Catholic By Birth, Catholic By Choice

(CHRISM NEWS/ MARIS BENTLEY) Though I am considered to be a cradle Catholic, a life-long Catholic, having been brought up a Catholic in a Catholic home with all my parents and grandparents as Catholics, I was, for many years, not Catholic.

Interestingly, during those years I still considered myself Catholic. But what made me “not Catholic” was the fact that, though I operated under the Catholic label, I was not a fully practicing and fully believing Catholic.

I would miss Mass, my Sunday obligation, and thought it was no big deal. I had rationalized my way into this behavior by convincing myself that “God would not really send someone to hell for just missing Mass, would He?”

And, of course, if I was missing Mass, you can guess what sacraments I was also abusing—Confession and the worthy reception of the Eucharist. In other words—no Confession for years, and continued reception of the Precious Body and Blood of Our Lord when I did make it to Mass.

Not fully believing? As you can guess, not fully believing led to not fully practicing. I did not understand and/or believe the teachings about the Eucharist and the necessity of Confession.

I did not accept the Church’s teaching about the sinfulness of contraception. All of this was mostly through ignorance though. I did know most of the “whats” of Catholic Church teaching, but I did not know the “whys”—those beautiful, rational, life-changing whys.

I knew all about Our Lord being kind and merciful, but not much about Him as the just judge. I lacked the realization of the horribleness and the consequences of sin, though I could see it around me in my everyday life. I could see others sins, but not my own.

Our Lord finally broke through my hard-heartedness by showing me the Truths of two of the teachings of the His Church—the Truth of His Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist, and the Truth about contraception.

Gradually, over time, and involving many Godincidences (when you believe in God, there is no such thing as a coincidence, is there?), and the prayers of the saints (that’s another story for another time!), my eyes were opened.

No Saint Paul, “wham!” moment for me, as is the case for most of us. Yet, there were events that I continue to look back at in amazement—events which did have a significant impact on my journey of faith.

I praise God that He is merciful AND just—that He continued to love me AND allow me to reap the consequences of my ignorance and sin.

Now I am a Catholic, not by birth, but by choice.

#opinion