In May I went out to lunch with a friend. I met her early in my transition out of stay-at-home mom-ness, when she was sending various of her four daughters to the preschool where I was sending various of my four sons. She lives in my neighborhood and we've gotten together a few times over the years. I thought it would be a pleasant chatty lunch: kids-and-husbands small talk.
Instead the Holy Spirit blew into the room. She said, "How did you decide to become Catholic?" and I answered her question and wound up saying (while thinking, "This is a crazy idea"), "Hey, do you want to pop over to my church's adoration chapel?" and also (while thinking, "This is a silly question"), "Have you ever heard of Elizabeth Seton?" Now really, how many Presbyterians have heard of Elizabeth Seton? In a rather surprising coincidence, my friend said, "Actually I read a biography of Elizabeth Seton recently."
I took her to the chapel expecting her to find it weird and foreign, but she said, "This is amazing." And I showed her the statue of Elizabeth Seton, with her quote about the "triumph of joy and gladness" in receiving the Eucharist for the first time.
My friend wanted to receive the Eucharist too.
I sent her off with some books and my prayers, but I wasn't making any bets about what would happen next. She and her husband are really involved in their church. It would be a big change, becoming Catholic. Last week she left a message on my answering machine, but we never did connect.
I'm helping out with the Alpha course my church is running for the first time with RCIA participants. Imagine my delight and surprise when she walked in the door. She hugged me and sat down, and said, "You probably know why I was calling you." [I didn't.] "Will you be my RCIA sponsor?
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