Continuing with my Catholic Life (Part 1)

Doing what the Catholic Church requires like praying the Rosary, attending masses, obeying parents and doing good works seemed enough to earn a place in heaven. My parents likewise ensured that I have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.

My parents believed that the Sacrament of Baptism is an essential rite that actually brings about death to sin and entry into the life of the Most Holy Trinity. Immersion in water symbolizes not only death and purification, but also regeneration and renewal. Thus the two principal effects are purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit. Likewise, my parents believed that Baptism makes one to become a member of the Body of Christ accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church. Baptism sealed me with the spiritual mark of belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.

My parents allowed me to go through the essential rite of the sacrament of Confirmation to be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost. Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace. For the two sacraments, my parents chose the same person as my godmother (ninang).

When I was in Grade 3, we were taught by our religion teacher the importance of the sacrament of the Eucharist. We were informed that the Holy Communion separates us from sin. The body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is "given up for us," and the blood we drink "shed for the many for the forgiveness of sins." For this reason the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins: For as often as we eat this bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the death of the Lord. If we proclaim the Lord's death, we proclaim the forgiveness of sins. If, as often as his blood is poured out, it is poured for the forgiveness of sins, we should always receive it, so that it may always forgive our sins. I thought , because I always sin, I should always partake Holy Communion.