains a lot,” I said. He looked confused, so I continued, “Your temperament is very calm. Lutherans are very understanding and mellow.”

“True,” he agreed, “Though I found the truth about the Catholic Church from the Church itself, not from its opponents. Lutherans are similar to Catholics, at least the true Lutherans, followers of Martin Luther, but still not quite the same.” He paused, allowing his information to sink in, “Oh, and Ella? Good luck on your final.” He pushed me toward the door.

“It looks like you just want to get rid of me,” I laughed. He laughed too. I walked down to Ethan's room. “Ethan? I'm here,” I announced.

“Okay, Ella. Sit down and take your stupid test already,” he said, handing it to me.

“Oh, I see, Sara made you do this for me. Isn't that right?”

“No talking during the test,” he demanded. I didn't talk any more and finished my test.

“When will this be graded? Monday?” I asked, handing it in.

“Sure, whatever. Leave me alone now,” he said.

“Okay, fine,” I was glad to get out of his horrid room. I felt very uncomfortable in there.

I walked back to Andrew's room and found he wasn't there. I went out to his car and saw him inside, looking through some mail.

“Here,” he said, handing me an envelope addressed to my old dorm. It must've been stuck in his mailbox to give to me, since I no longer lived on campus. I looked at the name on the front: Taylor Murphy.

“Finally!” I said. It had been a whole week. That was simply not like her at all. The letter read, “He's your teacher, Ella? Girl, what is wrong with you? That was always my place, not yours. Heh, he better be cute. I have arranged for you to see Mahogany over Christmas, though neither Blake nor Courtney knows about it. And don't you worry about it either, hear me? Talk to you later, Taylor Murphy.”

I got a piece of paper out and began writing back while Andrew drove, “Taylor! Nothing is wrong with me! This is love, deary! And yes, he is very cute. You would love him, which is exactly why you aren't going to meet him. He's mine, so back off! Haha. I am living with him now, so send your letters to the attached address from now on. And nope, I don't hear you, because you wrote it, not said it, you silly goose! But your news is fantastic and I can't wait to see you, which will be very soon. TTYL, Ella Fitzgerald. P.S. Use the acronyms, Taylor! Stop being so abnormal! Haha.”

“Good news? Bad news?” Andrew asked.

“Good,” I said, “I get to see Mahogany-Blake and Courtney's baby girl-over Christmas.” I smiled.

“Well that's definitely good then,” he returned the smile as we went to pick Oliver up from daycare.

1 That's t:4-5

2 'The ven of the Catholic Church, number 2132

3CCC, no. 2141

4CCC, no. 2114