I was confirmed in the Catholic Church last year (Woot Woot!) so I can now be a Eucharistic Minister. Do you guys even realize the awesomeness involved in that statement? I get to hold the body and blood of Christ in my hands and share it with other people. I just got home from church, where I got to say "This is the blood of Christ." I watched as people drank, and it was like a bunch of tiny little miracles were happening right in front of me. Each Sunday after Taylor attends a Catholic mass at St. Paul's, she tells me how badly she just wants to receive Him, and how hard it is not to just go up with everyone else and consume the body and blood. It's so crazy to hear her say that. Here is someone who so badly wants that new form of the Holy Spirit within her that she aches with that need. It's pretty incredible, and I love her because of it. (There might be some other reasons why I love you, Tay, but I'll leave it at that for now. We don't want you getting a big head or anything. I mean, I'm already talking about you in my blog post. I think that's enough ego boosting for one day.)
So, of course this gets me thinking. I received my First Communion in first grade. While in grade school, I went to mass every Thursday, and every Sunday with my family. While in high school, I've continued to go every Sunday, with the occasional Ash Wednesday or Good Friday mass, and of course Christmas Eve. That's a whole lot of Jesus! I can't even fathom it-how much love I've been consuming without even understanding, or appreciating. Ever since I met you guys, I've gone to mass with a completely different outlook. I just picture Kenny in my head, bouncing around at the front of St. Francis Chapel, pointing and giggling and saying "That's Jesus, you guys!"
I could write about this forever, but I seriously need to get some homework done. (I guess the 160 pages of Great Expectations are not going to read themselves...) And I should apply to college. And make a bunch of awesome art for my portfolio, so I can actually get into college. And...well...a whole bunch of other crap.
(insert creative sign-off slogan here)
Alanna
Hey, you're awesome. And hey, I was actually thinking about this today. I've been getting discouraged a lot lately thanks to lame people who don't support me, and it made me start to doubt that this is exactly what I want. But then I go to Mass, and it takes away any doubt. Seriously, I couldn't stop smiling at St. Paul's last week, because it just felt like home. I always feel so peaceful when I'm there, and that's not the case at a Lutheran church. I feel good, obviously, since the Holy Spirit is there, but it's not the same. At St. Paul's, everything just feels so right. More than that, though, it's that yearning that you talked about. That confirms everything to me--I want Jesus, and I want to be closer to him, and I want everything to do with him. Gosh, I'm getting into greeting card stage again, but it's true. And I like that you know me well enough to know that as hard as I try, I'll still sound like a bumper sticker whenever I talk about my relationship with God. But hey, only seven more months! :)
ReplyDeleteWell Al, it's been real (apparently this has become my catch phrase in blog posts, since I use it so often?).
Taylor