LOVE, Kloudiia

I’m still reeling with excitement after my Rite of Acceptance on Saturday. This means I am offically a Catechumen now and this marks the beginning of a year long journey towards my understanding and appreciation of what Catholism is all about.

The whole ceremony was pretty simple, with the traditional rituals and all, amazed me throughout and beyond.

Feeling amused and refreshing when we were being “signed” by our sponsors on certain places on our bodies, me and my sister couldn’t help giggling as we wonder where will we be “signed” next, while our sponsor kept motioned us to remain silent by putting her finger to her lips, also trying very hard to contain her excitment and laughter.

All these ado is sending buoyant vibes down my spine stimulating all cells in my body. It reminds me of the time when I was still a newbie in school, where we waited in line at the assembly hall to be addressed by the Principal and dismissed to our respective classrooms, holding hands with your classmate and yes, lifting our free hand to put a finger to our lips – to keep our mouths shut. (How can we forget this last bit? It’s probably going to be etched in our memories for as long as we live! How remarkedly excellent our education system was!)

And now here I am, reliving these flashbacks, giggling like primary school girls when we marched in to the big welcome from the whole community, and emerging as adults anticipating, and wondering what we will get out from this discovery trip.

One year later from now will be the time when we will know the answer.

Curiosity doesn’t kill me. It just spurs me to embrace new learnings with bewilderment and enthusiasm. Curiosity only kills the cat, and I am not a cat. Ha!

 

Look, here’s what we got as Starters:

My cross and My first Bible

With my Name! Yes, they are Personalised with our names manuscripted inside:

Followed by a night of celebration … yay! ;D

What is the symbolic meaning behind this ceremony? To me, it is a commitment. For the next 365 days, we need to set aside a few hours each week to do home session and to attend the weekly sunset mass every Saturday, and to reflect on the teachings that week.

Isn’t this just like an engagement too? You are both committed to bring your relationship to another height, and both parties have a common vision towards marriage. Meanwhile, some couples may attend marriage counselling, and this is the time where they get to know each other in ways that they may never discover unless and until they tie the knot. Sensitive issues like finances, in-laws, having kids all need to be covered with nothing but pure honesty and candour, and they achieve mutual understanding and acceptance at the end, before they finally parade down the aisle and say “I do”.

There are a lot of adjustments, compromising happening here. Patience is crucial. Appreciation and gratitude play significant roles as well. Most important of all, love is the answer.

After the initial jubilation of marriage, aka the honeymoon period, is the beginning of a real world when two become one. You share your life with your spouse, and you strive towards a common dream, and similar goals travelling on the same direction. Real nitty-gritties of life kick in, and love is put on the test bed.

Isn’t this just like baptism, too? It symbolises a beginning, not the end. The road ahead with God will be as long as you live … and so are you and your life-time soulmate, partner, best friend for life.