Road to Catholicism
Exactly six months ago, I stumbled upon a Catholic website. That in itself is nothing worth noting except for one fact. This website had a breed of Catholics I had never encountered in my day-to-day life. This website had posts from Catholics about scripture and prayer and living a holy life.
I was completely shocked! I had been raised to believe that Catholics live in darkness. They meant well, but in reality they were just idolaters. They needed to be saved.
Although about 7 years ago, I started attending a liberal reformed church and thus I became more open to Catholicism, I still had ingrained in me the idea that most Catholics were not serious about their faith. That’s not a lie by the way because a lot of cradle Catholics don’t practice their faith.
While eating up all the posts on the website, I learned about the Mass and I discovered something called the traditional Mass. So what did I do? I ran to Youtube and looked up some traditional Latin Masses. I was blown away and I resolved that I would attend a Latin Mass and I found a beautiful Mass in NY.
Fast forward 6 months later and I attend the Traditional Latin Mass or, as we’re supposed to say, the Extraordinary form.
This blog chronicles my journey into Catholicism. Like some of you, I am attracted to tradition. This blog isn’t only going to be about the Usus Antiquior, but it will cover the breadth of the traditions of the Fathers.
I don’t purport to know a lot, but as I learn I will share what I’m learning.
As Protestants say, “Give me some of that old time religion”.
We need it.
As of today, I am going through private instruction so that I can become a Catholic.
Pray for me and I will pray for you.
In Christ,
Supplex
8/31/2011
**Update: Received into the Catholic Church on 9/17/2011
I’m happy for you’re Reception and thankful to have stumbled upon your blog. I wonder how your story will compare to my own. I was Received in 1997 via RCIA and for the next 8 years was some sort of unwitting, heretical, quasi-Catholic. My real transformation and education began in 2005 with a very holy, knowledgeable but Novus Ordo, Priest. It is now somewhat comical that God used in him to lead me to Tradition when he is not in favor of the TLM – but is in favor of reverent silence, incense, Latin and ad orientem worship. Those things have grown in this priest as the years have past and as I have made my way deeper into Tradition and tradition. I “discovered” TLM in 2008; my Life has been better since. Although I am in need of prayer because currently the expense of driving to weekly TLM exceeds our means and I am faced with the depressing choice to attend N.O. Or nothing. The current N.O. Priest tries and he means well … But he interrupts the prayer of the liturgy to ramble about announcements and to instruct altar servers (girls and boys… Mostly girls). Then there are the EMHC’s; the women ones especially who try to make eye contact and extend a meaningful expression to those who receive (I do not). I try to keep my eyes shut … But occasionally one must look up to see where we are at … And then my senses are molested. Welcome ! I’m glad you have TLM to be home in.
“It is now somewhat comical that God used in him to lead me to Tradition when he is not in favor of the TLM – but is in favor of reverent silence, incense, Latin and ad orientem worship. Those things have grown in this priest as the years have past and as I have made my way deeper into Tradition and tradition.”
You know, God uses all sorts of paths to lead us to him. God knows which one of his children needs the TLM to thrive and he puts people in our paths to bring us to where we need to be.
Where there is disappointment, just offer it up to the Lord.
I will say a decade for you tonight.