Brianne - St. Bridget

Jesus said to him,
"Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
~John 20:29

Please let me disclaimer my first post here, on my first blog. I have never had a blog, I have never commented on someone else's blog, and I don't know what the expectations are of having a blog. But I'd like the opportunity to share openly my struggles with faith and give you a glimpse into my journey as a Catholic young adult.

A Doubting Thomas
This year has been a year full of change for me... my personal life, my job(s), my friends...
Some days it seems overwhelming - and hard to believe that He is there for me. I'm sure you have all had a time where you've felt utterly alone - like no one understands you, and you have to face your trials and tribulations alone. What a wonderful reminder Jesus gives us in John 20, when he says "...Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

Though this is only a small part of the larger reading, it resonated with me today, and resonates with me every time I hear the story of "doubting Thomas." Oh, how I am a "doubting Thomas." Some days I isolate myself - not only from my friends and family - but from Jesus. It is easy for us to look at our lives - our shortcomings, our problems, our failures and cannot see how Christ is present for us.

Today, I took this opportunity to close my eyes and believe. I felt the presence of Frank and Eric - great friends - sharing my faith journey on this very day. I felt the presence of a faith community at St. Bridget. And I felt the presence of Him... in the Eucharist, in the Gospel, in the persons around me, and in my heart.

Remember - we can all be a "doubting Thomas" at times. But today I invite you to believe.

St. Bridget
I'd like to give a brief summary of my first experience at St. Bridget. I've never been there before, and I was "underwhelmed" by the plain exterior, but WOW. What a beautiful parish the small brick building holds. I've posted the few (amateur) photos I took above.

Though the music was beautifully done (kudos to the two young ladies singing - they had amazing voices), it was a little traditional for my taste in music. Though it was a small congregation, I had the pleasure of running into Jo Kusek (an employee of St. James) celebrating mass in what is her "home" parish.

My only major gripe about St. Bridget would be the amazingly uncomfortable kneelers...

All in all - it was a nice way to kick off week one of the "Mass Chaos."