WITNESS TALK - BETSEY COLE

Good Morning,

My name is Betsey Cole. I'm married and have three children. I'm also a social worker and work in a local nursing home. I was not born and raised in Middleboro, but, I have lived here for the past 22 years, and have grown to love this town and am proud to call it my home. I am also proud to call Sacred Heart "home". When I initially moved to Middleboro, I attended church at a neighboring parish. I decided to join Sacred Heart when my children became school age because I knew that they would be more comfortable going to religious education classes with their friends from school. I joined this parish for my kids, having absolutely no clue as to what that decision would eventually mean for me. That was 13 years ago, and over those 13 years, I have had some incredible and life changing experiences within this faith community.

When Mary Gallagher first asked me to speak at one of the Pentecost Masses this weekend, I quickly responded, "Sure, I'd be happy to!"…..as if writing a witness talk like this was going to be no harder than writing out my grocery list! Wrong! Over the next 24 hours, panic began to set in. How was I ever going to convey in words how I felt about my faith and how the Holy Spirit works within my life??? I was paralyzed. Then, the next day, I was talking to a friend about the anxiety I was feeling and she said, "just pray….the words will come." She was right. The words did start to come. But something else happened too…..a growing awareness of how fortunate I was to have this opportunity…..to share a little about my faith journey because I am blessed to belong to a parish that welcomes and encourages the contributions and gifts of everyone. This was not something I should be afraid of….this was something I should embrace.

So….just to share a little history with you: I was raised in this Catholic faith. My mother was devout and she helped us learn all the teachings of our religion pretty well. I was totally familiar with the ceremony of our Mass, the Commandments, the Blessed Mother and Jesus' passion. But, what I longed for was a deeper connection with God. To know and to feel what loving God and living the kind of life that Jesus came to teach us was truly all about. I remember sitting in this very church, looking at particular people praying and sensing something about them……sensing a spirituality that I did not know, but, desperately wanted to know. I remember thinking, "I want to be where they are….I want to know what they know….to feel what they're feeling." I believe that my silent prayer was heard, because it didn't take long for the Holy Spirit to begin its work.

One day, I was having a conversation with my brother, who happens to be a very talented musician. We were talking about how he was volunteering his musical gift within his local community. When I said, "Gee, Tom, that's nice of you.", he replied, "Well what am I going to say when I get to those pearly gates…..I only used my God given talent to make money??" That started me thinking…..then, around that same time, I went to church one Sunday and there were volunteer questionnaires in every pew. The adult choir was one of the ministries looking for volunteers….and in particular it was in need of alto voices. I remember thinking, "Alright, alright, I get it!". Needless to say, I joined our adult choir. And shortly after that I became a cantor.

Taking these steps, actually making a commitment to a ministry was, indeed, a little scary. But, what ended up happening was amazing. A door was opened for me that I never could have imagined. As a cantor, I learned so much….I learned about the beauty of prayer through music. I learned much more about the Mass and the significance of our many different kinds of celebrations. I have gotten to know fellow parishioners who I might otherwise never would have met. I have gotten to know our priests and have come to realize that, yes….they are people, too….just like us. And, that, yes, we can talk with them, and they are here to help us. In fact, it was one of our priests who helped me to sift through the many different feelings and emotions that I experienced after the devastating tragedy of 9/11 when I found myself struggling with some of the biggest questions we can face in life….questions about evil, war, religion, faith and God. That experience led to other experiences….a desire to go even further beyond my comfort zone….to participate in other ministries….ministries like the confirmation retreat program. I have participated in five retreats since that time and find new joy and fulfillment with each experience.

Please understand…..I am not here today as part of an effort to solicit new volunteers for the various ministries of our church. What I have shared with you is simply the way in which the Holy Spirit has worked in my life….how my faith journey unfolded and how my relationship with God deepened with each experience. What I know now to be true is that God comes to us in ways that we may not expect. He is patient, and always waiting……waiting to reveal Himself to us when we are ready to fully open our hearts. When I sing and look at your faces, I feel God's presence. When I listen to the teenagers of our parish share the most amazing prayers of thanksgiving during their retreat, I feel God's presence. When I share a moment with a fellow parishioner whom I have come to know and care about, I feel God's presence. I am so blessed. And the incredible thing about all of this is that what I have experienced, anyone can. I am an ordinary person…..no different, no more special than any one of you sitting here listening to me this morning. I am an ordinary person who has experienced something extraordinary……simply by being open to the Holy Spirit….and in doing so, I have come to that place I so desperately longed to be…..closer to God.