Well, I think I have a story to share. I also think this story is actually very common too, but just because it is common, doesn't mean that people are really talking about it.
I was born and raised Catholic. I was baptized as an infant, attended Catholic school from K-12, and received all my childhood and adolescent sacraments. I am like thousands and millions of Americans with the same experience and upbringing. But I am also like many of them in a special and unfortunate way...
Cradle Catholics, as we are called, are raised Catholic from birth, carrying out many Catholic traditions and sticking to them hard. Yes, I have given up candy for Lent many times. I went to Sunday Mass when I could. I didn't eat meat on Fridays during Lent. I wore a crucifix on my necklace. I knew Jesus loved me. I even read the Bible sometimes. But for some reason, many things never soaked in. I knew what I was doing, and I knew why I was doing it, but I didn't fully understand why I was doing it. I didn't feel my soul in it. I didn't acknowledge the grace in it. I was that Catholic person.
Every Sunday at Mass, one of the special intentions at my parish is for those who are "lukewarm or who have fallen away from the Church." I think by the grace of the Holy Spirit, I never truly "fell away" from the Church, but I would certainly describe myself as once lukewarm and even the dreaded "cafeteria Catholic." I think this is all too common in our Church, and even when I was "one of them," I wished things were different.
My faith and religion were always right there in front of me, so I never had to search. I guess this caused me to become complacent. God was always very real to me when times were tough, but when I felt like things were well, He was the last thing on my mind. I knew He was there but I took Him for granted. I also believe that one of the huge factors in Catholic complacency is that the Church is so rich in history and tradition. A child can become very complacent and ungrateful when he has everything he wants. But it is certainly not Her fault that she has so much! You can acquire quite a lot from the Hands of Jesus Himself, and then over 2000 years of unbroken succession!
This is my story. Maybe this is your story too.
I don't expect to become very popular in the blogging world. I don't expect to make the front page of New Advent. I just want to share my journey and my newfound love for Jesus Christ. We are not alone in this faith journey. Of course, I would love to have a positive impact on someone's life and faith someday. But no matter what happens, God's will be done.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that He may grant you in accord with the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Come, walk with me to the beauty that lies beyond the here and now.
