Gearing up for an busy weekend of church activities. Weekend retreat, Reconciliation for Jason, Stations of the Cross Friday evening, Palm Sunday….to liken it to the US Navy…its Catholic Fleet Week. As we prepare to end the Lenten season and begin the busy Easter preparations, the Catholic Church is bustling. So are the Grants. Jason receives the sacrament of Reconciliation today. I am overdue on a few confessions. So we will both go to this retreat later this morning and the kiddos will go to play at a friends house.

It has been an extremely long road getting back to my faith. I had been a practicing Catholic for the majority of my life. Attended Catholic school the majority of my schooling, even high school. Wore the uniforms, taught by Nuns in grade school. Had been an alter server, in choirs, mass every Sunday. In my young adult life, I gained a newfound appreciation of my faith, after enduring some difficult roads. Over the years after starting a family and moving here to there with military life, I lost sight of such. I still had my faith, somewhere deep within me, just wasn’t practicing often. As the kids got older, my faith and my desire to go to back to God and the church grew stronger. I hoped that one day, I would make the leap.

Once we were more established in an area, here in Florida, I decided it was time. One day I went with a friend who was a parishioner of the local parish at St. Catherines. I did not immediately feel comfortable or at home. But I kept with it, and slowly my anxiety waned. I started going solo. I brought the girls for the first time. That first time it was tough, almost deterred me from going again. Hazel leaped over there pews, she dunked her left side over her body in the giant holy water basin. But we stayed. I asked Jason to come one day. I knew that this might be a losing battle. He always was one of those guys that believes Sundays are sacred, because of football and beer. I never in my wildest dreams imagined we would be here as a family, participating in gearing up for Easter together. Yet, we are here. It makes my heart happy. I am incredibly proud of Jason and the girls for being so positive and embracing Catholicism.

Ultimately I hope they find their own path with their faith, I would never want to inflict a belief or institute mandatory religion. I hope they see that they can mold and make their faith whatever they want it to be, whether that is Catholicism, or any other form of religion. I will say that for now as they grow that I will give them the option, room to mature and love God, to learn various values and beliefs, and form their own opinions. Jason has come so far in the process of RCIA, and we have found an amazing community and parish at St. Catherine’s. I feel at home, I feel supported by my family. I finally have the community I have yearned for all these years. And more importantly, I have my family with me to walk side by side.

On Easter Vigil this coming Sunday, Jason will receive communion and confirmed in the Catholic Church. The girls will be baptized sometime this summer. To see the girls learn more in Encounter (Religious education), make friendships. To see Jason find his place with other military vets at the church, making connections, to grow in my own faith and meet such wonderful people along the way. Means so much. So as we continue on towards Easter, I am reminded of the power of my will and faith, forever grateful and humbled for my life and family, and always thankful for my beliefs…changing, molding me into the woman I am today.

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