Skip to main content

Was I Becoming a Christian, or a Cannibal?

 Hello Clarice ...

Actually my story is even crazier than the Silence of the Lambs.  I was six years old, and my parents just dropped me off at the babysitter's before school.  Normally we would watch TV until it was time to catch the bus.  But today was different.

My best friend caught my eye as soon as I walked through the door.  "Hey guess what," he said, "I get to eat a body and drink blood!"  As a small child I was intrigued.  My friend was going through his First Communion classes in the Catholic Church, and that's what he got out of it.  It was enough for me though.  He was a year older so I would look up to him - whatever he did, I wanted to do it too.

But I had a problem ...

I was not baptized.  I arranged to go to the classes - many of my other friends were there too.  But I was told that you have to baptized before you have First Communion.  But that wasn't the biggest disappointment.  

You see, everyone else got to do this really neat thing called Confession.  They would go into this little cloth booth and talk to the priest.  I wasn't sure exactly what was going on but where there were going looked a lot like a fort.  I wanted in.

So I spoke with my parents and told them I wanted to be Baptized.  Then I could do it all.  I could have my First Communion.  I could go into that fort and talk with the priest.  Boy this was going to be great!

And it was.  Today I'm here because of it.  As I was writing down this story I realized something.  All the theology was terrible.  Maybe not terrible but definitely at a child's level.  We weren't going to understand the finer points of transubstantiation so it was, "Eating a body and drinking blood."  The confessional was not a fort, no matter how much I thought it was.

Despite being at a child's level, the experience was meaningful and effective.

St. Anselm of Canterbury described theology as, "Faith seeking understanding."  That means faith comes first.  My friend's story about eating a body and drinking blood ignited a faith in me that has never left.  The understanding came much later.

There are many people out there, while not children, still need their faith ignited by a good story.  You never know the impact your story might have.

To join me on this journey of storytelling, be sure to like and follow my Facebook Page.  And most importantly, tell your stories.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Advent Challenge - Luke Chapters 8 and 9

Weekends can be a busy thing around the holidays.  Ironically Advent invites us to slow down while the world around us is speeding up with decorating, parties, shopping, etc.  That's why a challenge like reading a chapter of Luke every day is important - it refocusses you. Chapter 8 starts out with a parable about a farmer sowing seeds.  Most of the seed ends up useless, while the seed that fell on good soil yielded a massive harvest.  When the disciples asked what the parable is about, Jesus described it in terms of the Word of God, often falling on hearts that are either unwilling or unready, and it doesn't take hold.  But for some, it lands on a heart that's willing and ready, and bears much fruit. This sets the stage for two miracles that come next - the calming of the sea and the healing of a demoniac.  Jesus and the disciples went out on a boat, and a big storm came upon them.  While everyone else was panicking, Jesus was fast asleep in the stern...
Post a Comment
Read more

Setbacks, Disappointments, and New Opportunities

Yesterday I received a phone call I had been waiting anxiously for. It was about a job I had put in for - and I didn’t get it. The person delivering the news was kind, and even encouraged me to apply for another position that, in her opinion, was a better fit for me. It is a different kind of job, would require a decent commute, and I’m not sure I have it in me to enter another process right now.  This morning I got myself showered and dressed and put on my clericals. Even though I was home all day I wanted to shoot a video and hence the outfit. Somehow just dressing up had me feeling less dejected - like I still could do something I was proud of. I remember years ago when my dad was looking for work. Each day he put on a shirt and tie before filling out job applications.  After the video I scheduled some more content, opened up my notebook, and started working on my plan. The ideas began to flow, time seemed to flow by, and before I knew it I had a pretty great outline for a ...
1 comment
Read more

Advent Challenge - Luke Chapter 5

Luke was a genius when it came to structuring this Gospel.  Chapter 5 is framed on two sides by calling of disciples, with two miraculous healings in between them. The chapter starts with Jesus calling Peter, James, and John, and as part of the calling provides them with a huge catch of fish.  The payload was so big that several other boats were brought in, yet they all started to sink because they were so full.  When Peter expressed his unworthiness, Jesus simply told him to follow, and Jesus would make him fish for people. This miracle foreshadowed the role Peter would play in the early Church.  On the first day of Pentecost in Acts, Peter's preaching converts several thousand souls in one day, and tradition holds that they returned home and began their own local Churches in their communities.  But the question remains, what are all of these conversions for? The next two sections in Luke 5 gives us a clue as to the answer.  First Jesus heals a leper, and ...
Post a Comment
Read more