A Holy Choice

Last August, in the Parish Staff meeting, of which I attend, the Parish Administrator asked if anyone might be interested in being a sponsor to one of the many OCIA candidates who will be walking the steps needed for The Church to welcome new Catholics through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.

My past would have suggested I expect someone else to do this.  Not me.  I have other things to do.  But this year, somehow, I felt closer to Jesus, and I wanted to help another love Jesus as much as I do.  So, as my parish proclaims, I jumped in with both feet, reached out with both hands to encounter Jesus and be His presence for others.

And so the journey began...

So, I submitted my name as a sponsor.  And it has been a decision I’ve not regretted.  As I attend the meetings each week with the “inquirers” as they are called, and are now candidates, I watch their faces and listen to their questions as they become educated on The Church’s teachings.  It’s a wonderful experience as I see those who have chosen to be part of the family of God.

In was just a few weeks ago, that I began thinking about this in more depth.  You see, when many of us were born and were baptized by our Catholic parents, we grew up Catholic.  We attended Catholic schools, studied our Baltimore catechism, attended Mass.  It was just a natural way of life.  We believed in God, and never questioned why we were Catholic.  We just were!!  We grew in faith early on, and it matured as we matured.

The Choice

But these “inquirers” as they are called, who are working toward that wonderful day of the Easter Vigil when they join our Catholic faith and become full and complete members of the Catholic Church…. well, they CHOSE to do this.  This is very different.  Something inside them brought them to this decision.  I suppose if I were to ask each one of them “why?”, their answers would be different.  Somehow, their choice to become Catholic is even more special.

I don’t mean to infer that any of us who were born into the Catholic faith would do anything differently, but their decision was a conscious one.  This tells me they were called.

I do realize there are those born to into the Catholic faith and have wandered from it.  This writing is not intended to understand their choice, but to focus on those who are studying and embracing the Catholic faith.

As I sit there each week and attempt to answer questions and be supportive of their choice, I realize how blessed I am to have had the Catholic faith for all of my 60+ years. 

So much to learn and accept as faith

I remember a specific week last year, in the early stages of the classes, how most of the inquirers did not know the “Hail Mary” but did know “The Lord’s Prayer”.  I thought about why.  I elected to believe that "The Lord’s Prayer" is more widely known outside of the Catholic Faith, while the "Hail Mary" is more internal to the Catholic Church.  It was a reminder to me how much they still had to learn and how what I had learned in my early years in a Catholic grade school, would be fit into just several months to those working toward that beautiful Easter Vigil.  It couldn’t fit, at least in just a handful of months.  Clearly, the foundations of the Catholic faith would be imparted to them now and, over time, they will learn so much more.  Once more, it will be my responsibility as a sponsor, and in my catechumen’s case, also a godparent, to continue to share my knowledge of the Catholic Church with her.

Jennifer is a wife and mom.  And her husband is already Catholic, and her children have already been baptized in the Catholic church.  As a result, she will be blessed to already have the Catholic faith all around her.  However, this does not relinquish my responsibility to stay close to her when she needs help or has questions.  I can already tell she is genuine in her desire to love Jesus and impart her faith to her 3 small children.  So, I am not worried about Jennifer’s desire to hold Jesus close to her heart.

Lent reminds us of why we believe.

During this time of Lent, sharing Church teaching with the candidates and attempting to explain how much God loved us, in that he went so far as to send his only Son to die for us and save us from sin is a ‘holy’ challenge.  Explaining that Jesus’ death allows all an opportunity for everlasting life and that without His death, we would not have that ticket to heaven.  Faith comes naturally from the Holy Spirit and any doubts we may have will dissipate with time with the help of those who already believe and Our Father in heaven, who sheds his grace on those who want to believe.

When we Catholics go to Mass each day or each Sunday, I think many likely take it for granted that it is just the right “Catholic” thing to do.  But as I have embraced the role of sponsor and godparent, I am reminded how special it is to be close to Jesus.  Being Catholic is not just a “Sunday thing”.  It’s acknowledging who my Lord and Savior is in my life and that He is now going to have the inquirers/candidates and so many thousands more this Easter Vigil to call His children.  It’s praying for those who are looking for Jesus to see Him in the groups identified in the Beatitudes…..the meek, the poor in spirit, the merciful, the persecuted, the peacemakers.  When you see these, this is where you will find Jesus.  It is the purest form of faith to know that this Easter Vigil, our Good Shepherd will be welcoming more who believe in Him and love Him.

We are His

I’ve been watching THE CHOSEN.  And as the Easter Vigil gets closer and closer, I continue to remember the scene at the end of the first episode in the first season, as Jesus saves Mary Magdalene…..

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;  I have called you by your name;  You are Mine.                                                        Isaiah 43:1

These “inquirers, catechumens, candidates” are being called and will be sons and daughters of Jesus and HE will say You Are Mine.

I realize THE CHOSEN is a television series and it tells a “story”.  Whether it happened this way or not, the point is made.  Jesus gave His life on the cross that we might be saved.  Mary was one of the first to be redeemed, and the rest of us have followed.

Have you been chosen?

If you have the opportunity and desire to share your time and Catholic faith with another as a sponsor or godparent, be sure and do so.  It will bring you a joyous feeling and allow you to appreciate and understand why all these years you called yourself a Catholic and were blessed to do so.

Being a missionary disciple is what we are all called to do.  This is a “special” way of doing so.

I was close to Jesus before.  I am even closer now, if that is possible, and can’t wait to see the look on Jennifer’s face at the Easter Vigil when she joins our Catholic family.

I’m prepared for a tear to be on both of our cheeks.