30 Days of Giving Thanks: Day 24

Today I am very thankful for being Catholic.  I was born and raised Catholic and I think some people attribute to me still being Catholic to "not knowing any better".  That could not be further from the truth.  Throughout my relatively short life I have been blessed to experience many different ideas/belief systems and cultures (most of them through Catholic schools) and I continue to find that my Catholic faith is where I belong.

I've been to Catholic schools most of my life (with a small exception of part of kindergarten through 3rd grade) and I think that has been a huge part of my faith in the Church.  Throughout my many years of formal and informal faith education I have questioned and continued to learn more about the Church and her teachings.  I've been taught the history of the Church, the meaning behind the sacraments, and been an RCIA (Rite of Catholic Initiation for Adults) sponsor... all of these have shown me more reasons why I continue to belong to the Catholic Church.  There are several unpopular beliefs and stances that the Church takes, and I know it is not easy to stick to these beliefs and it is even more difficult

Here's my top 10 things I love about my Catholic faith in no particular order (because everyone has favorites):

1. Eucharist: I mean it is Jesus!  Who doesn't love that?
2. Baptism: This sacrament took on a whole new meaning when Jack was baptized... it is truly a beautiful moment in a person's life (infant to adult).
3. Confirmation: Okay, so I love the smell of chrism oil :-)
4. Natural Family Planning: I know it's not technically part of the Catholic Church, but the Church definitely supports it and it has been a great blessing to our family!
5. Mass: While right now it can be quite difficult with our kids to fully participate in Mass, I love all parts of the Mass (see #1, the music, the people, the readings).
6. The Church's history: This might be the only history lesson I really enjoy to continue to hear and learn more about!
7. My friends: I've been involved in Church activities for as long as I can remember and I have gained some amazing friends along the way!
8. Reconciliation: Although I honestly don't go often enough, I always get a lot out of it.
9. Community support:  Catholic charities help so many people throughout the world for a number of different things, and I love the amount of reach and support provides to the world!
10. Vocations: This is a bit generic, but when I was part of a NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference) discussion on vocations, I realized how important it is and powerful it can be to discern your true vocation!

On a completely unrelated note, please go out and support a small business today (or this weekend or this holiday season)!  I know a number of people who own or work for a small business so it is very important to me to support this part of our economy.