hope

I am on the RCIA team at my church. Last night, we all went over to the cathedral in Chicago for the Rite of Election. All of the candidates have signed the Book of Elect, and are joining the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil.

It was just a beautiful service. The church is much different than my home church, must more.... angular. But beautiful in a totally different way!

And the most beautiful thing? Probably a few hundred people who feel called to the Catholic faith, all going to complete the Sacraments in a few short weeks.

Before Old St. Pats, I noticed the "churchy" people, but didn't get it. It felt a certain way to read when they posted bible verses, a way that was just confusing to me. I kinda stayed away because we fear what we don't understand usually, right?

But now I'm one of those people. Now I get it, because now I know how much peace I find sitting in the pews at my home church. The music is beautiful, our priests give the best homilies, and each Sunday I am filled up with so much joy that I feel compelled to go forward and find all the abundant things in my life... and attempt to share them with others :-)

So to all of those people who are going to be baptized and then confirmed on Easter Vigil, thank you for reminding us of all the hope that exists in our community. In spite of all the brokenness that is the Catholic Church, each of you are a reminder that there is so much hope to be found in this precious life.