It was time to take the kids to Mass. To be honest it was a hassle on a Sunday morning. Sunday’s the day for a lie-in isn’t it? My wife isn’t Catholic so it’s up to me to make sure that the three children make their First Holy Communion. Father Mike stressed that we were expected to be there on Sundays.
“Are you OK Dad?” I heard my eldest say and felt a tug on my arm. He could see me wiping a couple of tears from my eyes. I put my arm round him and told him everything was great.
At the end of Mass I hung around while everyone shook Father’s hand and made their way out of the church. I just had to tell someone. As I heard the words coming out of my mouth to Father Mike my eyes filled up again. “It’s all true!” I said. “He really loves me. It’s like someone switched the light on. It’s all true.”
From the outside it probably looks like my life is just the same. Family, work, football, all the usual stuff. But something big has happened inside me. He’s alive. He loves me. Nothing will ever be the same again.
The story above is true with some details changed to protect privacy. It comes from a series of resources for small groups , in connection with an initiative called "Proclaim '15" being launched to support, inspire and encourage new expressions of parish evangelisation. A project of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, it is designed to affirm the good work that is already being done by the Catholic community, and to provide resources and events to profile and develop new expressions of Catholic joy and missionary outreach.
You can learn more from the "Proclaim '15" page of the Bishops' Conference website.
Even better, join our Lent Reflection session in the crypt over a cuppa after the 9.30am Mass on Wednesday.
