A Catholic, A Methodist and A Lutheran

Me in my baptismal gown with my Godparents.

Our son wore it as did our first granddaughter and grandson

Jennifer in her Baptismal Gown that I made for her

A Catholic, A Methodist and A Lutheran
What do these three things have in common? It's not a joke and the obvious answer is they are all Christians but to me they are more than that, they are our children.

Our boys as Alter Boys

I was raised a Catholic, as my mother was before me both of us attending Catholic school, me through 8th grade and my mother through High School. As a matter of fact my mother was practically raised by the nuns because she was the daughter of a deserted working mother in the 30's & 40's and they were nice enough to take her under their wings.

My Mother on her First Communion Day

Me on My First Communion Day

Thomas for his First Communion

My father converted to Catholicism and he became a founding father of their parish. They raised their five children as Catholics who in turn raised their children as Catholics. Tom and I were married in a Catholic church even though they knew I was pregnant and my mother was Tom's sponsor when he converted to Catholicism. He became the pillar of the churches we were to join in our years of travel and even became a part of the Parish Council at one point. I was actually the first female allowed on the alter as a reader of the scripture when I was a teenager. Our children were baptized, made their First Communion and were confirmed as Catholics. We even spent Holy Week in Rome with our parish in 1992.

Charlie's Confirmation Day in Hohenfels, Germany

Rome 1992

What you say does this all have to do with a Lutheran and a Methodist. Well it hit me when Tom and I were sitting in church last Sunday. As I watched the other people I was sorting them into groups, young families, parents with teenagers, young couples, old couples and then it hit me that even though we're not quite the old couple yet we're way past the family group. In the last couple of years even though I get a sense of comfort and peace from mass I also get a sense of sadness. I was missing what we had but then Charlie called, Charlie who has not willingly gone to church since he was ateenager, and for the fourth straight Sunday he has gone to church, a Lutheran church. Do I care it's not Catholic? If I am to be truly honest yes I would prefer it to be Catholic but am I exstatic that he's found his way back to God, ABSOLUTELY. The Methodist you say that would be Thomas and his family and my pride in their choices swells my heart so that it feels like it's coming out of my chest. Oh ya, Jennifer is our Catholic, albet needs a little help in the practicing part of it. This too shall come, God is good.