A different Easter

It all began this way for those who are wondering what I'm quipping about this time.... well, for more than 10 months, I've diligently attended Catechism classes (a.k.a. RCIA) to prepare myself for my big day - my Confirmation on Holy Saturday 2006 (I need not be Baptised since the Catholic church recognises the Lutheran Baptism).

Yes, everything took flight and I had my Confirmation on the 15th April 2006, and I had my first Confession on the 11th April 2006. It wasn't easy for me to see to this very day, as for over 10 months, I've carefully monitored my attendance for the Catechism classes to more than 80% to be eligible for my Confirmation at the Catholic church.

In the long journey of RCIA, have I learned anything? Well, if you ask me if I have a change of faith by regressing or by progressing in my walk with Christ, I'd say 'no'. Christianity as a whole, is all about our relationship with Christ, why on earth did man want to split hairs of who's interpreting the Bible correctly and who's not? Hence, making heaven appear to be layered and segregated with different denominations? There's only one Heaven, as in the only one home that Heavenly Father will want to share with us at the end of the day.

Well, in our understanding of the Salvation history and also the evolution of Christianity in Western Civilisation, we find that there are no Biblical heroes that is worthy for Christians to be boasting about with, as all characters are very human and need to be brought to discipline by God. Amongst us, we have streaks of Adams, Eves, Rachels, Sarahs, Abrahams, Jacobs, Isaacs, Esaus, Davids etc, but very few Jobs. In short, from yestercenturies, yesterdecades and yesterdays, people are people, and they all possess the oh-so-familiar weaknesses and strengths.

So back to my recent experience, and this very special Easter of 2006, I've reminisced my little journey through RCIA.... I've learned a different set of things from those provided by the facilitators. There were a whole lot of things when I thought I have been frustrated to the ends of the earth and also demoralised to an extent, but there are learning aspects to them all.

Somehow, I'm uplifted in a way, to understand how great the good Lord is in blessing us all to be humble before Him, and not to behave as if we are our own God to our own lives. As for denominations, I'd like to simplify things since I'm working very hard to be neutral for all. To be specific, I'm addressing the Catholicism and Lutheranism... thanks to my Mama, who has ingrained all her children to understand the roots of Christianity and a partial Catholicism viewpoint behind Papa's back while we were raised under strict Lutheran groundings that frown upon Catholicism.

My mother suffered in her growing years, raised in a broken family, and found her sanctuary in Christ at the tender age of 7. That was when she was converted from Buddhism to Catholicism, and she remembered asking the Priest to baptise her even at her young age. Soon after that, she brought her younger siblings to be baptised as well. I will always remember her bravery and her determination to be a Christian. She was not well-supported by Granny for that decision and also her influence over her siblings, but still, Mama prayed all her life for Granny to convert, which only came through 40 years later. While in those years of relentless praying, she got married to my father, in where she had to convert to the Lutheran faith in order to marry.

I took a reverse walk in comparison to my mother, I join the Catholic faith for the future of my current love and other future plans to be with a Catholic man. In truth, I have no violent rejections of Catholicism, as I understand it in many ways - thanks again to Mama. I was raised, with my mother's words at the back of my head, viewing other denominations are sticks in the mud in regards to the root of Christianity. I saw the traditions within the Catholic church, and also of those within the Lutheran church. I've seen the Anglican ones as well, and find them all very alike, liturgically, and also their roots of beliefs. However, the Catechism classes changed my mind quick enough on those thoughts. I've experienced again, a u-turn journey through the RCIA classes I've attended. The facilitators were and are very close-minded about other denominations, if not dead-set with the idea that the rest of the denominations are not accurate since they are stuck with the pride of how the Catholics began with the Christian Tradition first, historically. The vibes I've received is that, "it's good that you have now come to realise that Catholicism is a journey to take up"... there was a sense of pride there that rubbed me the wrong way. I felt a little slighted that they seemed to be stuck with the idea that I may have found something 'not quite right' with the Lutheran church that brought me to the RCIA classes.

There is nothing wrong with neither Lutheranism, nor the other denominations that I've visited before over the many years of the past. At the end of the day, I'm still very Lutheran at heart, and is open minded to Catholicism because I understand it theorectically. I struggle with the practicality of things attached to the traditions, but I do not fault them, hence, I obediently go through the motions in time to understand it all more over time. In the Lutheran church, I too have my traditions and take pride in them as to those from any other Christian churches of other denominations... all in all, every church has its very own root to Christianity.

Now, back to the RCIA classes... I've brought up one issue after the next in regards to help the facilitators tie in the insurmountable similarities that bind Christian brothers and sisters together under the umbrella of Christianity in spite of churches and denominations that come under different names, interpretations and doctrines. At many instances, I was shot down mid-sentence, or pushed aside. I was not alone in the class, as there are several others who were treated the same way. I felt that as a raised Christian, I feel slighted by all these, how about those who are first time learners of the faith? It must be terribly painful.

At the end of the day, I had more disappointment than joy in this journey of RCIA, but I do not blame God for all these. I looked at how human all of us are and how much we need God's Grace to lead us to perfection when we are so imperfect. Only through Christ, our imperfection can be transformed into perfection.

So, talking about imperfection and perfection, I'd say that I have tons of imperfection that has been made beautiful by Christ, and I'm still transforming each day to be a better person. Not only that I'm learning to be a better person, I feel that I too, have influenced my beau to be more attentive to Catholicism as well. This is Easter is special to me, because I have my love by my side to witness the Confirmation procession that I'm part of... and also, this day marks another milestone in our relationship with each other and also in faith with God - a ecumenism of our own between the Lutheran and the Catholic.