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I haven't really given this much thought so I am sort of winging this. But I decided I would give this a try. Here goes.

I've been a Catholic all my life. I was baptised when I was an infant at St. Ann's Catholic church in Stoughton, Wisconsin. I received four more sacraments including marriage at that same church. So what does my Catholic faith really mean to me?

My faith has always been important. I've struggled with depression my whole life and my relationship with Jesus has helped me to keep going. But what about being a Catholic?

I will begin with the sacraments. Catholics have seven sacraments. These are holy ceremonies that are designed to bring us closer to Jesus. We believe that children should get baptised right away; as soon as they are healthy enough to be in public. Most Catholic children are baptised by the time they are two months old. My babies were about three months when they were baptised.

When I was a child in second grade we received two sacraments. The sacrament of Reconciliation (or Confession) and First Holy Communion. Now some dioceses receive Reconciliation in fourth grade. Reconciliation is when we go to the priest to pray to Jesus for forgiveness of our sins. Some people may think that we believe that the priest is forgiving our sins but this is false. He is a liaison to Jesus. We ask him to pray for our forgiveness and he helps us to understand our sins and what we can do to try not to repeat those sins. Reconciliation is just another way for us to grow closer to Jesus. After all the prayers are said in the confessional the priest gives us what we call a penance. This may be some more prayers to say or some type of service. He may ask us to do something nice for someone that we may have hurt or just say a few prayers to ask Jesus for forgiveness. I always feel a sense of peace after leaving the confessional.

The sacrament of Holy Communion is when we receive Jesus in the form of bread and wine. Unlike the protestants we believe that through the power of Jesus the priest is able to change the bread and wine into his body and blood. This process is called the mass. Only a priest, bishop, cardinal or the pope can do this. When we go to Holy Communion we are receiving Jesus just like the apostles did at the last supper.

When I was growing up we received the sacrament of Confirmation when we were junior or seniors in high school. My daughter will be receiving this sacrament next year when she is in seventh grade. Confirmation is when you are confirming your Catholic faith. You decide that you are going to continue practicing your faith as an adult. That's why it is confusing to me as to why the dioceses of Sacramento has children get confirmed when they are only twelve or thirteen. When you get confirmed the Bishop comes to do the ceremony at church. You chose a sponsor who becomes your mentor or teacher as you prepare for confirmation. This person is an adult who has already been confirmed. You also choose a confirmation name. This name should be a name of a saint and is only used for ceremonial purposes. I don't even remember what my confirmation name was. The bishop comes and as a group everyone states what they believe then you go up to the bishop one by one to get blessed with oil. That is about it.

As an adult we can choose one of two different sacraments. Either the sacrament of Holy Orders or Matrimony. I chose Matrimony. Holy Orders is when an adult becomes either a priest, sister or brother. I don't think deacons fall under this, but correct me if I am wrong. Basically you are vowing to the church and to Jesus. You decide to be married to the church. Matrimony is when you commit yourself to another person. I got married on April 26, 2003 at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Stoughton, Wisconsin. We believe that marriage is a lifetime commitment. And your spouse should be second to God. This was a major challenge for my husband and I. For a long time I was putting our children ahead of Chris. And to be perfectly honest, I am still working on this concept.

The last sacrament is Anointing of the Sick. This usually happens if you are so sick that the doctors believe that you will die soon. The priest will visit you in the hospital, home or hospice and say some prayers for your soul and anoint you with oil. I hope I don't have to receive this sacrament for another fifty or sixty years.

Each of these sacraments are designed to bring us closer to Jesus. I decided to divide this post into two parts. This is part one The Sacraments. I haven't decided what I am going to write for part two yet. I figure I have a week to think about it. If you have any questions about this post I will try my best to answer them.