First Sacrament time...

I am super proud of Emily as she just completed her first Sacrament at Church last week. She has been going to classes every week in the evening, and completed a retreat and did community fundraising. So on March 26 we got dressed up and watched her complete her First Reconciliation (Confession). It is the first step in her completing her journey of becoming Catholic. It is pretty ironic considering this year Austin will be completing his LAST Sacrament into the Church.

She was so nervous, and her wonderful teachers know about her "specialness" and worked with her and us to make this a very positive experience for her. They "forwarned" the priest and let her write down her "sins" and draw pictures. She then gave the priest her papers. Emily does not speak to anyone she does not know, so we knew being somewhere new, with a stranger that she would not talk. So this worked out great! She came out all smiles! She then got to go up on the altar and receive a wooden cross necklace from her teachers, light a candle and stand before the banner she helped make. She was all smiles!

She informed us she "accidentally" cut her hair off! Love the polka dot legs!

So you may ask yourself, at this young age, do they really understand what a "Sin" is? Because I did. I asked that question. But when I was speaking with Emily about what sins she wanted to write down, she absolutely understood right from wrong. Without divulging her sins (should she one day grow up and read this tiny blog), she knew when she had hurt feelings, been mean and so on. I know there are allot of mixed feelings out there about religion and especially the Catholic Church. But the church that it is now, and the one I grew up in are very different. They have changed their ways allot, and everything is out in the open so to speak. I feel it is important for my children to be grounded. To have something to fall back on when this cruel world unleashes the nastiness that hurts. That they can pull from the strength and love of the church and knowing God. By no means are we perfect Catholics. We don't make mass every Sunday. But we go when it's important, and we still practice the faith at home with grace before dinner and prayers before bed. And to me, I believe that as long as God knows you love him and have not forgotten him, he will forgive us for missing a Sunday service now and then. At least, that's what I'm praying for! ;o)

XOXO