Soul Stamp

For selfish reasons, I just love when my children receive a new Sacrament.  Not only do they receive abundant graces themselves, it's also an opportunity for the whole family to strengthen our faith...Most importantly, we, the parents!  As Catholics, we are not "once saved." We are saved through our Baptism, of course, but our salvation is an ongoing process; We believe our lives are a series of constant and continual conversions.  The Sacraments are one of many blessed opportunities to experience a new conversion, to revisit the gifts of our faith, and renew our commitment to the greatest Giver.

I've heard it said before that "Once a Catholic, always a Catholic." It's no wonder when we receive a permanent, indelible mark on our souls, received through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.  From these special moments forward, we are always recognizable by the Father...And the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We are loved. Soul Stamp! Permanent gifts are given. 
Of course we have free will not to practice our Catholic faith but in doing so, we deny such beautiful gifts so lavishly poured upon us.   For goodness sakes, it makes sense that we aren't at peace until we are back on the home page. We are restless until we rest with God. {Home in the Church}.  (St. Augustine) 

In a nutshell, we are marked by God. We are His forever. Our souls are stamped. He loves us so much that he gave us many gifts through the Sacraments...Not just one gift but many. Whoa, I saw this in a new way ...A realization of the many gifts freely given to us by God Himself, specifically through the Sacrament of Baptism and strengthened in Confirmation.  How many times have I squandered these gifts? Oh My!  Yes, I was "one of those."

There were times in my life that I ignored the gifts and even so much as tried to send them back.  Nope, didn't work.  The gifts remained.  They sat there waiting for me to look at them, dig down deep, open them up, adore them, be grateful for them.  God waited patiently and lovingly, as He always does for his children.  He never takes back His gifts or His soul stamp.   
His mercy endures forever.

Now I do my best to appreciate those gifts, hoping to never take them for granted again. As my second son prepared for his Confirmation, I was reading about the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit.  They jumped out at me, not just as words to memorize for Catechesis, but vitamins to strengthen us for our journey.  They're spiritual self-help, real, tangible, instructions and helpful hints for how to live.  I'm saying that again for myself...How to live.  We aren't just Catholics by name but it's how we live our lives that count.  I'm always trying to talk the talk to my children while most importantly, reminding myself that I need to walk the walk, live by example.  Note to self: Children watch more than they listen! 
(Can you tell they aren't listening?:)

In the midst of keeping things real, we were really excited as the time came for our son to receive the Holy Spirit. 

Everyone was ready and eager for this exciting day.  

Ohhhh, what a very special moment it was...

His soul was stamped and mine was dusted off and shined up again.
A faith ignited,
A faith renewed.
"It was not you who chose me, says the Lord, but I who chose you."~John 15:16~