Boomz and I visited my family on the other side of the state this past weekend. :) I haven't been visited them in months, so I was excited to go "home", but there's always a little part of me that dreads it. Not because I don't love my family, of course, but because they don't understand why Boomz and I are so "into" Catholicism. There's lots of bickering and criticizing, and the TV is ALWAYS on.
Anyway, I bought my little brother the new catechism for teens (You.cat) for his birthday, because I'm his Confirmation sponsor and I've been doing a horrible job at preparing him for the sacrament. He'd already flipped through it a little, but I wanted to go through it with him before Boomz and I went home. So on Sunday afternoon, I went through some of it with my brother, starting with Who created us and why. We talked about baptism and the Divine Indwelling (although I didn't use those words lol), the Eucharist, and Confirmation. I showed him pictures of Eucharistic miracles, which he thought were "gross". Generally, I wasn't getting very good reactions from him. lol He said things like, "It's just a bunch of rules" and repeated that Eucharistic miracles were gross many times. I was praying to the Holy Spirit a lot while I was talking with him, but I still felt like I went way too in depth, and I was worried I just confused him.
Well, late on Sunday night (well, actually Monday morning), I received a text from my brother saying that now that he knows God is always with him he feels more safe (he still gets pretty scared at night for some reason. It took years and years to get him to sleep in his room). Then yesterday evening, I got a text from him asking how he can learn to love God more! And he told me he read a lot of the book I gave him and that he went to the church and sat there and prayed! He said that he feels like crying when he prays but he doesn't know why, and that it feels good to be in the church "just you and God", and that taking about God makes him happy. I was blown away! I can't believe I got those texts from MY brother! lol My crazy, goofy brother who never seems to have a serious thought in his head. I hope St. Joseph (his confirmation saint) and the Holy Spirit keep working on him! :) Please keep him in your prayers!
Wow, so awesome! I too sometimes question myself when I try to explain the faith. Sounds like you did a good job and the Holy Spirit was able to work. :) I pray he continues to grow in his faith.
ReplyDeleteThat makes me tear up! Wow.. that's a great reminder that we should keep praying for others even when we think there may be little hope for a conversion. Nothing's impossible with God! It is so apparent that the Holy Spirit worked on him! Amazing! And you are a great sister :)
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a great Confirmation sponsor! The Holy Spirit is definitely working through your brother!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! So happy for him! Good work, big sister! ;)
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to hear how he's experiencing God through emotion and through being in church. I think that's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWow! I don't think could ask for a better sponsor. You planted the seed, now watch it grow!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great story! :)
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