Week 23: 15,005 Minutes.
With fifteen weeks to go before I officially join The Church, I reflect this week on fifteen thousand and five minutes...
Initially, I had planned on writing an entry for the 10,000-minute milestone in Hallow, but life didn't stop and the minutes kept ticking upward until it was clear I should pivot and wait until crossing the 15,000 threshold.
What has changed since I began examining the Catechism and the Catholic Bible daily in tandem with OCIA over the past (25) weeks:
I've cultivated a sense of academic discipline and rhythm, averaging ~88 minutes daily in deeper reflection of the Catholic faith.
I thoroughly comprehend that the Catechism is a resourceful tool for learning, not a self-help book. The disconnect between the general public and (any) faith is that people are looking for a highly personalized path of healing for individual trauma and circumstance, measuring the whole of the religion against individualism, instead of evaluating the teachings as the good of the collective whole.
Focusing on theology and deepening my conviction through a conversion of the heart has reignited passions and talents I thought long buried, and I don't accept that this is coincidental. I've started virtual courses with Yale and Berklee College of Music focusing on composition. Several years ago, I experienced orchestral administrative burnout with the San Diego Symphony after hearing the words "We never asked you to work as hard as you did," and I never envisioned being active in the art form again, let alone the shift of my perspective in embracing composition.
Community is finding me; I am finding community. In addition to establishing relationships within the Parish, Tulsa Remote featured me in a member post that expanded on my perspective of relocating and the faith. Additionally, Hallow connected with me two months ago, and I was invited into their community as a Hallow Herald for the app. Essentially, I'm a word-of-mouth evangelist in our Parish. Note: If you're reading this and also want to explore the Hallow app, click here and use code: 6PUFBW for complimentary access. Also: If you are a religious, did you know that you can take advantage of a free lifetime subscription? Email the support team, and they will take care of you: support@hallow.app.
My commitment to Catholicism has been strengthened (even while being iffy with the lack of depth in OCIA), and for the first time, my conviction in Christ is maturing, which is not what I experienced in Mainline Protestant Christianity.
On this side of 15,000, I know that without seeking additional resources, I wouldn't be writing this.
After tomorrow, OCIA is off for two weeks (and in all seriousness, expressing gratitude to God for the break because I need it). Upcoming in January 2024: Rite of Acceptance.
In Christ,
Kayla
