Worth the Wait
Posted on: March 11, 2013
- In: Everyday Life | Faith
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(F)or behold, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
(Song of Solomon: 2:11-12, Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition)
With its grimy snow and slush slowly melting to reveal mud and dormant grass, March is not my favourite month.
But I like the idea of taking out my running shoes and putting away winter boots that look like Rescue Heroes footwear. And the start of spring makes me look forward to seeing the flowers I’ve planted poke through the soil at the end of April. (Well, this is Ottawa, so I’d better err on the side of caution and say the middle of May.)
Anticipation makes things more enjoyable. Like when you look forward to eating some good chocolate at the end of Lent and finally savour that melt-in-your-mouth candy.
At this time last year, my husband and I were anticipating joining the Church and receiving Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil, after months of RCIA preparation. Not only did I have the joy of receiving the Eucharist at Easter, but I also felt a new sense of belonging as many people told us how happy they were for us.
I’m more involved in the life of the parish now: I’m a lector (I’ll be reading at the Easter Vigil) and I’m helping out with First Eucharist. This year, I’ll see the anticipation in the faces of our RCIA candidates at Easter and the excitement of the Grade 2 children as they prepare to receive the Eucharist for the first time in the weeks that follow, and the joy all of them will take in participating fully in the Mass.
But what comes after the Easter Vigil or First Eucharist?
I hope that anticipation gives way to joy at being able to receive the Eucharist, where Jesus is truly present. I hope people would choose to take an active role in their parish by volunteering, supporting parish initiatives and attending social functions. I hope faith would be part of their daily lives and not something saved for Sundays.
I pray that we would look forward to welcoming the newest members of the Church at Easter and encourage the children celebrating First Eucharist—and that God would guide the cardinals as they prepare to choose the new head of the Church.
A Catholic Convert in Ottawa 