Catholic

After recently attending mass out of town, I was reminded of one of the reasons I like being Catholic.  No matter which Catholic Church you attend you will still find the same readings used at each one on a particular weekend and experience the same types of mass traditions as in your own home parish.  The word "Catholic" means "universal."  It is this universality that is one of my favorite aspects of my faith.

As part of the motherhood conference I attended last weekend, there was a Christian musician who performed at the opening of the presentations, between sessions, and again at the end to conclude the day.  While I do enjoy Christian music and experiencing it performed live makes it even more enjoyable, I was not familiar with the songs.  I must have been one of the few non-Protestant mothers there - everyone else seemed to recognize the worship music, hands raising, eyes closing, swaying to the melody, joining in the lyrics unfamiliar to me (I didn't experience any speaking in tongues but I felt like this might be a place where it could happen...). 

Walking in to church for mass that weekend on Sunday morning, even though it was the first time I  had been in that particular building, it still housed the same type of congregation that I am comfortable with who share in the same beliefs and traditions.  The rhythmic murmuring of the prayers of the Rosary being said before mass was yet another reminder of where I feel I belong.  As far as worshiping goes, it is more of an internal process for me rather than a bold outward expression.

I was raised Catholic growing up, attended a Catholic grade school and college and completed my student teaching in a Catholic school as well.  Naturally, I was drawn to continue on this journey as I accepted my first teaching job in a Catholic school.  I love the idea of intertwining education with the spiritual realm in an attempt to teach the whole child:  Body, mind, and spirit.  We are fortunate to have the opportunity for our kids to eventually attend the nearby Catholic school to continue to instill these morals, values, and faith traditions that begin at home as they are passed on to the next generation.  

The sacraments are also another one of my favorite traditions of my faith, especially those of reconciliation and matrimony.  My attitude towards confession has transformed with age.  While it was something I used to dread and go to begrudgingly, I now view this more positively as I go willingly to receive the forgiveness and grace along with a fresh start.  As an imperfect human, the repeatable gift of reconciliation has been for me the chance to reconcile my relationship not only with God but others as well, especially during the liturgical seasons of Lent and Advent.  

After beginning my teaching career and wading through the dating pool for a while, I began to consider more seriously pursuing the vocation of marriage by asking for God's help in leading me to find a man to spend my life with who would have the same types of morals, values, and interests.  There was a student teacher at our school at the time, almost to the end of her assignment who I just started to get to know and realized we had a lot in common ourselves.  One weekend I went out with her and her new boyfriend (now husband) and they introduced me to Ian.  

It didn't take long for me to realize this was the answer to my prayers - Ian was someone who fit the description of a soulmate for me, someone I could be proud of to introduce to my parents and who fit in with our family.  Our personalities complemented each other.  We were married in the Catholic Church with both a priest and deacon as the witnesses, the priest to celebrate the full mass and the deacon to celebrate the rite of marriage.  When I reflect back on our wedding day, I am often reminded of a quote that has stuck with me since our Pre-Cana class:  "Loved the wedding, invite me to the marriage - God."  In our secular world it seems too often a wedding is just a formality when really it should be the celebration of a a new husband and wife brought together by God, who is at the center of their relationship as they grow together as a couple and raise a family.  

Lastly, I feel the intercessions of the saints and Mary - the ultimate example of motherhood- are a powerful part of our faith.  While we do not worship them as we do God as Catholics, we can still pray for their help.  I have always found the stories of the saints interesting and something that even young kids can relate to, especially the patron saints of certain things. 

In wrapping up this post, while I still have certain struggles with and questions about certain facets of Catholic Church teachings, I feel my faith is one of the greatest gifts I have been given as it helps us understand our mission here on Earth, build our relationships with others and especially with God that will hopefully be continued on forever in eternity, our ultimate goal as Christians. 

On the lighter side, here is a link to Catholic memes on BuzzFeed that put a modern and comical spin on some relatable traditions:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tahliapritchard/walk-walk-in-the-light?utm_term=.gmqP3AP28#.vfz4dz4pJ