Paying Attention?

In an effort to increase spiritual awareness and decrease paternal stress, and with the knowledge that a pea sized offering a sugary bliss would eventually be outgrown, I relented to the temptation to bribe my children into Gospel awareness.  They needn't explain concepts or expound upon parable implications, I simply asked for a word, a name, anything at all to show that they were paying attention, with the hope that genuine interest would eventually replace skittle driven ambitions.

What pleasure I felt with the success of my plan, when Peter leaned close to me during mass and whispered, despite his grinning from ear to ear, "I know what it was about, Mom!  I know!"

"It's about some guy who had ten leopards!"

He was later rewarded with a skittle and a discussion on leoprosy.