Wednesday, May 12, 2004
But none "There is no sorrow,"
And nature oft the cry of faith
In bitter need will borrow:
Eyes, which the preacher could not school,
By wayside graves are raised,
And lips say, "God be pitiful,"
Who ne'er said, "God be praised."
-- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
At my pre-catechumenate RCIA meeting last night, discussion tended toward death. We were asked, "Who is your favorite saint, or person who has gone one before you." Some spoke of friends and relatives they had recently, and some not so recently, watched pass on into death. We spoke of keeping something from those people, a cross, a quilt, a ring, a medal etc. and how it's interesting that Catholic church alters have keepsakes from saints. Another question was, "Name your most influential Catholic." We spoke of the long term Pope John Paul II has had and how is has influenced the World, we spoke of parents and in-laws and friends, aunts and uncles, writers and saints. I feel that to go into too many details about the answers others gave would violate what is rather private. I haven't studied enough of the saints to pick my favorite, but I enjoy reading about Mary Magdelene and Brigid of Ireland, who is a patron saint of poetry.
For homework, we are to read John 15:5-17 and then answer questions, like, "How and when do you pray?" "Who is Jesus for you?" "What do you want from God at this point in your faith journey?" "What do you want from the Church?" We'll bring back our answers in a couple of weeks and then decide whether to go on, go through the Rite of Acceptance. Those who go on, and of course I plan to, will be assigned a sponsor, someone already established at the church, who will go through the RCIA process with me.
This part, the sponsor part, is hard for me since I know next to no one at my church. I feel rather like the smallest boy on the playground, hoping I'm not picked last or not at all, however silly that sounds.
