Discovering Christ: Therese's Story

Therese’s Story: When asked what it was that motivated me to sign up and participate in Discovering Christ at St. Mary’s, I realized there were two reasons. One reason was practical (having to do with the earthly needs of this life) and one reason was spiritual (having to do with the life of my soul, both now and hereafter). In a practical, earthly sense, I wanted to get to know parishioners in a manner that was more friendly and connected–something beyond a smile at the beginning of mass and a wave at the sign of peace. Spiritually, I felt as if my prayer life and relationship with God needed a boost of some sort. When I was just 19 years old, Jesus introduced Himself to me in a personal way, through a Bible study in my parish. I accepted His loving invitation to spend time with Him daily–in prayer and Bible reading. Through many years, I’ve strived to keep that commitment to prayer and reading the Bible. It hasn’t been a perfect regime by any means, but God honored my feeble attempts to be faithful. I’ve grown more deeply in my faith and in love with Him by simply trying to ‘show up’ with Him every day. In my personal life though, challenges arose out of raising a large family, being involved in several volunteer services, and experiencing some unanticipated twists and turns in my life’s journey. My commitment to prayer was challenged daily. The Discovering Christ program sounded inviting so I signed up for the program and stayed committed by attending the meetings at St. Mary’s on a regular basis. I was so blessed to become acquainted with members who shared their faith through the small group/table discussions which followed clear, informative and inspiring videos. There was a spirit of genuine authenticity–moments of both laughter and serious sharing. Oh, and this all happened after we had shared a wonderfully delicious meal served to us by other involved parishioners. Again, the practical and the spiritual–body and soul. I encourage you to take a moment from your busy day to consider why you may want to attend, or have a need, for these parish discussion groups. Come and see, try it out! I have found the benefits, both spiritual and practical, to have blessed my life in ways I could not have imagined! God is full of surprises that rise out of His deep, personal love for each and everyone of us! - Therese Moccia