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A POET'S STORY...THIS IS L=O=N=G...SO YOU MIGHT HAVE TO READ INSTALLMENTS!! HAHA!
I'M A 53 YEAR OLD CHRISTIAN HOUSEWIFE, MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, FREE-LANCE AUTHOR, PUBLISHED POET AND DEVOTED DISCIPLE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
THE BASICS? BORN AND BROUGHT UP IN A STAUNCH, ROMAN-CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING IN NEW ENGLAND. ATTENDED A LOCAL PARISH PAROCHIAL SCHOOL FOR GRADES 1-8, THEN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN A TINY TOWN IN MASSACHUSETTS. MY MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER WERE DEVOTED TO THEIR FAITH. I DON'T EVER REMEMBER not KNOWING THAT JESUS WAS MY LORD AND SAVIOR, NOT TO MENTION THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN. I GREW UP DEEPLY ENTRENCHED IN THE WORLD OF NOVENAS, ROSARIES, LITURGICAL PRAYERS, CANDLES, HIGH MASSES AND RITUALS THAT MADE UP THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
THAT SAID, MY CHILDHOOD LEFT A LOT TO BE DESIRED. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE AGE OF ALL THE MEMBERS HERE SO I'LL LEAVE OUT THE SORDID DETAILS AND ALLOW THE MORE MATURE MEMBERS TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES. SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT BY THE AGE OF 18 I WAS MORE THAN BITTER. I WAS REBELLIOUS TO A FAULT. WHEN I LEFT HOME I DID SO ON BAD TERMS AND ON THE RUN INFORMING MY FAMILY THAT I WAS NEVER COMING BACK.....I ASKED ONLY THAT I BE NOTIFIED WHEN MY "FATHER" PASSED AWAY SO THAT I COULD RETURN IN TIME TO SPIT ON HIS COFFIN BEFORE THEY BURIED HIM.
IF THAT SOUNDS HARSH? IT WAS. THE HATRED AND BITTERNESS I FELT TOWARDS THE MAN I KNEW AS MY FATHER WERE SO DEEP AND PERVASIVE THAT NOT ONLY DID THEY AFFECT MY LIFE IN DRAMATIC WAYS, OVER THE NEXT 33 YEARS THEY LITERALLY BECAME PART OF ME.
ALTHOUGH, AFTER LEAVING HOME, I DID STOP ATTENDING MASS AND PRACTICING CATHOLICISM AS A FAITH, I NEVER STOPPED BELIEVING IN THE LORD OR HIS POWER TO SAVE, REDEEM AND GUIDE ME. I ALSO WAS AND AM STILL TODAY COMMITTED TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN. BUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND I PARTED COMPANY WHEN I, AS A YOUNG ADULT, WAS UNABLE TO GET SATISFACTORY ANSWERS TO SOME QUESTIONS I HAD. LIKE, WHY THE CHURCH WAS CONSTANTLY ASKING FOR MONEY AT MASSES; AND MAKING PARISHIONERS WHO HAD LITTLE THEMSELVES FEEL GUILTY OVER NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE MORE TO FEED HUNGRY CHILDREN IN A MISSION SOMEWHERE.
I REMEMBER ONCE AT MASS...(ONE OF THE LAST I ATTENDED!) ASKING A PRIEST FLAT OUT FOLLOWING THE LATEST " MONEY-IS-SO-DESPERATELY NEEDED " SERMON, THAT IF MONEY WAS NEEDED THAT BADLY FOR ANYTHING, WHY ON EARTH DIDN'T THEY SIMPLY BEGIN TO DISMANTLE THE VATICAN IN ROME? WAS THE MONSIGNOR AWARE OF THE DECORATING SCHEME OVER THERE? LIQUIDATE THE PRICELESS ARTIFACTS AND ARTWORK, EXPENSIVE CARPETS, HISTORICAL RELICS, VALUABLE GOLD DECORATIONS, ACCOUTREMENTS AND HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND THE RESULTING CASH FLOW IWOULD PROBABLY GENERATE ENOUGH TO FEED AN ENTIRE SMALL COUNTRY SEVERAL TIMES OVER!!!
NOT ONLY DID I NOT RECEIVE AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION...I WAS ASKED TO LEAVE AND not ENCOURAGED TO RETURN; AT LEAST NOT TO THAT PARTICULAR PARISH!!
OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS, I WAS BASICALLY THE RELIGIOUS VERSION OF AN"INDEPENDENT!"
Thanks for sharing!
Hey Dusty,
I thank you so much for sharing your story with us all! I look forward to reading more from your blog!
Here is how to start a Blog:
Log In, under the navigation panel which should show your userame, Click on "My Blog".
This is where you can create your own Blogs.
God bless you and the work you do for Him.
So True
Dusty,
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your story with us! It is amazing to me how God can empower us to do things we never thought possible if we'll just ask Him. I've found it's far too easy to fall into the trap of relying on our emotions or our perceptions instead of just giving it over to Jesus. I am very excited about getting to know you better and seeing some amazing things happen through our prayers and work for the Lord. Bless you and keep on coming back!