|
L e t t e r s
The trouble with cradle Catholics
|
This Rock
Volume 6, Number 4
 April 1995 
|
|
|
As a convert to the Catholic faith, I have been bothered by several conversations I've had with "cradle Catholics." So bothered, in fact, that this plea had to be written.
To me, to be born a Catholic would be such a honor and blessing. I am envious to those that have had the privilege. To be allowed to grow up in the faith, learning it day by day, would be easier than the searchings of my own life. For this reason it is difficult to understand Catholics who attend other churches, who don't attend Mass regularly, or who have not come to church in many years.
I have had conversations with persons that fall into each group. Each time I am shocked. How can this be? There is usually some little reason given. "Not enough music." "The priest made me mad." "I don't know anymore." "There's not enough time." "The other church teaches the Bible."
In a recent conversation, a woman, a "cradle Catholic," said she wished the Catholic Church had more music. She goes to another church that has such "wonderful music" that it clears your ears to listen to the Bible verses that follow. I wanted to say to her that doesn't she know that music can be very hypnotic with psychological effects? Music is a tool, an enchanter for what follows.
Entertainers and the media events have used it for years (work a crowd up or down). What I actually said was that all the other churches have been started by men. The Catholic Church is the Church ordained by Christ to Peter and his successors. And where else could you go to be in the living presence of Christ through the Mass?
I go to church to participate in the Mass that our Lord left for us to continually be in his presence and to have forgiveness for sins. I do not go for the music (although it is enjoyable), the people who are there (but I do have friends), or a certain priest (but my priests held the candle for my darkened path to the Church). I got to be with my Lord. When I'm at Mass, it is like I'm in a "bubble" directly linked to every part of the liturgy. How can it be otherwise?
Home. That is the only way to describe the completeness of my conversion to Catholicism. My journey home took too many years. Those years cannot be undone. I mourn for them. The search began as a child. The church of my parents did not fit me. There was an internal emptiness.
As a young girl out of college, I went to Mass. There were none of the obvious reasons to go. I was not engaged or dating a Catholic man. In fact, I was dating a devout Protestant. On two occasions I went to a priest about becoming a Catholic. For some reason those conversations never went any further.
I met and married my wonderful husband, had a son, joined a church because we both felt the need to be part of a church family. Those years were good years. The pastors were our friends, many of the members were close friends also. My heart said, "Not quite there yet." We went there for companionship, fun, and fellowship. That is not wrong. In fact, those are good qualities. But, something else must come first. The reason for going is not companionship, fun, and fellowship but the Way to God.
In 1988 my husband had serious medical problems. He was unconscious for several days in the intensive care unit of a local hospital with his life hanging in the balance. When he awoke, the first words he said were, "Get the monsignor; I think I'm Catholic." Through our special friends, who later became our Church sponsors, the monsignor came to the hospital. The journey began. My heart remembered all the old longings.
In 1989 another priest entered our lives. His patience was the nurturing factor in our journey. The decision was not quick nor was it sudden. We, as a family, discussed it over the years. Finally, my husband and I started attending RCIA classes. Our adult son joined us the following week. In 1994 we came as a family into our Church family. Again, there were no
obvious reason for us to join. We were mature adults, comfortable in a lifestyle that had been developed over many years. It was s omewhat uncomfortable to change. Friends were surprised. All I can say is that it was overdue.
This is why I cannot comprehend "cradle Catholics" who question our faith. It has always been theirs. I had to battle a lifetime to get it. Come back to what is yours, freely given from your birth. It already belongs to you. Don't be misled by churches of men. Don't let the "trims" of music, fun, and fellowship rob you of the completeness of our faith. Don't let the personalities of the various Protestant pastors be the criteria for membership.
Carolyn Denis Schwille
Dallas, Texas
Fundamentalists in India
As in the States and in our parts of the world, Fundamentalist sects are poisoning Catholics and pulling them out of the Church. This is happening in India and Bombay in particular. These sects are getting their Fundamentalistic literature, videos, and audio tapes and distributing them here in India. Could you not help us?
I have pointed out before, that the cost of the dollar is Rs.32/=. At this rate, it is practically impossible for the average Catholic to subscribe to foreign Catholic magazines. For instance, the overseas subscription to This Rock is $35. This is more than Rs.1,100/= per year. It is about one third the salary which an average Catholic earns in a month, and you can see that it is very difficult for an Indian Catholic to subscribe to foreign Catholic magazines.
Can I appeal to you? Could you ask some of our U.S. Catholics to send us their old copies of Catholic magazines which we could then give out freely. This would help greatly in educating our Catholics in India. We would always be grateful for any copies you sent to us. Please do try and see what you can do for us in this matter.
Thanking you once again and wishing you every blessing.
Kevin L. Fernandes
ALERT
70/A Hill Road
Opposite St. Peter's Church
Bandra, Bombay 400 050 India
They're at wit's end
I Just bought your tape "The Bible Only Debate" between Catholic Answers and Christian Evangelizing Catholics. It is one of the best sources about sola scriptura.
