I am taking a moment out today to reflect upon what today means in my life and the life of my church. These past 7 and half months I have been reading, studying and learning about the Catholic Church. I have attended church with my husband and girls since before Keelee was born but never really knew what was going on. To me it was just important that our family attend church together.
As many of you know in 2011 I had 3 strokes and along with a great many other illnesses that I have had over the years my body began to let me know it did not like the way things were heading. Easter weekend 2012 I looked at the website for our parish to get times for Mass for the family and I saw the little Note on the Sidebar for Faith Formation I clicked that and looked down and saw Becoming a Catholic (RCIA ).
Hummmm I thought to myself next year I will be 53. My daddy died when he was 53. I have been very sick this past year and I really need to get things right all around. So I filled in the form, hit send and kinda forgot all about it.
Step 1: I turned to working toward getting my health in order with changing my diet. Cut out processed foods and all meats. Started adding juices to my daily diet and even went on a juice cleanse.
Step 2: Marty and I hit the gym and also started walking.
Step 3: Marty and I started attending Mass every week...Sat or Sunday unless I was to ill or in pain to attend. Course i had no idea what was being said but I was there and prayed through the services.
August 2011 comes around and Marty comes home from work one Monday night, tells me to get ready we are going to RCIA class. No notice, so warning we are going. It's a good thing too as I would have talked myself out of it. Strange place, strange people, and especially a whole strange religion even though i had been auditing for almost 25 years.
Fast forward 7 1/2 months... Soon I will be a full fledged Catholic. On March 30 I will have my first communion. I have been very blessed to have found a church that I can worship in no matter where I am, in person or at home via the T.V. I love the fact that in the Catholic church I can follow along using my missal. Even though I am deaf and I might not be close enough to read the lips of the priests, I will still be able to follow the Mass. I love knowing that not only am I worshiping within my building but also that billions of others are practicing the same faith around the world at the same time, doing the exact same thing. THIS Is Very Special to Me.
Habemus Papam!
We have a Pope!
This Time this means so much more to me than any other time I have watched this in my life time.
Not just the fact that he is the first Latin American Pope and the First Jesuit Pope. I had already chosen St Francis as my confirmation name. I now feel so honored. Mainly this time means so much to me because He is the first Pope in my new life as a new Catholic.
So whether you are Catholic or not, I ask that you keep Pope Francis in your prayers as he steps into the largest and most humbling role of his life.
Thanks
Sandi
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