I have been a Catholic all my life and I have always loved it. I was born into what we would call, a 'practising Catholic family', ie, we went to church every Sunday. We children went to Catholic schools and I liked learning about God, the Bible and our religion.
From childhood on, we were always involved in our church's life. None of this was any big deal to us. We enjoyed being a part of it. In fact, in our youth, it formed the basis of our social lives. Scouts, guides, choirs and groups for people of all ages abounded then.
I loved the sense of belonging and the pattern of our lives; the feasts, the fasts, the high days and holidays. I loved knowing our parents' friends and their knowing us and following our lives as we grew up.
As children, we didn't understand most of the Mass but I always loved the physicality of the 'smells and bells'. I only remember one 'fire and brimstone' sermon. It didn't upset me because the God I believed in, and still do, wasn't one bit like that.
Then, of course, there were the hymns - with the great tunes! Many Catholic hymns were powerful and passionate and that suited me. As I've grown older, I've realised that I learned a great deal of vocabulary from the language of the hymns but without noticing it at the time. Many of the phrases and lines come unbidden into my mind now.
It has been my pleasure to go to Mass on a Sunday (or latterly, a Saturday evening) every week of my life, unless poorly. On holiday, it was always one of our first tasks to find the local church and the times of the Masses, something which my husband and I always liked to do. In fact, we enjoyed the change of priests and people we met.
On one occasion, whilst in Blackpool for his work's weekend Christmas do, we were mesmerised when, at the homily, the young priest sat down on a chair in front of the altar and called the children to come out to him. They came running from all over the church to sit around him on the floor. He talked to them and asked them questions and they absolutely loved it. That was pretty special.
What was it that I liked about being a part of the church? I have always seen it as a church of saints and sinners and we have a full share of both, then as now. I liked the depth of the teaching and the simplicity and warmth of some of the popular services of our youth, such as what was known as Benediction, on a Sunday afternoon. However, shame-facedly, I have to say that, like many young people, I found the Rosary boring then - all those Hail Marys! (I don't now!)
What I've loved most is being part of a community of 'salt of the earth' people. Of course, not everyone is a 'salt of the earth' person and many of us get on each other's nerves. The priests are no exception either. Most of us have had priests we really got on with and others, we didn't, but the favourites are usually those who are humble. Mostly, they are just like the rest of us, human, with all our faults and failings, strengths and weaknesses but also our gifts.
So that's what being a Catholic has meant to me. I have loved the many connections I've had with other Christian Churches and their people over many years. For personal reasons, the Methodists are way up there and I love our local Anglican community but I'll always be happy to carry on 'being a Catholic'.
Although the social aspect of our lives has changed greatly as time has gone on and there are so many other outlets for families and people in general, being a part of a community which is founded on belief in God and trying to live out our lives in recognition of the great commands to know and love God and others is, for me, the greatest and best way to find security and freedom.