I, a new convert to the Catholic faith, have always looked at the Bible as just a book inspired by God that we as Christians need to look at to study the history of the Hebrew people, to study Jesus Christ's teachings, and to look at the history of how the first Christians started the growth of Christianity.
When listening to the tape, I kept an open mind to both sides of the debate. The Protestants opened up very strongly, but they soon faded away by the end of the debate. It seemed to me that all they were trying to prove was that infallibility of the Church is not a biblical teaching and not sola scriptura. I also think that they were trying to show how one gets "saved," and once "saved" they can interpret the Scriptures for themselves.
When it was your turn, the Catholic point was opened up very strongly and discredited the Protestant opening statements. It seemed that you both kept on the subject, even on the question and answers part, while the Protestants could not. You both made many great points and asked them to prove sola scriptura by using the Bible only. Both of the Protestants could not and did not even prove it in the Bible.
Only thing that they kept referring to was 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which states "All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work." Both of you told everyone what the verses mean and confronted the Protestants to explain themselves. They could not and did not even try, for they knew that they were wrong. Other verses they pointed to were John 10:4, Acts 22:22, and some in 2 Corinthians.
The verses you pointed out against the topic were outstanding, such as 1Corinthians 11:2 and 2 Thessalonians 2:15. There were many more verses that you used to point out the Catholic viewpoint. Some of the verses I would have used would have been Romans 13:1-7. These verses talk about authority, and we need to follow who ever God puts as our leaders. I view these verses to show that Scripture by itself has no authority, but the people that God puts in control have the authority to interpret God's sacred book.
After living most my life as a Protestant and now a Catholic, I finally came up with a hypothesis about the Protestant faith. Every Protestant church that I have been in and every Protestant person I have ever been in contact with knows about Jesus Christ. They all believe that he is the Son of God, he died on the cross for our sins, he ascended into heaven, and he will come again. It is just that they do not understand what Christ wanted us to do after we have been baptized or "saved" as the Protestants say.
Mark Trieger
Garland, Texas
Can you match this?
I just received your letter today on Matt Pinto and young Catholics getting excited about their faith. I am so glad to tell you that as a young Catholic myself (22 years old), in the past couple of years my love and knowledge of Christ and his Church has skyrocketed also! I have been very fortunate to have been exposed to sold Catholic materials through good friends and contacts.
In the past two years I have listened to hundreds of hours of tapes from Catholic Answers, Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Steve Wood, Archbishop Sheen's "Life is Worth Living Series," and others. I have watched hours of videos from the likes of Scott Hahn, Fr. George Rutler, Fr. Benedict Groeschel C.F.R., Fr. Mitch Pacwa S.J., and others.
I have read well over 50 solid books in the past two years from such authors as Bob and Penny Lord, Pope John Paul II, Peter Kreeft, Rhonda Chervin, Donna Steichen, Helen Hitchcock, John Cardinal O'Connor, Sr. Briege McKenna, Joan Carroll Cruz, and many others. Also, I have received tons of pamphlets, tracts, etc. on the Catholic faith which I have read and handed out to my friends.
Along with my friends who have been exposed to the same materials, you are so right, there is so much enthusiasm and energy arising out of the young people who are doing the authentic work of the gospel and are faithful to the Holy Father and the teachings of the magisterium.
What are my plans? I plan to enter the seminary in two years. Presently, I am in contact with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary and the Legionaries of Christ.
As a young adult, what are my plans for summer reading and listening? Surprised by Truth (Madrid), Moral Theology (Jone), Patron Saints (Freze), Life's Greatest Grace: Why I belong to the Catholic Church (Miller), Life of Christ (Sheen), This is My Body, This is My Blood (Lord), Radio Replies (Rumble and Carty), Scott Hahn materials, etc.
Thanks for all you do, it is people like me you have impacted. You my have well added one more person to the priesthood of Jesus Christ.
Kevin Wright
Bellevue, Washington
Catholic Answer Man
I am writing in order to give your readers some good news after the article in your January 1995 issue regarding the "Bible Answer Man." The article correctly categorized that radio program as being anti-Catholic. However, all is not lost.
Catholic Apologetics International, a lay-run apostolate in Columbia, Maryland, hosts a radio show called the "Catholic Answer Man," which is geared to counter the "Bible Answer Man." The "Catholic Answer Man" is a call-in talk show where we answer the questions of listeners about the Catholic faith. Our goal is to teach and defend the magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church.
The "Catholic Answer Man" is currently on the air in Baltimore, but we are now in the process of raising funds to get a syndicated show that would be carried across the country (hopefully in the time slot immediately following their show). Your readers can get more information about the "Catholic Answers Man" by writing to Catholic Apologetics International, P.O. Box 2247, Columbia, MD 21045.
Brian Henderson
Vice President, CAI
Columbia, Maryland
|
Catholic Answers
