Many folks are brought up by their parents attending a particular church with some degree of regularity. Their church is fairly welcoming and comforting, and they continue in this same routine into their adult years. After marriage, they take their children with them to the same church, week after week. There is nothing wrong with this practice. It is good! The faith is passed on.
Yet there are others taken to church by parents who leave church as soon as they've left home, never to return. This is no judgment on either the parents or the church. Faith is a choice.
It is said that for a young adult to make a faith his (or her) own, there has to be a crisis of faith. In other words, they have to DOUBT THEIR FAITH is valid, true, worthy of their commitment.
When I was 19 years old, I experienced such a crisis of faith. Who is this Jesus? Why would he start a church? I seriously considered converting to Judaism. I passed the local temple every day on the bus and longed to get off and explore it and the Jewish religion. I also felt that I still needed to go to the weekly and sometimes daily Mass that I had participated in my whole life. My thought was, "Well, if Catholicism turns out to be the true religion, I don't want to be guilty of neglecting my religion."
After a year of studying, praying, debating with my peers, teachers, and priests, I made a personal commitment to Jesus. Looking back, it was a wonderful, wise decision. Jesus, God, Mary, and the Saints, not to mention, my faith community at the various parishes of which I've been a member, and the clergy have never, NEVER ONCE let me down!
What has kept my faith FRESH and ALIVE? The various classes I've taken over the years, particularly Bible Study, spiritual reading, and ten years of praying in my parish's Adoration Chapel has help me to grow in the faith.
Am I a goody-goody nice little woman who has had an easy life and who, of course, would have positive feelings about my faith? NO!!! There have been many horrible challenges to my faith. Yes, I have questioned my faith, even since my commitment as a 20-year-old. But I have never abandoned it.
Do you know what is the largest faith group in the United States? Is it a particular protestant religion? No. Is it the Catholics? No. What's left? "Former Catholics" is the largest faith group in our country!! These are the people who were raised in the faith, abandoned it after high school, and never returned.
I talked with many of these "former Catholics." What do they have in common?: 1) they never really knew their faith and 2) what they consider Catholicism is an adolescent faith! What a pity!
I'm using my own faith as an example because that's what I know best. This same reasoning can apply to folks of any faith: most of those who left never really knew their faith.
Does this describe YOU? Do you really want to give up knowing your God in a mature, adult way? I invite you to explore the church of your youth, or, if you never had such a church, explore a church or churches that might interest you. Check out the beliefs. Go for it: JOIN A CHURCH!
Some church-goers "church shop." My teenage daughter #8, Jeannie, and I church shopped when we moved to Lexington, Kentucky in the year, 2000. We went to all the Catholic churches in Lexington. I had my favorite which was different from Jeannie's favorite but I allowed her the choice. I wanted her to be as involved as she could be. I have never regretted that choice and membership, never! My church is home, I love everything associated with it and find myself getting more involved with every every passing year. I wish the same for you! Really, you have nothing to lose by checking out churches!
Our Gentle Lord, you invite us to love You as You love us! How could we not accept?
No comments:
Post a Comment