Wow. What else can I say but use words of praise, awe, love, thanksgiving and adoration to you O' Lord to express my truest of feelings this very early Easter morning? No matter what I write, black words upon a white page can never express the joy and peace I feel in my soul right now.
I first begin by thanking you. I thank you for bringing me home to the Roman Catholic Church. I thank you for bringing me to St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist. I thank you for bringing me to this specific church Lord, for it is the Church of my baptism. In seven days Lord I will be celebrating 22 years of my baptism into your Church. I was baptized at almost the same exact spot in which I was confirmed just a few hours ago Lord. It's interesting to see how things work out Lord. I know that only your hands can orchestrate and plan something as beautiful as that. I also thank you for my wonderful Sponsor- John Kastelic. I'm not sure he will ever fully understand just how much it meant to me that he was my sponsor. I can never thank him enough Lord, words are not adequate enough to give him the thanks he truly deserves. I thank you for his wife Patti and their daughter Olivia as well. I thank you for providing me such a wonderful family to walk alongside with as I entered your Church. I thank you for my good friend and brother Ben Graham who a year ago I would have never thought would be interested in joining the Catholic Church. Thank you for that good surprise and blessing Lord. I thank you for allowing me a walking companion in Ben as we now continue to walk our journey of faith as Catholic's. I thank you for Sandy Lauer for providing such a wonderful RCIA experience and also the RCIA team as well. It truly made a difference Lord! I thank you for me wonderful new friends and brothers and sisters in Christ: Anita Hamlin and her wonderful family, Molly Bartrum, and Demrie Alonzo. I am truly blessed to know these people, and all of those who were in RCIA with me! I also thank you for my new friend Adrienne. I am honored to know such a person, and I look forward to growing in friendship and fith with her as a member of the St. Peter's Parish Family. Lastly I must thank you for my very dear friends Joel Smith, Denise Smith, Hilary Smith, Lane Smith, Jim Nichols, Nancy Edwards, and Judy Ringler. I am deeply humbled and honored that these people, your children, came to spend this wonderful night with me! Finally dear Lord I must thank you for meeting me in an entirely new way this evening Lord. Thank you for the Holy Eucharist. Thank you for your Paschal Sacrifice. Thank you for offering up your sacred body and blood for each of us. I love you dear Lord.
I must now offer you praise for the wonderful evening I had at Easter Vigil Lord! As I was getting ready for Easter Vigil before I left for the church, I was putting on a necklace I have owned now for a few months. It's not just any necklace. It belonged to my grandfather. It is his St. Christopher medal, and my grandmother gave it to me a few months ago. Tonight was different though. As I put it on, I shed a few tears. The necklace has much more meaning for me this night than all previous days. My grandfather was a faithful member of the very same Church that I was confirmed in this evening. As I put on that necklace, I had a feeling I would be 'seeing' grandpa Pelasky again at church tonight.
I offer you my praise, love, and adoration for Easter Vigil Lord. It far exceeded my expectations. I'm not sure what I expected, but it far exceeded anything I expected. The music was truly moving, the scripture readings inspired me, and it was you in the Holy Eucharist that transformed me dear Lord. At the moment when Fr. Tony Borgia confirmed me, I could tell something changed within me Lord. At the moment I was confirmed I could feel the deepest sense of peace, love, and joy that I have ever experienced! I couldn't help but smile. I smiled through tears of joy dear Lord! I smiled through tears of joy as I thought about my grandfather who passed away back in 1996- Robert Pelasky Sr., for whom I was named after. I smiled through tears as I thought of his necklace that I now wore. He as very close to my heart this joyous night. I could sense his loving presence this evening Lord. I couldn't help but cry as I was confirmed. I sensed your presence dear Lord, but I also sensed his loving presence and this truly moved me.
I close this note of love to you dear Lord with a prayer for the entire church, but especially for my friends who received the Holy Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist this evening.
O' Lord. I offer you my thanksgiving, my praise, my love, my adoration, and my entire being to you. I offer you my life this day along with all of the Masses being offered around the world. I offer you my life this day along with the special prayer intentions of our Holy Father Benedict XVI. I offer you my life this day along with the special prayer intentions of our Bishop Leonard Blair. I offer you my life this day along with the special prayer intentions of our Priests Fr. Tom and Fr. Tony. I especially offer you my life this day for the conversion of souls around the world, and for those who are lost to find you. I pray that those of us who were baptized, confirmed, and who received you in the Holy Eucharist this evening can be as living light to help bring people to your loving embrace dear Lord. I pray for each of us to grow in faith and strength as we seek you all the days of our lives. I pray that we may be used to further your church here on earth all the days of our earthly lives. I pray that we may encourage vocations to the Holy Priesthood, the Religious Life, the Diaconate, to Holy Matrimony, and to Generous Single Life in Christ- with the realization that each of these stations in life are called upon by your Holy Name. I pray that we may be vibrant new members of your Church dear Lord, here at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Mansfield, Ohio. I pray that we may grow in our faith and relationship with you. I pray all these things in your name Jesus Christ. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
