Baptism – Catholic – Sacrament
I do not carry a dogmatic definition of my faith: simply, I believe all is holy and no one or no building is holier than the next. I open with this statement because this Sunday morning I will be having my baby daughter baptizes at a Catholic Church.
I enjoy Catholic mass very much; I compare it to home cooking. My catholic upbringing was rooted in family tradition and community. I site it as one of my original spark of faith; do to the legalism fundamental aspect of church doctrine that leads to the understanding of Gods grace.
Personal, I can now look back at my Catholic background with a thankful heart. I feel that I have developed beyond the structure of the Catholic Church. I find that personal study, meditation and prayer can fulfill my spiritual needs. Conversely now I find that Catholic monks (Brother Wayne Teasdale, Brother David Steindl-Rast, Fr. Seán ÓLaoire) are currently the most influential teacher of my practice(along with Thich Nhat Hanh). In conversation, I find myself to be a defender of the Catholic faith even if I am not a member or in agreement with all doctrine. I explain this attitude to people as “transform & include”: simply put – mom’s home cooking’s still taste good even if you are a four start chef.
As a Father I will expose my daughter to many faiths in many different building. Holding a close love to the traditions that I was raised in, so that she will be able to “transform and include” her own beliefs when the time comes.
