NPR is soliciting stories from Catholics on what the Catholic faith means to them, what they find solace in, what they find beautiful, and so forth. Let's contribute some positive stories to them that reflect a solid faith.
(Thanks to Bob L.)
NPR is soliciting stories from Catholics on what the Catholic faith means to them, what they find solace in, what they find beautiful, and so forth. Let's contribute some positive stories to them that reflect a solid faith.
(Thanks to Bob L.)
I just submitted this.
The Catholic Church is a refuge and a source of strength for its members. This is the purpose for which Jesus Christ created it and has ensured its continued existence. I am a 30 year old devout Catholic from Manchester, NH and returned to the Catholic Church ten years ago as a young man of 20 years old.
As a young man, I bought into the secular philosophy of life as so many young people do today and my life was soon in shambles, despite my youth and short time here. My experience and testimony demonstrate how powerfully and quickly the ways of the world lead a soul to perdition. The road to Hell is wide and easy and those that walk it are many, while the road to Heaven is long and narrow and those that walk it are few.
Having encoutered some difficulties at my university, I turned to the Church of my very early youth because I had no where else to turn. Having sought out the Church as an anchor, I righted the capsized vessel of my life and here I am today vibrant and vigorous, to tell my story. I watch with pity my young brothers and sisters in America sinking in the mire of modern life and I reflect how fortunate, by the Grace of God, I am.
Living in the Church is not always easy, but it is better than dying in the world. Sometimes members of the Church can be vexatious, but even at their worst they are usually preferable to the average "un-Churched" or non-religious person. One may say that is my religious bias speaking. I would rather offer the euphemistic term religious wisdom to describe my attitude. You can offer a blind man sight, but you can't make him see if he keeps his eyelids closed.
The most important part regarding my story is that I am the typical example of a young man who the world has so much to offer. I graduated at the top of both my class in high school and in college in Chemical Engineering. I am athletic, thin, tall, smart, talented, etc. I can't tell you how much I despise the worthlessness of what world has to offer a young man like me and it turns my stomach to see so many of my young brothers and sisters falling prey to what I so deftly evaded. It makes me fell blessed and heroic at so young an age to have triumphed over what so many others my age haplessly fall victim to. I look forward to seeing the Pope celebrate Mass this month at Yankee Stadium.