It’s been awhile since I thought about “Crazy Dave” from SDSU, the guy that nearly all of project knew about because of the crazy stories we would tell about him and his “faith and works” salvation. But when I think about it, I owe him a debt of gratitude. If Allen and I had not stopped and talked to him that really really hot day at SDSU, and hadn’t got into an argument with him about faith and works, I may not have started to question Megan about Catholicism, who knows where I would be then?! It’s funny how in an instant we saw Dave amongst a crowd of people and decided to talk to him and in that instant my evangelical world collided with the Catholic Church. I am so grateful that I met him that day and that he was so adamant about his faith. I am so grateful that we continued to run into each other almost every week on campus. It is with joy now, rather than a condescending attitude, that I count Dave as a man that I had the chance to meet.
Anyways, I decided to text him this weekend to see how he was and to tell him that God has lead me to become Catholic. I wasn’t sure if he believed what he was hearing, but he is really excited and he gave me the name of a book I should read, a book about Catholic apologetics. I think I will take his advice on this one since he was obviously more knowledgeable than I gave him credit for before.
Father,
Thank you for sending Christ to die for our sins, and thank you for sending your son Dave to Allen and I. Along with others, he has played an initiating and integral part in my salvation and conversion. Lord, reward him, protect him, and keep him strong in his faith. Amen.
In my lifetime, I know of very few people who have chosen to join the Catholic Church. It is just something that doesn’t happen, or so it seems. In my day to day life I meet many Protestants and I meet many Catholics and become friends with people on both sides of the division. Typically, though, there is little spoken or expressed antagonism between the two groups, at least in the more local aspects. Though, there are instances where antagonists from either side, of which I was once one, start something, unprovoked. But now, with my conversion becoming public amongst my friends, it seems like a can of worms has been opened. I found out at lunch today that two of my friends, one Catholic, and one so opposedly not, got into it over whether or not Peter was the rock that Christ spoke of. Obviously it is a contentious subject because the truth of the matter either confirms or denies the Church’s authority and therefore denies or confirms Protestantism’s validity. I can’t help but think that this argument would not have occurred if my friend did not know I was becoming Catholic. From what I heard there was a lot of closed-mindedness from the non-Catholic side and it makes me apprehensive because sooner or later these arguments are going to reach me and I will have to deal with them face-to-face. A huge part of my cannot understand why some people are being so closed-minded about the idea of the truth being found in the Catholic Church. Then I remember, that six months ago, no, probably even five months ago that was me. I wonder how in the world I overcame the my own locked-up heart. All I did was pray. I prayed that my friends would see the truth, and that I would see it as well. Then it was all God. God was the one who opened my heart. There is nothing I can do to make my friends at least open their minds to the possibility that Catholicism could be truth. Only God can do that, can overcome their pre-conceived notions of the faith. And as sad as it is making me to know that I cannot get them to look at Christianity from the Catholic view, I am utterly thankful that God has opened my heart and allowed me to see it from the other side, the pre-Reformation view.
Jake and I left campus at 6:45 this morning to make it to the Cathedral for 7:00 Mass. It was really early, but I am really glad that I went and started Lent off on the right foot, at Church. I’ve never been to an Ash Wednesday service, but I found it really fulfilling. I poured out the prayers of my heart and I reflected upon the upcoming month and a half and what it means for me. Part of me is afraid that one day I will be sitting at Mass and will realize that I do not want to really do this. But everytime I go to Mass, the opposite happens, I want to be there more than I did the last time I went. God is really doing something special with the Catholic Church I guess.
It’s a very exciting time for me. We are about to enter Lent, the season of sacrifice and fasting, modeled after the 40 days that Christ spent fasting in the desert before being tempted by that wily demon, Satan. For us Catholics (or soon-to-be-Catholics) it is a time for us to sacrifice the things that mean a lot to us, or that we are addicted to, and spend more time in Scripture and in Prayer. This year I am giving up Facebook again because it honestly wastes hours of my day. I always have a facebook window open on my computer and check it constantly. Instead I could spend 10, 15, or 20 minutes more each day reading the Bible and praying. I am also giving up Oreo Cookie Pudding during Lent because everytime the dining center has it, I overindulge.
