Student of Faith

Poor Monkey Toes was home sick last Thursday and Friday.  He went to the doctor and was told it was allergies.  I was relieved knowing that it wasn't more serious than that.  Now, I am again sick, with allergy-like symptoms.  I have never had an allergy to anything (except penicillin), so either I have developed something in adulthood or I have major allergy sympathies.  I must really love my husband!  Yes, I really do.  Earlier, as I was blowing my nose, Sweet Pea asked, "Mom, you got a booger?"  "Yes, honey, I have a booger."  As I was throwing my tissue away she asked, "You got that booger out?"  "Yep, I got it out"  Then she patted me on the back and said, "Oh.  That's good."

Friday, Honey Bunches had his class Mass.  He was given the Gospel Acclamation to read.  As Monkey Toes stayed in bed to recover, my sister came over to watch the little ones so I could attend his Mass.  Honey Bunches did a tremendous job.  I had a smile on my face as he climbed the steps to the lectern.  Then, barely peering over the top, he loudly and clearly read his part.  My heart instantly filled with pride.

The Mass also included the commissioning of Extraordinary Minsters of the Eucharist and a special blessing for the father of a classmate of Honey Bunches, who is being deployed to Iraq in two weeks.  I had the privilege of sitting next to him and at the Sign of Peace, I thanked him for his service.  As we bowed our heads and raised our hands in blessing over him, a lump formed in my throat.  I thought how difficult it would be for this family to have to say goodbye to their husband and father for a very long time.  The last time he was deployed was for 22 months.  I was also moved by the prayer of the community gathered.  To see all those hands raised in a common prayer was powerful.  There were so many moments during Mass that touched me, that I found myself fighting back tears. 

On the drive home I reflected on the Mass and the fact that I often get emotional during Liturgy.  My heart is saddened when I hear people, especially former Catholics, say that the Catholic Church lacks ______(you can fill in the blank).  The truth is, the Holy Spirit is alive and moving in the Church, but if we only focus on the "lack-of's" then we fail to see how vibrant and beautiful the Church really is.  I wish that those who criticize could experience, just once, what I experience each Sunday.  I never fail to leave feeling uplifted, renewed, and challenged to be better and do better.  The more I have learned about my faith, the deeper my experiences have become.  That, in turn, motivates me to want to keep learning and diving deeper into my faith and understanding of the Church.  I will forever be a student of faith.