Dear Children....

I have tried before to write in my children's journals I have for them.  I actually need to buy THREE more considering I only have four of them, but until I start writing consistently in them, here's a letter to my seven babies.

Dear Big G, JT, Em, Gi, ME, Chi, & Lui (that's what Chi calls her..),

Hello my loves.  First of all, I want you all to know something.  I love each one of you very much.  People ask me all the time how I can love, and care for, all of you and I'm reminded of a cartoon my grandma Grace sent me many, many years ago.   It was the Circus cartoon and the mom was asked how she had enough love for each child she had (she only had four- can you imagine??) Her response was classic, "With each child, my love has been multiplied."

It's completely true.   With the birth of each one of you, somehow, probably through God's grace since we were being open to life, we found our love to just burst even more.  If people think my hands are full, they really truly should see my heart.  (remember, I had a tshirt with that on it!)  At times, I think my heart might burst it's so full of love.

That's not to say it's been an easy, fun-loving, journey with all of you.  

Life is hard.  Life is sometimes unfair.  And you'll find as you grow up, life is really, kind of , yucky.  There are things going on that go against every fiber of our being.  You'll find, as you grow up, your faith will be shaken.   Your heart challenged.  Your mind overwhelmed.  At times, you'll want to run away and hide from the crazy of the world.  You may even embrace it at times, but my prayer for you is that you will always turn back to God in all things.

Sometimes, when I think about the challenges you all will face when you grow up, it makes my heart, mind, and stomach hurt terribly.  I want to protect you.  I want to shelter you from all the yuck of the world.  I want to assure you there is something waiting for you on the other side.  I've seen tiny glimpses of it.

I want you to know that if you try with all your might to live a Godly and good life, that He will share those tiny glimpses.  

I want you to know that if you work hard at living "in" the world, but not succumbing "to" the world, that He will show you many things.  Not everyday.  And it certainly won't make living "in" the world any easier, but it will help.

My sweet babies.  You are the future of Catholic Church as well.  Your father and I have tried to always instill a love of God, our Faith, and one another in you since you were born.  We've tried to teach you JOY.  Jesus, Others, Yourself, so that growing up in this selfish world, you wouldn't be sucked into the "what's in it for me" mentality that seems to have gotten a hold of most of your generation and the one before it, and most probably, if your generation produces much offspring, that one as well.....

The Church needs a revolution.  She needs strong Catholics to go boldly teaching and proclaiming the faith like never before.  Your dad and I have been consistent with that.  And if we've taught you ANYTHING about Catholicism it's this.......

You will know the TRUTH about the Catholic Faith.  You will have all the tools you need to understand and learn what we believe, and WHY we believe it.  It won't be "just because."  It will be this is what we believe and this is why and here are scripture verses to back it up and the writings of early church fathers to prove we've done it for a long time.

You will need this armor as you grow up.  

People will tempt you to sway your beliefs.   Don't let them.

People will try to persecute you because of your beliefs.  Believe regardless.

People will abandon you because of your beliefs.  God will never, ever, EVER, and please understand I want to put 867 gazillion (yes, that is a word, even if your momma just made it up) EVER's in this letter, that GOD WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have I ever lied to you?  

Ok, let's restate that, because seriously, the Easter bunny was never really promoted by me and you know that....  And I wouldn't think the tooth fairy was a "lie" per say, because really, it's like a fairy floating around trying to find teeth, coins and not wake you....

And we ALL know my rule about Santa........so keep that in mind....

So now that we've settled that- your father and I have never lied to you about matters of the faith.  We both want you all to learn exactly what the Catholic church teaches and why.  We both love the Eucharist SO MUCH, that we could NEVER fathom what God would do should we EVER, EVER try to water down our Catholic faith.  

God loves us, but be very clear, He loves us like a father.  Now, do you remember all that happened to you when you disobeyed YOUR father here on earth?   Your dad loves you very much, but did you not get in trouble when you disobeyed him?   NO.  And God your Heavenly Father, is no different.  He loves you even more than your earthly father, but that doesn't mean He will let you just "do whatever" and not have consequences for your actions.  

If we don't teach you the truth of the faith, that will be something WE have to account for when we are judged by Him.  By your baptism, we promised to raise you in the Catholic Church.  

That's not the "Catholicmomma and her rockin' superman husband" Catholic church.  That's THE Roman Catholic Church.

That's quite a responsibility.  

I'm guessing if people really sat down and thought about that, they might reconsider Baptism.  Or, hopefully, would consider getting themselves re-catechized.  Because we are making a PROMISE to God. 

God takes promises very seriously.  They are just like covenants He made with Adam, Moses, Noah, Daniel, etc. etc.  You get what I'm saying, right?

God is very clear in many ways about bringing up children in the faith.  

Your dad and I take that very seriously as well.  For many reasons, but two specifically.

