Nobody's reading it YET, but somebody MAY, in the future. So here goes...
When I came back to the Church, a little over four years ago, I was given the grace of understanding so many things I had not understood, before. It was not due to study, or reading, not anything I could put my finger on-it was just there.
Right before I came back, I had begun going to an Assembly of God Bible Study on Wednesday nights. There was definitely a Presence there, and the people were very devoted, and sincere. Of course, i felt out of place because it was not was I was used to, but there was more to my discomfort.
Looking back, I realize that once i stepped fully into Christianity, God pulled me right back into Catholicism. IF I was going to be Christian, I HAD to be Catholic.
Why? I had dabbled with New Age, etc., during my youth, and a sort of "Generic God" concept afterwards. However, as I was led to Jesus as the Key, I had to ask the obvious questions:
"Why shouldn't I believe in the Eucharist as the Real Presence, when that's what Jesus said it was?"
"Why doubt that Peter was made the head of the Church by Christ Himself, when that's what He said?" The Church, however imperfect some of her servants, has kept this "apostolic succession" perfectly.
The AoG minister once made a passing reference to the Rosary as "vain repetitious prayers". I knew he was wrong, and that Bible passage misquoted.
I also knew to be untrue, the accusations that Catholics had taken our rituals and practicies from the pagans, for no reason other than to appease them.
I could go on and on, but all of a sudden I realized that Catholicism was founded upon 2,000 years of study, theology and truth.
Besides, if early Christians (Catholics) wanted to appease the pagans, why were so many of them martyred? It took 300 years for Christianity to be "legal", and I doubt if, by that time, there was much appeasing left to be done.
