Liplovinman
who knows?
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2010
- Posts
- 5,153
He had left the clergy in disgrace. He had shamed his order and himself by his selfish acts and was now paying the price. Now, as a religious historian, he saw little of the outside world. He kept the leather bindings of the collegiate library, silent, unapproachable and remorseful.
It was two years ago that he had fallen, and quite figuratively he had fallen for the 24 year old single mother in his parish. She had arrived at confession more often than any other patron, revealing more depravity than he could have imagined. He was prepared for anything, so he had thought, but this was something quite beyond his imagination.
She spoke of her child's father, unaware of who it might be, the number of partners was staggering to him. She thought 12 maybe 15, the night she conceived her son. Patric often wondered why she arrived at the church at all, he had never seen her on any Sunday, just the 2 to 3 visits each week. Her list of needs, wants for absolution were growing. He could not continue to allow her to feel as though she could be forgiven without working at this on her own. Patric wondered if she had grown up around the church and this was all a guilt release based on her childhood.
He asked to speak to her in the rectory, if she was willing, to clarify what confession meant, what her role in this process should be, how she might improve on the issues that were driving her back to seek forgiveness.
That first meeting, seeing her face to face, Patric began to feel confliction in his own mind. The more she discussed her depravity, the more he asked questions, the less their time became about helping her, but feeding his understanding. He spent 2 weeks working through this pattern, growing hard at her stories, lusting after her in the latest of nights, seeking forgiveness for his thoughts. He had left the order before anything happened between them. He didn't expect that she was looking for more than an ear and a way to stop feeling guilty.
Patric placed the latest volume on the cart and finished his handwritten synopsis for Professor Klein. He would retire now he needed his rest.
It was two years ago that he had fallen, and quite figuratively he had fallen for the 24 year old single mother in his parish. She had arrived at confession more often than any other patron, revealing more depravity than he could have imagined. He was prepared for anything, so he had thought, but this was something quite beyond his imagination.
She spoke of her child's father, unaware of who it might be, the number of partners was staggering to him. She thought 12 maybe 15, the night she conceived her son. Patric often wondered why she arrived at the church at all, he had never seen her on any Sunday, just the 2 to 3 visits each week. Her list of needs, wants for absolution were growing. He could not continue to allow her to feel as though she could be forgiven without working at this on her own. Patric wondered if she had grown up around the church and this was all a guilt release based on her childhood.
He asked to speak to her in the rectory, if she was willing, to clarify what confession meant, what her role in this process should be, how she might improve on the issues that were driving her back to seek forgiveness.
That first meeting, seeing her face to face, Patric began to feel confliction in his own mind. The more she discussed her depravity, the more he asked questions, the less their time became about helping her, but feeding his understanding. He spent 2 weeks working through this pattern, growing hard at her stories, lusting after her in the latest of nights, seeking forgiveness for his thoughts. He had left the order before anything happened between them. He didn't expect that she was looking for more than an ear and a way to stop feeling guilty.
Patric placed the latest volume on the cart and finished his handwritten synopsis for Professor Klein. He would retire now he needed his rest.