4 Ways a Cradle Catholic Keeps her Faith Alive
1 Oct 2022
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Remember family traditions and keep them
My extended family has traditions related to food which I keep and will pass down to my child. For example, my grandmother used to make a red bean and rice dessert on the Feast of the Assumption on August 15 every year. At Easter and Christmas, we attend mass on the eve, then have supper at home—chicken pie, sujee fruitcake and wine. Another member of my extended family prays with his family daily, and they recite the prayer of Our Lady of This House. I was introduced to this prayer as a child when I spent school holidays at their home, and I now pray it too. Some of my extended family have specific religious items in their homes. For example, we have a carving or framed image depicting the Last Supper that hangs on the wall of the dining room. And at Christmas, we set up the Nativity scene, not just the Christmas tree.
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Make Sunday masses interesting
On Sundays and days of obligation, I sometimes attend mass at different churches, so I can have a change of scene. I may want to visit a new neighbourhood where a church is located so I can visit a new restaurant or café there after mass. Or I may visit a church that has been newly renovated so I can take in the fresh beauty of the restoration. When I go on holidays overseas, I attend mass so I can admire the architecture of different churches and take the opportunity to attend mass in a different language. And since masses all over the world follow the same format, I never have to worry about standing/sitting/kneeling at the wrong time. Some Catholic churches which are major tourist sites allow special access to people attending mass, outside of tour hours. It is a beautiful spiritual experience to attend mass in churches that are hundreds of years old, and without the hustle and bustle of tourists. Catholic churches also offer a wonderful way to feel like I belong, no matter how far from home I am.
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Lead by example to teach others about the Catholic faith
I used to lack discipline in the timing of attending Sunday mass. Every week, my husband and I would debate plans for Sunday and how mass attendance would fit in. “Shall we go for an early breakfast and then attend mass?” “Or shall we attend mass, then go grocery shopping?” Sometimes even after making a plan, we would decide to sleep in on Sunday morning and delay attending mass till Sunday evening. That changed some years back when I had the opportunity to lead my younger Catholic cousins in the faith. My husband and I would go to their home each Sunday to meet them and travel to attend mass together. I appreciated the responsibility and it became a positive feedback loop for me —I was motivated to wake up at the same time each week, and to ensure that I met my cousins on time. And each weekend that we attended mass together motivated me to do the same the following week.
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Be proud of my faith
An incident in my childhood made me remember to always be proud of my faith. I come from Muslim-majority Malaysia, and I was one of very few Catholics at the primary school I attended. On the morning of a major exam, before I left home, my mother reminded me to say a prayer before opening the exam paper. This request made me anxious as I was uncomfortable and embarrassed to make the sign of the cross in front of my classmates. Seconds before the exam clock started, my Muslim classmates started cupping their hands and whispering their prayers, then performing the action I had seen many times at the end of prayer—wiping their hands over their face. It made me think. If my classmates had this pride in their faith and were not embarrassed to perform the physical actions and prayers, I should be proud of my faith, too. While I did not make the sign of the cross that day, I have used that incident many times over the years to remind myself to take ownership of my faith and to be proud of it.
Reflection Questions
- What motivates you to attend the Eucharistic Celebration regularly?
- What will motivate you to keep the fire of your faith burning?
Sonia Zuzartee
Content Writer’s Team,
COTT Media Ministry