S&F-The Basics of My Faith

I have been a Catholic all my life.  That doesn’t mean that I have gone through different phases in my journey with and for Christ.

As a “Cradle Catholic” I attended Church and went to classes required for me to receive the sacraments.  I used my faith as a guide in determining right from wrong.  But as a child I don’t think I really understood what is meant to be a follower of Jesus.

As a teen and into my 20’s, there were times when I was Catholic in name only.  If asked I would claim to be a Catholic, after all I wore a crucifix, but I really only thought about Jesus for the hour a week I would spend in Church.  My actions were still morally defined by my Christian upbringing, but I never thought about how Jesus affected my life.

As I got older and started a family, I definitely became more aware of Christ’s part in my day to day life.  I noticed things that I used to feel were just coincidences as sings that God was looking down on me and trying to get my attention.  I didn’t always listen, but I could feel the presence of the Lord.

When Covid came in 2020 and were forced as a society to be physically separated from the church I finally understood how much being a Christian meant to me.  Being forced away from the Eucharist left a hole in my heart.  I felt a little empty inside.

Even in that time away from Church, I still struggled to listen to all Jesus was trying to tell me.  This was an opportunity to really speak to Him in prayer.  As I look back I think He tried to tell me things but I just wasn’t hearing him.

Finally I am at the stage in my life where I really am starting to understand what a privilege it is to be Christian.  It took 50 years, but now I devote my first thoughts in the morning to prayer, asking for His guidance for the day and allowing Him to live through me.  I turn to him during the day in the rosary.  I end every day when I fall asleep reflecting on what I did-thanking him for what went well and asking for forgiveness in things that happened where I didn’t follow his example.

I am definitely not done in my journey to be the best Catholic I can be.  In some ways I am still that child in the classes learning about God and the Bible.  The difference is this time I know how important it is to listen and understand.  I have much to learn.  I do find myself listening to podcasts or watching videos meant for children sometimes.  

I’m learning like a child, because I don’t know everything about being a Christian.  And that’s ok.  We should accept where we are and use what is available to gain a better understanding of God and His teachings.  Even the Saints had to start somewhere.  So if I want to become a Saint I need to start from where I am.

So should everyone, accept that is is ok to not know everything, and always be learning.  Even if you have to go back to the beginning and follow the basics.