Where Are We on the Journey?

Most of us were baptised as babies.
We went through catechism. Made our First Holy Communion. Got confirmed.
And then… we carried on.

Some of us kept going to Mass. Some of us stopped. Some of us stayed in the pews, but our hearts quietly left long ago.

If that’s where we are, we’re not alone. And we’re not bad Catholics.

We’re just human. We’re on a journey of faith that isn’t always clear, consistent, or easy.
But the thing is… we’re not meant to stay stuck.

Faith is meant to grow. We’re supposed to move. From habit to relationship. From comfort to mission. From knowing about God to actually walking with Him.

There is a path. It’s not always neat, but it’s real.
And when we can name where we are, we begin to see what God is asking of us.

The 7 Stages of Spiritual Life

1. Unchurchable

Some of us know what this feels like.
We have drifted so far that Church seems irrelevant or even frustrating.
We might say things like:

“Mass just feels empty.”
“I believe in God, but I’m not into religion.”
“I don’t really fit in with church people.”

Maybe it has been years since we have gone to Mass.
Or maybe we are still showing up physically, but spiritually checked out.

If this is where we are, or where someone we love is, it is okay to say it out loud.
Because the truth is: God has not walked away from us.
He is still waiting. Still loving. Still calling.

2. Curious

Then, something stirs.

A funeral. A conversation. A crisis. A quiet memory from childhood.
And suddenly, we find ourselves wondering, is there something more?

We are not rushing back into everything.
We are not sure what we believe.
But we are asking questions again.

That is a powerful grace.
It may not feel like much, but curiosity is the beginning of return.

3. Pre-Evangelisation

At this stage, we are not ready for deep theology.
But we are open to people who live their faith with sincerity.

We notice when someone prays before meals without being awkward.
When someone forgives quickly. When someone’s faith actually seems to bring them peace.

And being around them makes us reflect:
Maybe I have misunderstood what it means to be Catholic. Maybe there is something real here.

That kind of trust and openness matters more than we realise.
God often works through relationships long before He works through doctrine.

4. Evangelisation

Eventually, something gets personal.

We stop asking general questions about God.
And we start asking the real ones:

“Jesus, are You really there?”
“Do You care about my life?”
“Do You want me to follow You?”

It is not always dramatic.
But we sense a moment of invitation.
A quiet tug to come closer.

Maybe it happens in confession after years away.
Maybe at Mass, when a line from the Gospel hits differently.
Maybe in front of the Blessed Sacrament, when we can no longer ignore the ache.

This is the moment when we say, or want to say, yes.

5. Catechesis

After that yes, the questions deepen.
We start to realise, I have been Catholic all my life… but I do not really know my faith.

We want to understand what happens at the altar.
Why we go to confession.
Why we honour Mary.
Why the Church teaches what it teaches.

And instead of feeling ashamed of what we do not know, we feel hungry.
Finally.

This is the stage where things click.
And we begin to build our life around the truth, not just tradition.

6. Discipleship and Growth

Here, faith becomes more than a label.
It becomes a way of life.

We find ourselves praying even when it is dry.
Fighting sin, even when we fall.
Noticing God in the little things.
Letting Him shape our choices, not just our Sunday routine.

Some days feel holy.
Some days feel like we are back at square one.
But even then, we keep going.

This is the slow, hidden road.
The road of daily faithfulness.
The road where saints are formed.

7. Mission

Eventually, we stop asking, “What is God doing for me?”
And we start asking, “What does God want to do through me?”

We begin to notice the people around us. The ones who are hurting, drifting, searching.
And we realise, I am called to walk with them. Just like someone once walked with me.

Mission does not mean preaching on a stage.
It means listening with love.
Sharing our story. Showing up.
Being bold when it matters, and gentle when it counts.

It means becoming a bridge, not a wall.

Where are we now?

Let’s be honest.

Are we going through the motions? Not joyful, not miserable, just… stuck in neutral?
Longing for more but afraid to go deeper?

Or maybe… maybe we’ve heard God calling us to something greater and we just haven’t said yes yet.

Wherever we are, we’re not stuck.
There’s always a next step.

We weren’t baptised to be passive.
We weren’t confirmed just to graduate from church.
We were made to follow Jesus.
To grow. To change. To be sent.

He’s calling us, not when we’re ready, not when we’re holy, but now.

So let’s take the next step.
Whatever it is, however small.
Let’s keep walking.

Together.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
Since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:16–18

Here are some small steps we can take:

• Go to confession, even if it has been a long time.
• Read the Sunday Gospel before Mass, and pray with it.
• Make time each day, even just five minutes, for silence with God.
• Join a small group, a ministry, or a formation talk.
• Light a candle for someone you love, and pray for them.
• Invite someone back to church, kindly and gently, without pressure.
• Ask God, What do You want me to do next? And listen. (BV)