Tag Archives: sacraments
Thinking Catholic Means Being in Love with the Church
Thinking Catholic involves acknowledging and accepting the church in its full reality. In and through the church Christ makes us holy in his Spirit. Every stage of life is touched by the love and the life of the Lord through his sacraments: baptism that gives us birth, confirmation and the Eucharist that offer us maturity and strength, reconciliation and the anointing of the sick that deal with our moral and physical weaknesses. It’s all part of God’s plan to make us holy as Christ is holy. The Church Teaches Us In and through the …
Faith & Hope in the Midst of a Storm
‘Marilyn’ was excited to continue her journey of faith in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. She was baptized in a Baptist Church and for a long time was actively living out her faith. Somewhere along the way as the days and years passed by, she was not as active in seeking a deeper relationship with God. She was introduced to the Catholic Church by a friend who loved the Church and his faithfulness piqued her interest. It was very obvious that “Marilyn” had been brought up in the faith, but it was also …
Sacrament Season
This past Sunday, May 20, marked the end of what I refer to as Sacrament Season. Generally this is the period from Easter until whenever we have Confirmation, usually in May. Ordinarily it comprises most of the Easter season. Within the span of six weeks or so, a large number of children in the parish are baptized, confirmed or welcomed to the Table of Eucharist. It’s an extraordinarily busy month and a half, full of highs and lows. The lows are usually related to paperwork issues that tax my proof-reading abilities. The highs are much …
Why I Love Being Catholic
I really do love being Catholic, though that wasn’t always the case. Growing up in the southern United States, I was a minority among the Protestants, especially in the rural town of Statesboro, Georgia, where I went to college. I’m ashamed to admit that one day a professor asked my class if anyone was Catholic, and when no other hands were raised, I shrank in my seat. Today I would proudly claim Catholicism, but at that time I never had a full appreciation—nor understanding—of my Catholic faith. I do now. Here are 5 reasons I …
He’s Still Working Miracles!
As we continue to celebrate the Easter mysteries, it is a time “for the community and the neophytes together to grow in deepening their grasp of the paschal mystery and in making it part of their lives through meditation on the Gospel, sharing in the Eucharist, and doing the works of charity… Through their experience of the sacraments they have received…they truly have been renewed in mind, tasted more deeply the sweetness of God’s word, received the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and grown to know the goodness of the Lord. Out of this experience, …
It’s All About the Bride!
My fiancé and I stepped up to the customer service desk and simply said, “We need to begin our wedding registry.” Immediately the sales clerk beamed a smile and said with great enthusiasm, “Congratulations!” She proceeded to pick up the phone and to announce over the intercom in a voice that resembled that of a woman who has just been given a free trip to Hawaii – “Sales associates, we have a bride at the customer service desk! Please accompany her to the wedding registry.” I’m not the type who likes attention, but what bothered …
A Confession about Confession
It’s a standard fixture on parishes’ calendars of Lenten observances. Snuggled in between Stations of the Cross and the Simple Supper and Speaker Series, it’s usually just a set of dates and times, a simple notation of the opportunities to take action on the Ash Wednesday imperative to turn away from sin. In one word, it’s an invitation to get my relationship with God back on track, to purify my heart and mind, and to once again partake in the grace freely given. But simply the sight of the word makes my heart race and …