"Yes Lord!" (March 2019)

I became a Catholic in the 1980’s. I was
raised as a Presbyterian. The call came
when my husband and I chose to send
our daughter to a Catholic school, and
the priest who interviewed us said that he
expected us to bring Elizabeth to Mass.
I presumed that my husband, who is a
Catholic but was not practising, would
be the one to see to this. However, it
soon became apparent that if anyone
was going to take her to Mass it would
have to be me! That opened the doors
- enter God!
The Catholic Mass had interested me
for many years, as a friend had taken
me with her to Mass when I was living
in Auckland. I can remember the hairs
rising on the back of my neck at the
singing of the Gospel Acclamation.
Attending weekly, my interest in the
mystique and richness of the Mass
deepened and I made enquiries and
undertook instruction from a young
priest, Damien Caccopoli.
Damien and my times together were
more conversation and discussion
than formal teaching. However, God
was deepening my desire to know
more, and finally I was admitted
into the Church at St Joseph’s in
Whangarei in 1983, more than a year
after my journey began.
Since this time, my hunger to know
God, to know the person who is
Jesus and to develop a relationship,
a friendship with his mother Mary,
has deepened. This has been fed by
the many retreats, small groups, and
spiritual direction, which the Holy Spirit
has led me to.
I truly believe that my choice to
follow God’s love for me and to
accept his calling to the Catholic
faith was the turning point of my life.
Although christened, confirmed, and
worshipping as a Presbyterian, I was
doing this because it was expected of
me. By choosing to become a Catholic
as an adult, I actively made the choice
to let God into my life; and once He
has a foot in the door, there is no
closing it again!
I am continuing on this journey and,
with God’s love and mercy, I have
learned to know Jesus as a person;
Mary as a friend, a confidante and a
great advocate with her son; and to
know of the empowering, and merciful
love of God. A love that is beyond
comprehension, but is evident in
everything that is around me. I am
aware of the Holy Spirit guiding me on
my journey, and reading back through
my journals, am able to see just how
far this has taken me, but I am also so
aware that there is still a very long way
to go.
Cardinal John Newman’s prayer sums
everything up so well.
Jane Dick
The Mission
of My Life
God has created me to do Him
some definite service. He has
committed some work to me
which He has not committed
to another. I have my mission.
I may never know it in this
life, but I shall be told it in the
next. I am a link in a chain, a
bond of connection between
persons. He has not created
me for naught. I shall do good;
I shall do His work. I shall be an
angel of peace, a preacher of
truth in my own place, while not
intending it if I do but keep His
commandments. Therefore, I will
trust him, whatever I am, I can
never be thrown away. If I am in
sickness, my sickness may serve
Him, in perplexity, my perplexity
may serve Him. If I am in sorrow,
my sorrow may serve Him. He
does nothing in vain. He knows
what He is about. He may take
away my friends. He may throw
me among strangers. He may
make me feel desolate, make
my spirits sink, hide my future
from me. Still, He knows what
He is about.
Cardinal John Newman
04