CONVERTS RULE & here is one reason why....

Okay, don't worry about me coming up with several verbose reasons that Catholic Converts rule (even though we do... in fact we ROCK), but I was so inspired in a conversation with a fellow Oblate Sister of Mary Magdalene. In fact it was Sr. Magdalen who inspired me to explain in detail my reasons for making that broad brush stroke statement. You see, a convert to Catholicism is much like a person who used to be fat or an ex-smoker, almost obsessive in their zeal to reveal "the truth".

Now naturally, the Sacrament that is most dear to our hearts as it is to all Catholics, is the Eucharist. It is receiving the True Presence of Christ, available to us almost every day, that we can boast being THE one component of our faith where we know what non Catholics are missing. I heard one of my favorite priests say in a homily that he read somewhere that a non Catholic person advised his Catholic friend, that if the Eucharist is truly what we believe, he would crawl for miles to receive Him. And, since we are speaking the Truth, that goes without saying. Who among us wouldn’t do that?

What is special about converts, is that our next favorite Sacrament surprises most other people. The Sacrament of Reconciliation would almost always be cited as the second most precious gift, left by Jesus through the Sacraments. Yes, of course we have heard all of the baby boomers horror stories about making Confessions and the “dreadful” priests that heard them and administered painful penance for the least infraction. That made young girls fear boys with warts on their hands and young men cringe at the thought of relieving frustration. Those terrible priests! But again, those of us who converted from any non Catholic faith (ironically, of the nine people I took classes when I did, oh, some years back during the Cretaceous Period, we were all Methodists backgrounds!) knew exactly what we had been missing.

The Confessional pre dates Sigmund Freud. Over the years, priests were called upon to fill the shoes of Jesus and serve as the therapists for thousands upon thousands of penitents. When you had no where to turn and you had to face your fears, you could escape to the anonymous sanctuary, the confessional. You didn’t even have to face your confessor. All you had to do was pray as Jesus washed your sins away.

Allow me to go back to the 80’s, when my birth daughter, Rachel, was still just a girl, I had occasion to meet with our parish priest, Fr. Dimond, for what escapes me now. What happened in that room was far beyond me and an amazing experience. It overshadowed and made insignificant anything I had expected.

All I remember was sitting down with a stack of books and pamphlets. All of a sudden, I started to speak, it was an involuntary and spontaneous surge of words that sprang from my mouth, “Forgive me father, for I have sinned….” I proceeded to tell the priest of something I had done. Something I had pushed in the back of my mind so that I might believe I had never done such a thing. Something I had sworn I would forget and never deal with again. Tears poured out of my eyes and Father was rushing to prepare his vestments. I still cannot believe that I spoke it. Left to my own frail devices, I would have gone the rest of my life with that burden, consumed in the flame of guilt and no repentance, just stupid denial.

Then, I heard the soft voice of the priest, “Oh, how desperate you must have been.” He began to say words of encouragement and forgiveness. A love that I never really knew existed appeared before me at that moment and when he laid his hand on my head to absolve me of my sins, I felt what I can only describe as a hot flash, a bolt of energy from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. And, it was released. I felt as if I had lost some 25 pounds of hideous weight. I never knew I could feel so good. Then, Father held me for what seemed to be an eternity. I will confess, I have tried to be stoic all of my life. Not successfully, but my upper lip was as stiff as I could make it. I cannot describe the relief, the love, the repentance I experienced. There really are no words, but when I was advised to go in peace and sin no more, well, I DID go in peace J

Ever since that day, I have not feared nor swept under the rug that Sacrament. When I read something about Our Lady’s alleged apparitions in Medjugore that reminded her people to visit the Sacraments as often as possible, I am sure she meant Confession too. I am positive. And, I do. Visit the Sacraments often, that is.

I am telling you, CONVERTS RULE!