1.  We've rediscovered our Catholic Faith these last 18 years.  And the true beauty of Catholicism isn't what you see on TV, or hear nominal Catholics talk about, or even, sadly, sometimes hear at Church.  (depending on where you go, you'll find, even shockingly, priests, redefining the Catholic faith....)  The real faith is hidden in the bible, in great books written by great historians, in books written by current, amazing, apologists, who have spent their lives reading and studying the bible and the Catholic church.  Your dad and I?  We can't go back.  We can never, EVER, go back to what our lives were before this rediscovery.  And that is the first reason. 

2.  I can't speak for your dad specifically with this one, although I know he's had experiences like it as well, but Heaven is real.   Heaven is so real, that even though we tell you that you can catch a glimpse at Mass of Heaven, during the consecration of the Eucharist, you probably still can't quite grasp the idea like I can.  Like your dad can.

Heaven is real, because we've lost some very important people in our lives and we've tasted a glimpse we can't explain in words.  

We can try, but honestly, until you taste that experience yourself, and to taste it would be to open your heart and eyes to God's daily graces He sends, you won't have that firm grasp.  Some of you do.  Some of you still have fears, tho.  Fears are ok, if you pray to God about them.  Fearing the unknown can be very normal. But fearing Heaven, just because you don't want to leave this world?  That means this world has too strong a hold on you.  

John Matthew, Gemma Rose, Michael and Maria are all four in Heaven.  

Don't you want to see them one day?   Don't you want to meet them and meet all the people we've prayed and asked them to greet in Heaven?  

I do.

I want to see them, and hold them, and stand there before them and tell them I love them so much.  I know they know I love them.  But I want my babies in Heaven to see how hard I'm working to get to Heaven.  I want to live my life to make them proud of me.  I want you to get to Heaven as well.  

Despite what the world will try and teach you, attaining Heaven is not a walk in the park.  

If you attain Heaven simply by proclaiming God as your Lord and Savior, than why on earth did he leave us so much to read in the bible that would contradict that?  If it were that simple, wouldn't the bible be much smaller?  Less parables by him?   Maybe just a shout out- Hey??  Just tell me I'm your Savior and it's done.

No.  It's more complicated than that.  Yes, Jesus Christ IS our Savior.  ALL of us.  Not just those who proclaim it.  

Sorry.  

No.  I'm not sorry.

My sweet babies, I spent my entire young life being told that unless I "proclaim" Christ as my Savior,  I was not going to Heaven.  

It wasn't said out of malice.  It was well intended people trying to save the lowly Catholic girl who lived in the Bible Belt of Tennessee, but the older I became and the more I studied my own faith, I started to realize something.

First, I'm no theologian.  So PLEASE understand, I'm blogging you this letter.  Not sitting with my bible, or catechism, or early church fathers (which I have all of them) books confirming my words.

Jesus came to "SAVE" us all.  

Savior is something who saves.  

No where, NO WHERE, in my bible does it say Jesus only came to save those who proclaimed Him as their Lord and Savior.  

He came to save us all.  Whether we believed in Him (which we do) or not.  (which there are LOTS of people who don't)

So, always, always, remember that.  

But also remember this.  

Jesus said it wouldn't be easy to follow Him.  

He says that.  

In the bible.  

People will hate you.  Family will abandon you.  

He said to remember something, though. 

They hated him and abandoned Him first.  

John Chapter 6 is my favorite (ok, ONE of my favorite) chapters in the bible.  I have a lot, but that one is the one that sealed the deal for me and the true presence of the Eucharist.  Jesus NEVER, EVER, repeated Himself unless He knew people didn't understand Him....

Four times He repeated Himself and people actually LEFT Him because the teaching was too hard.

Seriously?  Too hard?  If it were a mere symbol?  How could it be "too hard?"

Cause it wasn't a mere symbol.

They knew He meant to physically eat Him.

Weird....

But how else could we "have life within us?"  Unless we physically consumed something?

His body and blood.

I won't go on.  You know how I feel about the Eucharist.  You know stories I've shared with you about miracles in regards to the Eucharist.  And how many, MANY saints in our Church DIED trying to protect the Eucharist.

I'll end my letter now.  You know how long winded I can get.  Especially in regards to our beautiful faith.

I want to leave you with one thing, tho.  Well, maybe two.  Ok, maybe a dozen.....

Your dad and I love you all incredibly.  Madly.  Deeply.

But your Father in Heaven?  

Loves you even more.

Big G, JT, Em, Gi, ME, Chi, And Lui?

Heaven is real.  God is real.  Jesus is real.  It's all real.  It's all for us.  All of us.

Learn your faith.  Read all you can on it.

Defend your faith.  Stand tall and proud of it.

Be your faith.  It isn't something you leave inside the four walls of Church.  Take it with you.  Become one with it.

Learn it.  Love it.  Live it.

I love you all.

Love,

Mom