Fun with numerals

This morning I was present at a regular celebration of the Eucharist with the students of St. David's school.  They are a wonderful group of children, who have been trudging up the street to the church for these regular gatherings for some number of years now, and it shows.  There are some who help with music, assisted by two adults who provide the music using two guitars.  There are other students who take turns proclaiming the scriptures.  There are even some who serve at the altar (another way for them to get used to helping in little and not so little ways).

Being in the presence of children, adults have to be ready for almost anything.  During the homily, when we dare to invite dialogue with childen, some of their answers can sometimes sound like they belong on an episode of the Art Linklater show, and at other times, simple converstaions quickly become story telling time.

Then there's the brave young man who arrived to announce the Prayers of the Faithful.  One by one, he read aloud the prayers that had been prepared, written on a sheet of paper.  Bravely he ventured to invite a prayer for the pope, and this was the time that I had to stifle a smile.  He prayed for Benedict the fourteenth.  It took a moment for me to realize what he was doing, but then the answer dawned.

The name must have been written as Benedict XVI (which is sixteenth) but he read it as Benedict XIV (which would be fourteenth).  Bonus points should be awarded to this brave young man who is obviously working on his understanding of Roman numerals.