As some of you might know, I am a convert to Catholicism. Because I was a convert, tons of question came to my mind as I made up my mind. Which religion should I pick? As I narrowed it down to Christianity, I questioned myself, which denomination? As I picked Catholicism, I questioned myself again and again, why Catholic? It seemed to me that other denomination has more hype and more energy than this aging religion.
With this, comes many years of struggling with what do Catholics believe and teach to be true. Doubts had always been there, but I saw this as a mystery. Not to be solved, but to be pondered. And certainly, answers came along. It never failed to amaze me, the questions that I've always had somehow was answered when I was reading something that was totally unrelated to what I was searching.
For example, I have always been questioning the "authenticity" of catholicism. Then, I picked up this book entitled Rome Sweet Home by Scott Hahn when I was in my brother's house, without any intention at all to learn things about catholicism. I was perplexed, all these questions that I had growing up into my faith was pretty much answered in reading his life story. Unexpected. That's the nature of God's providence somehow.
But back to the main idea: cradle catholics and converts.
Cradle catholics can be described as those who pretty much "born" into the Catholic faith, just like Israelites who was born into becoming a Jew in the OT up until nowadays. The characteristics of them including: know all the rituals, went through sunday school, know the prayers before going into bed, was "forced" into learning on going to confession every week, the rosary, the St. Michael the archangel prayers, etc etc.
The converts are those who have stumble through, and along the way saw catholicism as the true religion. The fullness of the truth that Christ has revealed. He/she saw Catholic church as one with Christ, Holy because she (the catholic church) is His, Catholic in terms of her universality, and Apostolic for she hold her faith in the teachings of the apostles.
What can we learn from each other?
The converts, after struggling through many things have the privilege of wrestling with God (Just as Jacob did) in finding the gem (read: the rationale and the basis) behind all the devotions and habits in the catholic church. That's their charism, to expound the fullness of truth in the Catholicism.
Meanwhile, the cradle catholics have the advantage in knowing more about different rituals and things that Catholics do (e.g. blessing of animals at the feast of St. Francis, praying to St. Anthony when we can't find things, rosary, the divine mercy chaplet, the scapular, the adoration, the marian devotion). Basically, introducing to the converts many different private devotions that the Catholic church has.
But in the end of this life long discussion about the faith and what it implies... Pope Benedict puts it simply in one of his talks:
In this perspective I would now like to continue by completing last Tuesday's reflections and to stress once again: what matters above all is to tend one's personal relationship with God, with that God who revealed himself to us in Christ.
(emphasis added)
And that's the meat of them all... to know Christ and to fall in love with Him, is the greatest pursuit that we can ever tried to take. For in knowing Christ will our lives be changed. For in loving Christ, will we love others. And most importantly, when we rest in Him, we will find our peace.
Gloria et tibi, Domine.
(Glory to You, O Lord)
(and may the word of God be on my mind, on my lips, and on my heart)
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