Growing Up Catholic

Abby Jones, Mount Pleasant, USA

Life before meeting Jesus.

I grew up in a Catholic household with my parents and two brothers. Being Catholic was just a way of life and going to mass on Sundays and praying before we eat was a part of that. I went to a Catholic school 1st through 6th grade and then realized I need to make my faith my own. I needed to say "yes" for myself to live my life as a daughter of God.

My encounter with Jesus

I would go to mass every Sunday but did not want to. I would daydream, fall asleep, or sit there bored not getting much out of it. My friend Shannon invited me to go to a Bible study before school and through this Bible study I was able to make my faith my own, to say, "yes" to God. I learned how to read scripture, how to understand what it was saying, and how to relate it to my own life. I went to this Bible study 7th-12th grade, and it really helped shape my understanding of the Catholic faith. Once I started understanding the scriptures better, I could see the mass coming alive! I could now relate to the scriptures and seeing my own faith deepening as I had a desire to learn more. This created a greater draw towards the mass.

The fruit of that encounter

The more I learned, the more peace that came into my life. There was a new draw to the mass and especially to the Eucharist. There was a fulfillment in each mass in a new way. Feeling as though I was receiving the grace and energy to go out each week to be a disciple for Jesus and then refueling each Sunday. I felt distant and withdraw at the thought of missing mass or the anxiety of being late to mass. There was a longing for the Lord in the Eucharist, His body and blood. Even on my hard days I felt a great comfort knowing I am not alone in my struggle and that Jesus is with me and helping me get through the day. Now as an adult I find myself going to daily mass when I have the chance to get an extra boost in my week when needed. God is so good and just wants us all to encounter Him, to have a relationship with Him, so He can be the one who fuels our week.

If you had the opportunity to receive more of the Holy Spirit in your life, would you want to?

Yes