RCIA

The time to start classes was near and I knew I needed a sponsor to help me through the program. I knew a few people, but none of them seemed like the right fit. One morning, during daily mass, I notice this amazing lady sitting in a pew on the other side of the church. I watched her as she prayed with tears, sung the hymns from her heart, and was moved by how deep her spirituality seemed to change the atmosphere of the whole room. I prayed to God that I wanted to meet her, that I needed to meet her.
After mass, the door I usually used was locked for some odd reason and I had to use the exit right by her. As I started down the hall, she blocked my path. She pointed at me and said, "I wanna meet you!" I told her with a smile that I had been wanting to meet her too. This was the day I met Mary Ann Haley. Mary Ann is to this day one of the most amazing child of God I've ever met and truly and angel here on earth. Even though sponsors don't technically have to come until November, she was there on day one and never failed to be with me through it all.
The process of RCIA is intense and is designed so that people who have never even picked up a bible can keep up. This is the way it should be, but it was very frustrating to someone who had been memorizing scriptures since she was two! The first few weeks were about who God was and who Jesus was and I felt like someone who wanted steak and was being served an IV bag! But it did start to pick up and I learned to not be so confident that I knew everything. Going back to the basics is very good every now and then because when you think about it,... how much do I really know about who God is? I had to get my ego in check FAST.
Mary Ann left this earth the fall after I became catholic. She was like family to me and I will always miss her. There is a song in the play list at the bottom which always makes me think of her called "More than you'll ever know". Give it a listen and think about someone who has inspired you spiritually in a way you never knew possible.

Falling In Love

After that first mass, I couldn't wait to go back. I started attending Sunday mornings at 11 because there seemed to be more people my age then (it's hard to get up early when your young... with no babies), but everyone sort of scattered after mass and I wasn't meeting anyone. I heard that there is a mass almost every day of the week and that those masses are more intimate. I went by myself the first time on a Wednesday, I think. It was very different than Sunday mass, not nearly as dramatic and popular, but I loved it. It was kind of like meeting Jesus for coffee rather than going to hear him speak at a conference... if that makes sense. Sometimes I use too many metaphors.

I met a few people who worked with the youth and started asking about classes where I could ask questions and learn more about this catholic stuff. After mass, everyone would meet at the Rectory (home for unwed fathers.... lol I love that joke) and have coffee with Father Leo. I was so nervous. At mass I could try to blend in and no one would no I wasn't one of them, but if they started talking to me they'd know I was an invader from the outside. (No joke, I really felt this way). To my surprise, they didn't start throwing stones at my head and instead started asking me about the church I'd come from and what made me curious. I was told about RCIA. RCIA is a program that people who are interested in the catholic faith go through to either become catholic or just learn more about it. The classes were free but didn't start until August so I had some time to make sure this was what I wanted to do. It was.

My First Mass

My first mass I ever attended was on Pentecost Sunday in 2005. I was dating someone who was a cradle catholic who informed me that any kids we might have would be raised catholic. I decided I should see for myself how awful this evil church was. I had heard about catholic tradition from movies and books. Everyone is familiar with a Eucharistic scene where the priest "feeds" people little wafers and calls it "the body of Christ". I had seen Mighty Python's "Search for the Holy Grail" (classic), although I admit I didn't know what it was they were looking for since they never actually found it. All in all I only knew what I had heard. I had never met a priest, had never actually seen a nun, I don't think I had even seen a crucifix up close. That was all about to change.
I told him I'd only go if he promised to attend worship with me later at a local coc and he tentatively agreed. So the following Sunday I found myself walking for the first time into a catholic church. It wasn't a grand cathedral or anything that impressive, just a local parish. When I walked in my eyes began to take in all the unfamiliar sights: holy water fonts, stained glass with people wearing weird rings around their heads, and a large crucifix hanging over the altar. We sat in our pew and I began to people watch. I watched families find their pew and bow before entering. I watched them sit down, and hit their knees. They prayed to God when they first got to mass. This struck me in an amazing way because they weren't concerned who was sitting where or who was wearing what, they were setting their focus on Him.
The mass was different to say the least and I didn't know what to say (there's a lot of memorization that goes into the mass), I didn't know these songs, and I had to follow my boyfriend to know when to stand, sit, and kneel. All things considered,.. it was a lot to take in. But I was captivated. I was taken in by the fullness of it all. These people didn't just go through the motions (now don't get me wrong,. sometimes they do) but they were involved physically and emotionally. Everyone prayed together, everyone had lines to add, everyone had a gift to bring.
The Eucharistic part of the mass didn't mean much to me at that point and I just remained in my seat while everyone else went to receive their wafer and sip of wine. But something about the experience as a whole captured my heart and changed me even though I didn't know it yet. All I really knew was how much I couldn't wait to come back.