Gotcha Day

In one week, my sister will celebrate a special anniversary in the life of her family. It is the anniversary of the day her daughter was placed in her arms. She calls it a “gotcha day.”

As Catholics, we have a gotcha day. Our birth into the family of faith came with our Baptism. But our Confirmation day was the day we were fully received into Mother Church. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon us on that day, and the Bishop himself marked us with Holy Chrism oil and proclaimed,”Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” We had entered into a more perfect bond with the Church. We were now fully incorporated into Christ. The Catechism tells us that this seal marks us as belonging to Christ. Forever his.

Today is my Gotcha Day. I’m writing this on August 14th, the fifth anniversary of my Confirmation and First Holy Communion, the day I was placed into the arms of Mother Church.

I had already been born . . . Baptized. Like my sister's child, I had been "born" beyond the full embrace of my Mother. I was baptized in another faith community. But on this day, five years ago, I was placed in the loving arms of Mother Church. And my Mother is filled with the same joy I now see in my sister when she celebrates Gotcha Day. The daughter that was born half-way around the world is now safe in her mother's arms. The gift of life came with birth. This gift completes and perfects God's plan for that life.

On this day, we celebrate the moment of Confirmation. The moment we were fully marked and given a new name. This is my Gotcha Day. My name is Teresa of Avila.

Gotcha Day