Didn't go to mass this morning. Actually, I slept through my alarm, which is what happens, dear readers, when you stay up until  2am reading a book. I still had one chapter left when I went to bed, but I thought, for some reason, I would still be able to get up and go to mass. Truthfully, I probably could have. I have the vague feeling that I did actually hear the alarm go off, but in much the same way as I vaguely recall my dad coming in to give me a kiss on the head before he left for the Box at 5am when I was a small child. He did, and I sort of woke up, but I didn't really wake up, you know?

Or being woken up at 4am to lay with my little brother while Mom went to the hospital to give birth to my youngest brother. I actually had to get out of bed for that, still wasn't really "awake".

Anyway, vague childhood memories aside, I didn't wake up, and so missed mass.

Speaking of mass! I'm so excited! My friend L is going with me to mass on Friday! I'm going to pick her up so we can ride together, cut back on gas prices and such, but still!

The little voice in the back of my head has pointed out how strange it is that I'm not Catholic, and yet I'm incredibly excited about her going to mass with me. I should probably just accept it, huh?

I read Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn, in fact I actually just finished the last chapter (which was all that was left after reading until 2am like an idjit). Some of the theological aspects went a little over my head, I mean, yeah, I find theology interesting, but it's not my passion in life. Of course, I've also never been faced with suddenly finding that the church I was against is THE Church.

I'll be honest, I was in middle school before I realized that there was any difference between Catholics and Protestants. That's actually why I was so worried about my mother's reaction. It wasn't my text books that introduced me to that concept, although it ran rampant through my middle school and high school texts (I was home schooled) but my mother and her disdain for Catholicism.

Anyway, I enjoyed the book. It was especially nice to see both sides of the story, Mr. Hahn's and Mrs. Hahn's.

I'm still going to be doing Saturdays with the Saints, despite the fact that I'm no longer working on Saturdays. In fact, it might actually be better, now that I have to make time for it, rather than using it as an enjoyable way to kill time until I can go home.

There was one thing about the book that got me, and I've heard it in a lot of conversion stories. Mr. Hahn had such a hard time finding someone who had the answers to his questions. I guess I don't understand it very well, because the Baptist church my mother attends is big on evangelism, but it seems like, if you want into the Catholic church, you have to beat on the door for a while, before someone hears you knocking. It can be very frustrating for non-Catholics because we have questions, and we need answers, and guidance. Every parish near me has RCIA classes, but beyond that, what is there? What is there for those people who can't make it to the classes? I've finally found a priest who will work with me, but why was it so hard to find him?

If you are in the Church, if you are a leader in the Church, if you are a layman, even, please, as an interested individual, please, even if all you do is take pity on the first timer ("This is my first time" "At our parish, or at mass in general?") and help us stumble through, please try to reach out to us. I can't tell you how much it would help.

Well, that's all for now. I'll talk to you all again later.
Yours always,
Tara