I am about to cover a topic that I don’t often write about, speak about, or share with others: my Catholic Faith.  If you are not interested in such things or don’t have anything constructive to add, you might want to just pass this blog post by and wait for my next update.  Consider yourself warned.

Since we moved to Colorado, Tasha and I spent nearly two and a half years looking for a Church that could replace St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Pekin as our parish home.  Neither Tasha or I were particularly observant up to this point, however we tried a few of the Catholic Churches in the area and none of them felt right until we found St. Mark Catholic Church.  I found it rejuvenating to go back to Mass, have Reconciliation (particular thanks to Father Jim at St. Joseph’s for giving us a head start on that topic), and in general just get comfortable participating in the faith again.

When we found out we were having Eve, it became more viscerally important to both Tasha and I to become comfortable with the Church’s teachings because we were going to have a child to worry about.  This urged us further into our analysis and participation in Church practices and activities (mainly, we began giving more) and looking for different ways to learn more.

I have never been what you would consider an “active person” in my Church… I would go to Mass and that was about it (and for quite a long while, not even that.)  Last year I told myself to just go, listen, and not think about things too hard and you’ll find out the right thing to do.  For me, the right thing to do took the shape of a program called “That Man Is You!” – a 26 week long men’s fellowship designed to strengthen Catholic men in their exploration of the Church’s teachings on how to become a better leader, father, and husband.  A man named Tom provided a short talk about the program at Church one day, and I just got the feeling that it was the right thing for me to look into.  He was looking for volunteers to help plan the program, so I volunteered.  It turns out that it has been primarily him and I organizing things, with the help of a few others, so we had a lot to do.

One Sunday last month, I was helping to promote the program by handing out flyers at the Church.  Since I had to arrive early and stay late to help answer questions, I had about an hour between Masses.  Most of the time I would get some food from the nearby Sonic and then head back to the Church.  I spent the spare minutes milling around the lobby, waiting for people to arrive and reading some of the flyers they have freely available.  One of the flyers had a portrait of a young priest and it was entitled “The Life and Legacy of Father Michael J. McGivney“.  The contents outlined the short life of Father McGivney and told of the reasons that he founded the Knights of Columbus.

The Knights of Columbus… I remembered those guys from St. Joseph’s Church in Pekin.  All I could recall was that our local DARE officer was a knight and they would sometimes come to Church in their regalia.  I don’t even remember WHY they would come to Church, but that was the memory that came back to me.  I didn’t think too much of it beyond that, then I put the flyer back in it’s place.

Fast forward a few more weeks.  I was back at the Church to help sign people up for our “That Man Is You!” program.  Once again, I was at Church early waiting for people to arrive.  Across the foyer, a man showed up wearing a Knights of Columbus vest.  He told me he was there to help set up the gifts and greet people.  Since there wasn’t anyone arriving at the Church yet, we introduced ourselves.  His vest was full of pins and badges, however the one that caught my eye was a big green button that said “Ask me about K of C!”

So I did.

He explained the intent of the organization, how they were firmly rooted in Catholic teachings and care first and foremost about families.  They do charity and social events, including the fish fry’s and pancake breakfasts that I vaguely remember mentions of from my youth.  I asked about time commitments, and he said that the only thing required to stay an active member was to attend monthly meetings and you could be involved in as much or as little charity work as you desire.  That sounded good to me, so he left me with a bunch of information.

After discussing it with Tasha and reading all I could about their organization, I have decided to join their ranks.  Last Wednesday, I was initiated and took my First Degree.  On Saturday, I take my Second and Third Degrees and become a full member.  I have already attended a meeting and gotten to know several of the men in our Council and their families, and I am excited at the prospect of learning and doing more.  The big thing I am looking forward to participating in is their charitable programs.  It feels good to help others, and this gives me a structure and some motivation to get off my butt and do more good for people, and the world needs more of that.

Now, I fully expect that many of my friends (and even my family) won’t really understand this.  In short, my response to questions / ridicule / skepticism is this: participating in this way is really working for me right now.  It makes me feel like a better person, like I am making a difference and helping people out while strengthening my relationship with Tasha and our family.  Yes, I can do that in a myriad of other ways, but this is the means I am choosing for now.  Much of my motivation is coming from Eve… I don’t want her to grow up and only see Daddy sitting on his butt in front of the computer, video game, or TV.  I would much prefer her learn how to help people and how to do good by my example.

Oh, and the other common question: no, I won’t be dressing up in the regalia.  I have to be a member for at least a year before I can take the Fourth Degree.  All in good time.

Today was a long but fun day… we started off at Church followed by our customary Sunday lunch out.   Then it was off to Christmas shopping!  I’m down to just one or two people left to shop for, and it’s coming together very quickly.  We ran to Target to pick up some groceries, then decided that it was high time that we see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at the local IMAX.  I thought the movie was very dark, but so was the book so it was perfectly understandable.

While we were out shopping, we ended up at Borders because Tasha had a coupon.  When we checked out, they gave us a card for a $15 credit to DonorsChoose.org, where you can select a local school to donate in order to help finance better educational conditions for kids.  I found a couple of classrooms in my old middle school and picked one to donate the credit to.  I really like this idea and intend to do more in the future.  All of you charity-minded people, get out there and chip in a few bucks to a good cause.  It’s tax deductible!