Rite of Acceptance

It was a very nice weekend as far as going to church goes. I spoke a while longer with Linda after Sunday mass. Come to find out, her family is Seventh Day Adventist, so this is definitely going to be a shock to them when she tells them about converting to Catholocism.

I followed along a bit more during the Latin mass on Saturday. It is a very lovely mass.

During the Sunday mass at St. Jude's, my allergies were just going bonkers because of the incense. I called in my allergy medicine refill today, so hopefully my nose will not be as runny next week. But I do want to bring an actual handkerchief to that mass from now on just in case my nose starts running like a faucet. The paper tissue gets everywhere when my nose runs that much.

The Rite of Acceptance was very beautiful. My sponsor ended up not being too bad at all. And my husband joined the service, which made me feel better about things. I don't necessarily want or need him to come to church with me every week, but it's nice when he comes to the big thing. The Rite of Acceptance ceremony was very beautiful and moving. The blessing was sung by the priest and there was a band playing musing along with it, so it made it a very neat experience. After the ceremony and the biggest part of the mass, we went to a separate room and had a meeting called Breaking of the Word. Most of us were pretty quiet in there, but it was still worth my time.

It's so different going to the cathedral compared to going to St. Jude's. St. Jude's seems to be a small family, but the Cathedral seems so large. It's very beautiful though, ornate and what you would expect a Catholic church to look like. They both have their strong and weak points. I like the priest a lot better at St. Jude's, but I love the ceremony of the Cathedral. I'm thankful I have both of these options.

L is seriously considering being a Carmelite nun or a Dominican nun. Both of those orders are "cloistered" orders, which means she signs up and doesn't leave again except for doctors appointments. She would spend her days learning and praying. Currently she goes to bed at 8p and wakes up at 1a and starts praying. That's dedication for you right there.

I bought a rosary on Saturday. I don't know if I'm ready to pray the rosary on a daily basis, but I do know that it comforts me to have it with me. It's like proof of my efforts, if that makes sense.

The more I learn about this church, the more I feel like I'm doing the right thing. Maybe it's what's been missing that I've been looking for. I don't know for sure. But I feel better and better with each day that I pray and read.