I'm always struck by the knowledge of converts to Catholicism. People from all walks of life, from all faiths, finding their home in the Catholic Church. And these people are ON FIRE for the LORD!
And I can even relate, because as a revert of sorts, the Holy Spirit set me alight, too. And set me to teaching RCIA, even though half the time I'm completely flummoxed and have no idea what to say next. But the Lord is faithful, is he not?
But I have to say, when I read what these converts have to say, I am astounded by their knowledge, and realize in hindsight that I was lead back to the faith not primarily by practicing Catholics, but rather, by CONVERTS to the faith!
Anyway, I just wanted to pass along a couple of great blogs, and some newcomers who both need encouragement at times, prayers, support, and the wonderful witness of all you grateful Catholics out there.
Crossed the Tiber
Southern Baptist Convention to the Catholic Church
Et-Tu Jen
Joyful Catholics
Happy Catholic
Angela Messenger
There are others, I know, so I encourage you all to take a good look at the Catholics around you and to remember that at our very roots, we are all converts. If we follow our spiritual history back in time, our ancestors were either Jes or Pagans...and now as a result, we are Christian. Some of us have converted directly from pagan religions, some have come from no religion at all, some of us have fallen away and have come back. Because we know the Truth when he hear it, when we see it, and when God's grace tells us it's time to come home because He has prepared a special place for us.
I'm so graateful to and humbled by all the converts and reverts I know, and I thank God for them each and every day.
5 comments:
Thanks for the kind words!
Only by His grace, only by His grace do I stand. God is so kind to give me another chance so late in my life, 47 y.o. to get fired up for Him! His mercies are truly New Every Morning and great is His faithfulness to all of us.
God bless and thanks so much
The folks are fortunate to have you teaching RCIA
We're just making up for lost time, you know! And I find you quite inspiring too. I echo Tiber Jumper on how lucky your RCIA class is. :-)
Thank you, everyone, for commenting.
Tiber, you have no idea the impact you have on both converts, reverts and cradle Catholics, so I feel sort of gulity in "outing" you. :-)
Julie D, you have MORE than made up for lost time. Thank you for all that you do. So much of what you post hits me at the soul-level and so I can't even reply. I love the humor, the devotion, and the obvious faith you possess. Whether you realize it or not, you have an apostolate, just as do Tiber and Angela Messenger.
Angela...you know what I think of you! Thank you, too for all that you do.
And you all, before you give praise to God for my involvement in RCIA, you might want to check with my class first. Myself...I'm not too sure, so I just pray that SOMETHING I say or so has a holy effect on SOMEONE.
Since I'm an aspiring teacher, if you all can perhaps meet at the same place at the same time I'd be happy to give a practice class, accept you all as students, "teach" the lesson at hand and handle your questions..and THEN you can let me know if I have any potential! Until then, your prayers are enough, if I and more importantly, my class, can ask for them. :-)
God bless
A list of convert bloggers would be quite large. I think converts are more likely to blog since they really want to exercise their new found faith.
Off the top of my head there is Mark Shea, Jimmy Akin, Christopher Blosser and his father Phillip, Bill Cork, Greg Crowhill, Dawn Eden, Zorak, The Anchoress, Dwight Longenecker, Alvin, Kimmel, Steven Riddle, Owen, and John Gibson just to name a few. Oh and of course myself.
One of my favorite blog stories is of a former atheist who blogged his RCIA and then journey to becoming a monk in an Easter Catholic Church. The blogs name was Swimming the Tiber.
I am posting my conversion story in bits on my blog (click my name to get the link). Parts 1-4 are up there now.
Warren
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