Finding faith

Easter is easily one of my favorite holidays.

Growing up, I would always get excited for a new Easter dress that my mom or I would make. As I got older, I looked forward to being an alter server at church during Holy Week for the special Masses, as they all felt so important, and being a part of that made me feel special and important, too. Going to church in general was and still in an important part of my life.

As a child, the stories they told at Mass did not always make sense and left me wondering “How does that apply to me?”

Each year, I learn more and more; the stories of the Bible have not changed, but I have. Many of the stories that did not make sense when I was a kid now do. There is one in particular that took several years to unfold and to reach that happy ending.

Parables are short stories that Jesus would tell to help others understand his teachings. Even today, those stories help people understand what he meant. 

There is a parable about two brothers, one who stayed home and helped their father take care of land, and the other who left and wasted his money on frivolous things. The brother who left focused on himself and the immediate pleasure he received from these things. When that brother returned home, the father was overjoyed and threw a big party to celebrate his son coming home, meanwhile the son who stayed was out in the field working.

Growing up, I was always unsettled by this because I grew up in the faith and thought, “Why would someone who wandered astray be a better person than someone like me who goes to church every weekend and volunteers with many church activities?”

It was not until I witnessed it for myself that it made perfect sense.

I know someone who went to church growing up but only went because their family was going. As an adult, they liked to party and really only focused on the here-and-now and what they wanted. This person eventually got married and had a couple of kids, but it did not last long before that ended and, from there, their journey only got rougher. I could see they were lost, and it took years before things would smooth out again.

On weekends, when this person had their kids, they would come to church with us. After a couple of years, there was a difference in their attitude and mindset. They focused on their family and did what they could so that their kids could have the best life. Eventually, this person started going to church on their own.

Today, this person has found their faith and has been baptized and converted to the Catholic Church. It was a long, windy, uphill road, but this person made it. The journey was not easy, but by focusing on their family and not giving into the distractions of today’s society, they raised up a beautiful family. It was amazing to see the transformation and I am proud of this person and all they accomplished.

I am thankful every day to have been brought up in a home with two loving parents, but I know that is not the case for so many. No matter what our sins are, no matter how broken or lost we may feel, know that God loves you and will always accept you for you. After all, that is what we are all celebrating this weekend: that Jesus died so we can all be forgiven and have life with him.

I hope you all have a blessed Easter.