There was once a little boy who was preparing to make his First Holy Communion. A few days before the great event the child went to his father and asked his pardon for all the faults he had ever committed. His father told him that he was well pleased with him, that he had always been a very good boy, and that he hoped for the rest of his life he would always continue to be as dutiful.

This father had, sadly, for some time neglected the care of his own soul, especially putting off the necessary Sacrament of Confession. His son, knowing this, had summoned his courage to ask his father to reconcile his soul to God, so that he could participate in the wonderful event which was to take place in a few days.

“The child looked at me with tears in his eyes,” the father later recounted, “and at last threw his arms round my neck. I myself was moved to tears. I had seen from the start that he wanted to ask me for something, and I also knew what it was; but I must confess I had the harshness to refuse to listen to his petition. I said to him, “Go away now, my boy, I am very busy right now; come back to me tonight or tomorrow and tell me what it is, and if your mother thinks it right I will give it to you.” The boy, in confusion at my abrupt answer, did not have the courage to ask me again, and after embracing me once more, went into the little room in which he slept, which was next to the one we were in at the time.

“I was angry at myself for making the boy so sad, especially since I knew very well what he wanted was for my own good. So, I rose up and followed him to see what he would do. I went to his room, and since the door had been left a little open, I looked in without being noticed. I saw him kneeling before and image of the Blessed Virgin praying with the utmost fervor, and shedding tears. Ah! I then felt for the first time in my life the great blessing God had bestowed on me in giving me a child so good and pious as he was. I went back to my own room, sat down at my desk, and buried my head in my hands, and was almost weeping. When I lifted up my eyes my little boy was at my side, his face covered with smiles, in which I thought I saw a mixture of fear.

“ ‘Papa,’ he said, as he looked earnestly into my face, ‘the favor that I am going to ask you cannot be put off till tomorrow and my mother is pleased that I should get what I am going to ask. This is what I am going to ask: Will you come with mother and me to Holy Communion on the day of my First Communion? Now, papa, don’t refuse me; do this for the sake of the good God Who loves you so much.’

“I could not resist the appeal of my little boy, especially as I felt within me something telling me to go. I pressed him to my chest and answered: ‘Yes, yes, my dear son, I will go with you. Take me any time you like, even this very night if you want, and lead me to your confessor and say to him ‘I have brought my father with me, and he wants to make his confession.’ ”