As I reflected on what to include in an autobiography of my religious and spiritual development, I think of five steps of growth in my life of faith. These include my baptism, my “born again experience,” my conversion to Catholicism, my living the Faith, and my call to a religious community. These steps also shed light on why I am interested in studying at Holy Apostles College.
I count my baptism as a great gift of God’s loving care coming out of the tragedy of my father’s death when I was 1-1/2 years old. While living with my grandparents subsequent to his death, I was baptized, and I believe that my baptism provided the foundation for my soul’s responsiveness to the spiritual as I grew up. I liked going to Church when I had the opportunity. …show more content…
This was a firm, unwavering conviction. This was in 1978 and RCIA had not yet been implemented, so my formation was based in reading, conversation, and parish studies as well as retreats, socials, and service projects. While I started my journey to the Catholic faith as an intellectual decision, my preparation for entering the Church taught me to see the importance of community, prayer, and service.
When I became engaged a few years later, I was confronted with the reality of what it means to live a Catholic life in a tangible way. The Church’s teaching on responsible parenthood had not been relevant to my life during my conversion, and so I paid little attention to it. However, when I became engaged, that changed; I was forced to confront my understanding of the teaching authority of the Church and my willingness to embrace her teachings. This brought me to a deeper identification with the Church. I came to see that I had to allow the Faith to affect every aspect of my …show more content…
As a young mother who was very involved in apostolic efforts, I had felt the need to deepen my spiritual life, first by praying the liturgy of the hours and attending daily Mass, followed by beginning spiritual direction. However, I hungered for more and identified this as a call to participate in the structure and community enjoyed by members of third orders and lay movements. I was fortunate in recognizing that one must be called to the spirituality and charism of the order or movement (that one does not become a member because one likes the people or the work done) and in having opportunity to become familiar with a number of third orders and lay movements. Over time, I was able to discern God’s call to a specific movement, and through life in this movement, I have been able to participate in many formation and service opportunities, as well as benefiting from a focused spirituality (including a structure prayer life) and apostolate and a life of communion with other members. Shortly after becoming a member, what I realized was that I while my spiritual practices and apostolic efforts did not change significantly, I had a sense of integration that I had not experienced previously, and I very much appreciated the witness of fellow members striving to live the same spirituality and apostolic
I count my baptism as a great gift of God’s loving care coming out of the tragedy of my father’s death when I was 1-1/2 years old. While living with my grandparents subsequent to his death, I was baptized, and I believe that my baptism provided the foundation for my soul’s responsiveness to the spiritual as I grew up. I liked going to Church when I had the opportunity. …show more content…
This was a firm, unwavering conviction. This was in 1978 and RCIA had not yet been implemented, so my formation was based in reading, conversation, and parish studies as well as retreats, socials, and service projects. While I started my journey to the Catholic faith as an intellectual decision, my preparation for entering the Church taught me to see the importance of community, prayer, and service.
When I became engaged a few years later, I was confronted with the reality of what it means to live a Catholic life in a tangible way. The Church’s teaching on responsible parenthood had not been relevant to my life during my conversion, and so I paid little attention to it. However, when I became engaged, that changed; I was forced to confront my understanding of the teaching authority of the Church and my willingness to embrace her teachings. This brought me to a deeper identification with the Church. I came to see that I had to allow the Faith to affect every aspect of my …show more content…
As a young mother who was very involved in apostolic efforts, I had felt the need to deepen my spiritual life, first by praying the liturgy of the hours and attending daily Mass, followed by beginning spiritual direction. However, I hungered for more and identified this as a call to participate in the structure and community enjoyed by members of third orders and lay movements. I was fortunate in recognizing that one must be called to the spirituality and charism of the order or movement (that one does not become a member because one likes the people or the work done) and in having opportunity to become familiar with a number of third orders and lay movements. Over time, I was able to discern God’s call to a specific movement, and through life in this movement, I have been able to participate in many formation and service opportunities, as well as benefiting from a focused spirituality (including a structure prayer life) and apostolate and a life of communion with other members. Shortly after becoming a member, what I realized was that I while my spiritual practices and apostolic efforts did not change significantly, I had a sense of integration that I had not experienced previously, and I very much appreciated the witness of fellow members striving to live the same spirituality and apostolic