Passing the Princess Test

Question 1: Are you a girl?

Question 2: Have you been baptized?

By listening to Father Mike Schmitz' super-awesome, free, online homilies I have  learned that when you get baptized things change. Before baptism you are a "Beloved Creature of God." After baptism you become a "Beloved CHILD of God."

Until recently this wasn't that interesting or exciting a fact to me. But then I got to thinking.

So God is our king. We have Mary for a mom, although not everyone embraces that. Jesus is the "Prince of Peace." Hmmm. What do you call a girl whose father is the king and whose mother is the queen and whose brother is a prince? Duh! A princess!

Remember that we became children of God at our BAPTISMS, so this isn't something just in the future after we die, this is NOW. (If you are not a girl you are welcome to continue reading this article, just substitute the word "prince".)

THE BAD NEWS

This princess business is not all cupcakes and sunshine. We know that in the history books people are always trying to knock off the royal family so they can take over. That is pretty much the case for us, too, while we are still in this world. So think of this life as a big princess test. There are lots of difficulties and trials. Sometimes it seems like the whole universe has got it in for us.

If you pass the test you get to live the really good princess-life with the Holy Family forever with no more bad guys trying to mess you up and steal your crown. (Enter cupcakes and sunshine.) If you fail . . . well, let's just say you don't want to fail the princess test.

Wow. Forever is so long!

More bad news. Even if you pass the test, your job description for eternity will be "Princess." That is only bad in the sense that you never get to be promoted to "Queen". Actually one of the best ways to flunk the princess test is to try to grab the queen or king's crown for yourself. So be a princess and be happy.

IF I AM A PRINCESS, PEOPLE SHOULD TREAT ME WITH MORE RESPECT, 

DARN IT!  

Yes. But remember that there are three types of people in this world: "Princesses", "Princes" and "Beloved Creatures of God." So we need to be treating EVERYONE with this kind of respect. Princes and Princesses deserve respect because they are part of the royal family and Beloved Creatures of God get respect because the king LOVES them!

THE GOOD NEWS

If you think about it you will probably be able to figure out the right answers to the test problems. (Hint: start by checking out Matthew 25.)

And . . . you have all the help you want passing the princess test! All the people who took and passed the test before you and even the Queen, herself, will be happy to give you the answers needed if you ask them.

You may have heard that it's a killer final but don't freak out. Start studying now and ask for lots of help. The princess crown is yours to lose.