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331. Just One Word What brings someone to convert to Catholicism, or for that matter, from one religion to another? Some people suddenly get an inspiration, just one word from God, when and where they least expect it, at a time when they are quiet and perhaps thinking or praying. And for others it takes some great event in their lives, maybe a fire, a snowstorm, a fall, a car crash, a jubilee, a feast.... something that tells us, I really need to do this now. For King Nebuchadnezzar (see Book of Daniel, Chapter 3 & 4), who fiercely persecuted Christians, it took a miraculous event of three Christians who were put in a fiery furnace and an Angel kept them from harm and they walked out unscathed. They were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, (see Liturgy of the Hours, Canticle, Sunday, Morning Prayer - or Daniel 3:57-88,56 NAB only), three young men, who loudly sang God's praises. When Nebuchadnezzar saw them unhurt, it was enough of reason for this King to turn to God, to Jesus Christ. A great Biblical story! For Saint Paul, the call to conversion came, as is described in Acts 26:14, "We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.'" - that was God calling Saul (he changed his name to Paul after his conversion)... then, (Acts 26:15-18) "And I said, 'Who are you, sir?' And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Get up now, and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen (of me) and what you will be shown. I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you, to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me.'" These are wonderful examples of conversion by God's Word. For most of us, a conversion call isn't so dramatic. I was away from the Sacraments for about 20 years. In 1984, after a very difficult time in New York with an elderly parent who suffered from dementia, I was able to move to Florida to a branch office of the company I worked for at the time, and meeting a colleague who was Catholic, he invited me to help him in this Catholic Parish to usher and help with the collection. After a few weeks of this, I went to confession, and I was back. It was as if I never left. So my call to conversion was God guiding this colleague to invite me to help him in this work for the Parish. It just takes One Word of God, one little inspiration that evokes your curiosity, that stimulates additional inquiry. Many parishes now have a program that will gradually bring back a former Catholic, and it is very easy and painless. And as for people of other faiths, the Catholic church has another program, called RCIA (Roman Catholic Initiation for Adults), and a similar program for children. (RCIC). The key to any conversion, be it to the Catholic Church or any other church is to talk to someone in charge, a pastor, priest, deacon, etc.
Be open to the Lord, listen to His
Voice in your heart, and obey that call always.
Fred Schaeffer, SFO |
