The Eyes of a Convert

As a reasonably newly minted Catholic, I suppose one could accuse me of being in the honeymoon phase of my faith. Perhaps that’s true. There’s no zealot like a convert, right?

It’s true—I haven’t been a practicing Catholic for all that long. I was confirmed into the Church in 2013. For a while, I had a deep, bitter desire to be a cradle Catholic. Oh! To have learned the Rosary as a child! How I longed for that huge, noisy, Catholic family that I saw in Mass every week, with tons of brothers and sisters and prayers and confirmation dinners and CCD and all kinds of wonderful stuff. I felt as though I had been deprived.

Then, though, it occurred to me. Maybe the people who had those things I longed for didn’t realize how fortunate they were to have them! I had an epiphany—seeing the Catholic faith through the eyes of a convert has its own special set of blessings! Just as all of us are guilty of taking our lives for granted, I think sometimes cradle Catholics take their beautiful Church for granted.

What a wonderful thing it would be if everyone was as enthralled at Mass as I am. Do you realize what a gift we have? We are encountering Christ at every single Mass—it’s a real, actual miracle happening right there in front of us every time. I know that all of you know that—but do you really know it? I was raised as a Protestant, and a cradle Catholic just cannot grasp the difference between a Protestant service and the actual sacrifice of the Mass.

Don’t get me wrong—I have attended beautiful Protestant services. My grandfather is a Baptist minister, and I consider him one of the best men I know. I love to hear him speak. In fact, I have heard many learned, passionate speakers in my years as a Protestant.

Here’s the thing—after the speaker, that’s kind of it. There’s a song and an invitation to pray. And all of my adult life, I have struggled with that. What was actually happening at church? Yes, we were praising God, and we were experiencing fellowship, which I know is vital for the survival of any church group, but there just always seemed to be something missing.

The Mass is what was missing. Something real is happening there. And in spite of all of the misconceptions about the Church, and in spite of the fact that I am no theologian, the Bible tells us plainly that Christ is present in the Eucharist. By accepting communion, we are truly accepting the Body and Blood of Christ, just as Christ instructed us to do. It was and is the pinnacle of our Catholic faith. The Eucharist has filled that spiritual gap that existed in my life for so long.

Do you see? Can you appreciate how I see all of this?

Though it’s a weak comparison, imagine this scenario: I live in a state that relies heavily on tourism. I have lived in West Virginia all of my life. At least several times a week I drive over a bridge that spans a gorge that is considered one of the most fantastic in the world. I barely glance out the side windows. I complain about driving over mountains in the winter that other people come thousands of miles just to see. I bitterly rake up leaves that others think are true works of art. Mountain streams, rock formations, whitetail deer, black bear, the stunning image of a Northern Cardinal sitting on a snowy tree branch—I can see these things any old time I want.

In short, I take them for granted.

Just because I have grown accustomed to them does not mean that they have become less beautiful. It just means that my eyes have forgotten what true beauty really is. I have forgotten to stop (though not in the middle of the big bridge—that’s just crazy) and actually look around me, and actually see the beauty that others can see without difficulty.

So I implore you, cradle Catholics (and ALLCatholics) to remember how awesome our faith is. Remember what a privilege it is to belong to the one true Church of Christ, and to have a real encounter with Him. Imagine you are seeing it for the first time. Imagine if you couldn’t attend the Mass. Remember what a gift it is.

Remember what a beautiful gift it is.