As we stood in our church and watched our
youngest child go through the "Rite of Enrollment" for the
sacrament of Confirmation last week, I was happy to see
her continue her Christian journey and commitment to being a
compassionate and loving Christian person. Her older siblings completed this
sacramental process which she is now going through.
It is also good to see that our daughter is eagerly receptive of her mandatory volunteer service projects, which are a part of this process. There are many different types of volunteer projects from which the Confirmation candidates can select at least one, like volunteering for the Share Food Network of the Catholic Charities, collecting coats for people in the community in need of a coat, making Thanksgiving baskets for families in serious need, participating in Stations of the Cross during lent, and making greeting cards for those who serve in the military oversees. In these volunteer projects, Christian compassion is demonstrated and people's lives are positively impacted. I am thankful for this experience for our children, and other children, who will learn how to show compassion by helping other people.
When I married my husband, I decided to be a
part of the Catholic Christian faith. It has been a
fruitful journey for more than twenty years. There are
some aspects of the Protestant church, which I attended growing up, that
I remember fondly and sometimes miss, like the music from the Baptist
Church.
As a young woman, I did not think
it was a big matter to join the Catholic faith, since I was already a
Christian. I thought a Christian was a Christian. It has taken
me two decades to get use to the practices of the Catholic Church,
yet I’ve benefited from the experience.
My husband, however, grew up in a
Catholic family, and we have raised our three
children as practicing Catholic Christians. It has been worth it, as
each of our children is a compassionate Christian person. For me, the
heart of the Christian faith is God's compassion and love for us
all.
By Angeline Bandon-Bibum
