DEAR EDITOR: Please allow me space in your newspapers to discuss the above captioned subject.

What is Catholicism? What does it mean to be Catholic? I wonder if we can really answer that objectively, I mean without a textbook kind of answer. As a teenager, I received the Sacrament of Confirmation, more confused about having to go to church, and wondering why I had to do so since there were so many hypocrites around me.

My mother insisted that I go to church, but the understanding of what Church was, and what the Church was supposed to represent was a total blur. I went to church because I felt I had to. I received communion and left before the final blessing. In crisis, I would find the Church and then relax when things were okay. But is that being Catholic?

Today, my whole concept of the Church has taken a paradigm shift. I see the Church as home, no longer do I feel obligated to attend Mass, but joyful at each opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist, to share with my brothers and sisters in Christ the joy that I feel in celebrating with them.

 The structure of the Mass is really a preparation for the ultimate celebration of the Eucharist. It is never just a repetition of the same thing over and over again (a popular belief); it is the daily celebration of Our Lord through the greatest Sacrament – the gift of Himself until the day of His coming.

I now see it as a reverent but joyous party that moves us closer and closer to Him every single day - the only party that will completely glorify and honour God if you participate in it with your whole heart.

That is the Mass – an event where we meet and celebrate as Church, where we have the opportunity to repent and convert our hearts to the living Christ.

Being Catholic means that I can truly appreciate the importance of the Mass. Since the Church's structure is 100% scripture, 100% tradition and 100% sacramental, we receive the fullness of the Truth.

The Church is completely focussed on Christ. Everything, especially the sacraments, points us to Christ's love for us. Notice all the complaints about the statues in the Church are mere distractions of the real essence of the Church's existence.

The statues are "religious art" to adorn the Church, and what better to adorn it with than pictures of our martyrs and patriarchs of the faith.

Being a Catholic is indeed a privilege, and I encourage you to journey with Christ to understand more about your faith in Him, and to understand your Church because He loves it dearly. I urge you to buy a copy of Rome Sweet Home by Scott & Kimberley Hahn.

It will help to renew your faith, especially seeing newly baptised Catholics embrace the faith as they journey in finding the Church's truth.

To be proud to be Catholic is to be proud to be one with Christ.

Marina Marcano, Parishioner, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, San Fernando

DEAR EDITOR: Just thought I would write to say I was quite inspired at a Mass I attended this Sunday (Apr 29) at St Mary's RC, in St James.

A friend of mine who for a long time stopped attending Mass due to feeling that the sermon did not relate to her in any way decided to shop around (so to speak) for a Mass and priest who could relate to her as a young person and a young professional.

Feeling similar to how she felt, I jumped at the opportunity to try a new venue for Mass. Fr Gerard who graduated the same year we did from UWI, was exceptional – I don't know if it's because he's around our age (twenty-something or thereabouts) and he can relate to what people our age are going through or if he just knows how to touch each person in his audience – for I noted that people of all ages seemed to enjoy his sermon (and I really can't tell you the last time I enjoyed and related to a sermon).

I think he's doing a great job and I hope and pray that more young men join him. He's a great role model for young men and if I may say so an inspiration to young persons.
JMR, Port of Spain

Praise and thanks to God the Almighty, the merciful for recovery from my recent illness:
To Fr Charles of St Francis Parish in Belmont for prayers offered for me through the holy sacrifice of the Mass,
to Miss Medine for her prayers and gentle manner;
to Jean Lescott and the Living Water prayer group;
to Kathy and the readers’ group of St Francis;
to June and Gemma of the Rosary/Gonzalez parishes;
to friends and neighbours and especially my family.
Thanks to all. It is all God’s work.
M Joseph, Belmont, POS.