@thecatholicwoman posted this question earlier and I was able to reflect on it.
I am a cradle Catholic- I was baptized as a baby, attended CCD until 3rd grade when my parents switched us to a Catholic school. I stayed in a Catholic school all throughout high school. When I was in college I was not good about making it to mass every weekend and practicing my faith the way I should. But I found my way back towards the end of school and attended mass regularly again.
Moments of my faith that really stick out to me are the big moments that any Catholic automatically thinks of; baptism, first confession, first communion and confirmation. I was a baby when I was baptized so it’s not an actual memory for me, but it still defines the moment where I became a part of the church.
The next big moment was my first reconciliation. I have never enjoyed going to confession. I am an anxious person and always get really nervous before I go. The church my family was a part of at that time was undergoing a remodel, so my first confession took place in the school gymnasium. It was crowded with so many people. But once I went, I felt great afterwards. That remains the same for me today. I still get really nervous going to confession and sometimes put it off longer than I should, but the sense of peace and closeness to God it brings me is amazing. His mercy is such a beautiful gift!
The biggest moment of my childhood that I remember is my first communion. I saw my older sister make hers and couldn’t wait until I could receive the Eucharist at mass too. I remember my CCD class preparing for it weeks in advance. We would practice walking down “the aisle” in our classroom, forming our hands as an altar when receiving the Eucharist (we practiced with Cheez-Its!) and processing back to our seats. Then the day came! I got all dressed up in a white dress my sister wore for her first communion, I got to wear a veil, and my parents gave me a religious charm bracelet. It was such a great day, and I was able to celebrate it with family and friends. I still have that bracelet and am saving it for my daughter when she makes her first communion.
Confirmation is the next big event of my life. I chose my cousin to be my confirmation sponsor, but since she was unable to come for it, my older sister stood in her place. My confirmation saint is St. Therese of Lisieux, the same as my mom’s. She has always had a special place in our lives. My sister and I were a part of Little Flowers growing up, where we learned about various saints and got patches for completing religious tasks. We had a statue of her in our room growing up, and I named one of my daughters after her. I am currently reading her autobiography, Story of Soul and am amazed by her story, as well as the rest of her family’s story.
An important moment of my life is the day I married my husband. I fulfilled the vocation that God was calling me to, and it’s one of the happiest days of my life. Christian is also Catholic (we met in high school) and we’ve grown in our faith together. We have also fulfilled the call to the vocation of parenthood. We have three little ones and are expecting our fourth this November.
A big moment in my faith life is when I attended a Christian Experience Weekend retreat at the parish where I worked. This weekend was such a blessing for me, because I realized how much more I could grow in my faith if I made it a bigger part of my life. I also met a great community of women there. It really influenced my faith life and helped bring me closer to God.
The most recent moment is from the beginning of this year when I became devoted to the Rosary. Being a cradle Catholic I was exposed to it growing up, but never prayed it consistently. I started praying it almost daily with @manyhailmarysatatime, and it has helped renew my faith in a new way and open up a deeper relationship with Mary that I was lacking before.
I am so blessed to have been raised in a Catholic home, with parents who valued our religious education and set examples for my siblings and I on how to be strong in our faith. Some of my favorite memories of growing up are my siblings and I getting dressed up for mass every Sunday, holding our own mass at home where my brother was the priest, I was the cantor and my sisters were the lectors, holding our own Good Friday reflection, attending stations of the cross with my mom, participating in the nativity scene at Christmas, and while I may not have enjoyed it then, attending confession regularly with my family (my dad was very good about encouraging us to go routinely).
I am also very blessed to be married to a man that shares my faith. Marriage is a great vocation but it’s also made easier when the values between the couple are the same. Together we are raising our kids in the Catholic faith. Each of their baptisms were big days for us, and we hope that we can continue to grow their love of the faith and God as they grow up.
My Catholic community at home has been great and constantly challenges me to go further and learn more about my faith. They have been there for my family after my daughter was born and offered so much support. We are so grateful for them!
My photo album is not complete yet. I know there are going to be more moments that will have an impact on my faith life. But looking at the pages that are finished, I am filled with so much joy and happiness, and can’t wait to see how the future pages will be filled.
