Friday, April 06, 2007

Good Friday/Holy Week

Man, it has been quite a week thus far and we're just now really getting into the "meat of the sandwich..." I had always thought that Christmas was the "Big One" but alas, since attending Mass the past 5+ yrs with my wife, I have learned otherwise. Tues nite a friend and I drove to Cincy for the Chrism Mass, where they consecrate the three oils used throughout the Arch-Diocese. Also, there were over 200 priests in attendance as the Arch Bishop renews their Ordination vows. It was really incredible, the music was awesome, a huge gothic cathedral, very moving service.

Last nite we held our Mass in remembrance of the Last Supper. I was asked to present the Oil of Catechumens (the oil I will be annointed with on Sat nite when I am Baptized) during the Mass. That was pretty kool but it always makes me really nervous getting up in front of the church like that, lol. Today, I am trying to do as little work as possible here at the office, so I can get to our Good Friday service. I've never been to one and I am anxious to participate in the veration of The Cross, and of course to hear the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow nite is the biggie for me and the two confirmation candidates. At Easter Vigil, among the various celebrations that take place, I will be Baptized, Confirmed and receive my First Holy Communion. I am excited, nervous, all sorts of things! I am not even sure how to feel, lol other than a lot of anticipation. Other than being the center of attention for a part of the Mass and being real nervous about that, I am really excited about finally becoming Christian and Catholic. The process (which is really just beginning) of developing my Christian Faith has been fascinating, exciting and sort of surprising. I've learned a lot of stuff about the Faith and the Catholic Church that I didn't know, or that I had totally misunderstood. I used to hold such a resentment toward the church and what I thought Catholics believed. As usual, wrong again, lol thankfully! The really amazing thing for me is that this has come as a natural extension/progression of my sobriety. This is as much a part of my recovery as joining AA and working the 12 Steps. For me, they go hand in hand and have both become vital to my continued sobriety and spiritual growth. I am really grateful that AA didn't make me choose a particular way of believing in HP. I am really grateful for thos in AA who believe differently than I do. I believe that there are many paths to spiritual growth and peace. It is not for me to judge who "gets in" or what "in" really is. Over my years in recovery I have found a faith that makes sense to me and speaks to me on a spiritual level, something that sems to have always been within me, it's just finally found it's expression. I am so grateful that I have hung in there, kept coming back and have been able to share this with you all, with my friends and family. If I hadn't fallen to pieces, I wouldn't have needed AA. If I hadn't come to AA, I wouldn't have got sober and got the jobs I had which brought me to the area I live in now. If I hadn't met my wife in my home group 8 1/2 yrs ago, we wouldnt have begun talking, eventually dating. If that hadn't happened, we wouldn't have Ian (wow). And had we not had Ian, I wouldn't have begun going to Mass and helping with his spiritual upbringing. And now, I have been transformed, evolved once again because of HP and AA... Thanks be to God!

Prayer for today...

God/JC/HP, help me to celebrate Your Passion appropriately. I pray for Your continued Blessings upon my recovery, my family, friends, Your Church. I pray that I am ready to carry Your message where necessary today. Please help me remeber Your suffering, and more than that, the Love for Your children that made the suffering necessary and possible. Thank You for Your sacrifice, that I might find my way to eternal life with You one day. Help me to prepare for this upcoming weekend and all the incredible Gifts it may bring. Thank You for this day.

peace be with you all...

2 comments:

Tyrone Ferrara said...

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. - Good Friday

Mary Christine said...

I thought of you at Mass last night when the Oil of the Catecumens was consecrated. I will be thinking of you tomorrow.