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New Creation
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| Joined: | Thu Nov 22nd, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 61 |
| First Name: | Paula | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | wicca 9 yrs, Anglican 5 yrs, RCIA now! |
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Posted: Tue Apr 1st, 2008 07:03 am |
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Hello everyone,
Just wanted to describe for you some of the awesome miracles that God has been doing in my life over the past few months.
I fasted the internet for Lent, which let me tell you is way harder than chocolate. I'm a junkie for the net so BOY did I get a lot of stuff done!
I had been having problems with my "sponsor" for RCIA. We just seemed not to click from the beginning and her apathy with the whole situation was very frustrating for me. I wrote her a letter after meeting only TWICE in three months and thanked her for her time but suggested that a person from the parish I attend (rather than she- geographically closer to me in the boonies here) might be a better idea.
So I was drifting afloat in the middle of a giant lake in Catholicland with no land actually in sight. Quite discouraging. I thought God KNEW how very very important it was for me to REALLY dive into RCIA and REALLY get my feet wet and REALLY journey with someone who REALLY gave a you-know-what about it all! So I'm just trying to figure out why God is doing this and maybe it's because I'm so impatient and I need to learn, blah blah blah etc etc etc....
Anyway, a few weeks before Easter, this lady comes up to me after Mass and introduces herself to me as Mary. She says "I understand you're having some problems with RCIA." And we get into it and she tells me that SHE is taking me on. Now I liked this lady right off the bat. Tough but sensitive. Funny and clever. Serious about doing things well. She said "RCIA is NOT supposed to be a class- it's a journey of faith."
YOU'RE SPEAKIN' MY LANGUAGE LADY! I thought. Hooray! God does love me after all!
But! to top it off, the lady I respect very most in my new parish, Sylvia (I call her the female backbone of the parish) is going to be my sponsor and is very enthusiastic about it. I'm THRILLED with this turn of events and marvel at how our Father gives me exactly what I need WHEN I need it.
Now our priest says we'll get things started in September and since he's (probably) leaving in June and I have JUST submitted my annullment papers, Mary says "we don't need to wait until September. You don't have to wait until next Easter to become Catholic either. (Which I know because didn't Tony Blair come into the church at Christmas? I like Christmas!)
So THAT turn of events was huge I LOVE YOU from our Father to me.
Also, want to mention the EASE with getting the annulment process started. When I divorced my first husband and had to get a marriage certificate from the office of the Registrar General, it took NINE MONTHS. this time it took EIGHT DAYS. Yeah.
Also, found the parish that baptized me in England and got my baptism certificate very quickly. Found everything I needed in a timely fashion. Can't help but think I'm gettin' some help here.
Also! Five years ago, the local hard drinking, cross dressing fisherman (I swear I'm not making this up) and I ( the new Christian) got into several pretty heavy discussions about God and faith and the Bible and I eventually invited him to my (Anglican) church. Rick started to come regularly and eventually stopped wearing girls clothes and even got married a couple of years later to another lady in our parish. They moved away but he comes back in the winter for work.
So he knew about my wanting to convert and after some pretty heavy discussions with my husband about the Catholic Church, he asked if he could come with us to church. Of COURSE, we said! And after two masses and two books that we lent him, he has decided to convert. And this guy used to be in the IRA - I kid you not. Our God is truly a miraculous God.
Oh yes, and my genius little girl won the local Easter colouring contest at 20 months old.
Our Good Friday was badly comical in our complete and utter ignorance. Let me just say that we FORGOT to fast. Yes, we did. AND we didn't even eat fish. We were pretty embarrassed afterwards. However, the mass itself was incredible. I'd never heard of the veneration of the cross. Though I knew it wasn't Christ whose feet I kissed, I knew HE knew what it meant to me to be able to touch "Him" (since no Eucharist for me) and show my love for Him. My little girl was able to kiss Him too and was SO VERY happy about that because I take her to touch Mary every week (she can reach if I lift her above my head) but Jesus is normally WAAAY out of reach up on the cross on the wall. She also put her hands together in prayer at this mass and said "I talk ta Jesus". I'm so PROUD of this kid.
Easter Vigil was the best mass I've ever been to - partly because I went alone and didn't have a toddler to amuse and distract. I was able to hear, participate and revel in the beauty of this incredible mass. How magnificent it was! So much Scripture! Take THAT Protestants! lol
OH, it's late and although there's a ton more stuff, I can't think of ANY of it. Thought you might enjoy hearing about some of the cool stuff our Daddy has been doing in my neck of the woods.
He is RISEN! Allelulia!
Last edited on Tue Apr 1st, 2008 07:07 am by New Creation
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always a seeker
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CajunRick
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Posted: Tue Apr 1st, 2008 12:51 pm |
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Isn't it amazing that our God can even make papework move swiftly? Parting the Red Sea is one thing; parting the bureaucracy is quite another!
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Didi
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| Joined: | Mon Mar 3rd, 2008 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 251 |
| First Name: | Didi | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic; almost left; Now an On-Fire Catholic! |
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Posted: Tue Apr 1st, 2008 09:15 pm |
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| That was beautiful, Paula -- thanks so much for sharing!
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Hidden One
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| Joined: | Thu Feb 28th, 2008 |
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| Posts: | 126 |
| First Name: | H1 | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | lax Presbyterian -> pseudo-Arminian non-denom -> heretical Presbyterian -> ... |
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Posted: Tue Apr 1st, 2008 10:34 pm |
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Sweet!
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1 John 4:7-12
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