HOW I AM A CATHOLI- AS A FAMILY MEMBERS

Over the next few weeks, one of our parishioners, Frank Norton, will be sharing his life journey as a Catholic: how his faith has developed and grown over the years, how he lives out this faith on a daily basis, and lessons learned along the way. Please join us in following this series!

“Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover….they found Him in the temple….His mother kept all these things in Her Heart.” Luke 2:41–51

"And Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ." Matthew 1:16

"And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt." Matthew 2:14

It’s pretty clear to me NOW that I’m more than an individual Roman Catholic.

The Sisters of St Joseph got me started understanding my individual faith when I was about seven. But, it took a lot of years, decades even, to develop myself as a Roman Catholic family member. Oh, I had a good sense of myself as part of a family -- son, grandson, brother, father, husband. I just didn’t get the part about living Family Faith. I can’t say I had a “eureka moment.” I was thirty-something when my Roman Catholic family identity began to emerge thanks to some ego-jolting advice from a Franciscan priest friend. I failed multiple times along the way, but persistence lead to consistence. Today, I’m on a “moving forward” track with lots still to learn and put into practice.

What I Learned – A Lot

• I started by learning to act humbly with my family. Every family member shares equally in God’s Love, Compassion Forgiveness and Encouragement. I’m not the “special one” – everyone is.
• God gifted me a wonderful family. I show my gratitude to Him by loving, listening, forgiving, being available to them 24/7 –– celebrating their moments of success and helping them through difficult moments with time, talent and treasure. I’ll admit I’m still a work in progress, but that gives me more to look forward to learning and to making part of my growth as a Roman Catholic family member.
• God is the Supreme family member. He is Our Father and Creator, He is Our Brother and Savior, He is Our Strength, Grace and Wisdom. From Adam and Eve’s family to The Holy Family to My Family, God’s message is clear –– family is central to our membership in His Family. So, I try to nurture the spiritual as well the daily life growth in our family. Family evangelization is a good and rewarding practice.

What I Got – Also A Lot

• God’s Love surrounds me with the love of my family.
• My family loves, supports, forgives, and encourages me.
• Family bonds reduce stress and make daily life choices clearer.
• I am so happy and grateful to God when I see family making Christ inspired life choices.
• As our family bonds continually grow deeper, I feel better living my roman Catholic family life.