Freedom Through Faith: Why Catholicism Sets my Soul Free
Saint John Paul 2 said “freedom isn’t the ability to do what we want, but to do what we ought.”
Freedom through Faith
Leaning into my catholic faith has allowed me to access God in a powerful way. It’s easy to become complacent and hard to remember the graces that God has given me. When I become complacent, I usually find myself gathering joy in ways that are fleeting. Going to the church where Christ is present is a soothing balm. Feeling him so close is a magnificent comfort I cannot gain anywhere else. I find freedom from despair, shame and soul fatigue by going to daily mass, going to confession, praying the rosary talking of God with friends and praying with my husband.
Freedom through Faith: His Merciful Love
This world is a tricky place to live, navigating it can be so complicated and as an adult, pressure abounds. The beautiful thing about going to Christ in his church is that loving Him is simple. He asks us to follow his commandments and faithfully receive the sacraments. When I am obedient, God can work with my confused hard and broken heart. He asks me to do my best to love Him and He transforms me from the inside out in return.
This transformation is usually a difficult and painful one, but giving Him and Mary all of our sorrows, we glide across the deep anguish and know more joy and less despair. Losing our baby girl has been the saddest, yet most beautiful thing of my life. Graces upon graces spilled forth from the fountain of Jesus’ Merciful compassionate heart. I’ve grown closer to my husband my children and Christ.
Freedom through Faith: His Hands and Feet
There is no suffering to great that our Lord ignores. He is always there waiting to bring his face close. The veil is thin during this time of loss. His hands and feet (faithful brothers and sisters) have without a doubt shown us God’s abounding love and generosity.
Good friends of ours got in touch with a family that lived close to the hospital. Our baby had Trisomy 13, we knew we would have to be giving birth in Salt Lake City, three hours from our home. The family was so lovely with abounding kindness and generosity. Our stay there eased my anxiety and suffering greatly, and staying with them enabled us to bring our children with us. Another friend set up a meeting for us with a wonderful Catholic priest, who was able to bless us and perform the anointing of the sick.
Every bit of the hospital stay and the people we encountered felt like God was sending them to us. Many more holy and beautiful things took place before our sweet daughter Perpetua was born. She was unresponsive and not breathing when she was laid in my arms. Her poor little heart couldn’t handle the stress of delivery. She was beautiful. I plan to go into more detail in another post, but for now I want to focus on the generosity of God during this time.
Our family came up to see her when she was born, they knew she wasn’t going to live for very long so all our brothers and sisters wanted to meet her before she passed. They did not get to meet her alive, but they did get to share in our love for her and our sorrow at her death. We felt so blessed by that experience because the tears and the anguish we saw affirmed our love for our family, and their love for us. It was a magnanimous moment; I wouldn’t trade for the world.
After the hospital stay We returned home to a glistening house. While we were in the hospital our friends came to do a deep clean and pray the rosary. Afterwards we were uplifted once again by an abundance of prayers, well wishes and comforting meals.
Christ and His Church has rescued my soul from deep despair, and I am so eternally grateful. Grateful for the sacraments, grateful for His Body and His abounding mercies that have truly set my soul free.
