The Spirit is Leading Us

When I converted to Catholicism, it was not "because my husband was Catholic."  I converted because in my heart I knew the truth had always been in the Catholic Church.  If anything, as a former Episcopalian raised in an occult-practicing home, I was jealous of anyone who had been born a Catholic.  It was like they had been given this incredible gift at birth and many didn't even know it or appreciate it.  I had been fighting for it most of my life.  Making my fifth and final college a Catholic one was a deliberate decision, choosing to teach in a Catholic school setting was handed to me on a silver platter and I accepted, and signing up for RCIA was a very conscious decision.  I knew what was at the end of that road and I couldn't wait to get there.

My husband is a cradle Catholic and early in our marriage he would tell me that, "It's cultural - being Catholic is who I am."  Of course having been one his whole life and attending Catholic school growing up, he knew more about his faith than I did in some respects, but in other respects, I did.  What I did know for sure was that he did not know his faith well enough.  There were big holes in his catechesis growing up.  I certainly had big deficits (and still do), but I was learning and loving it.  I saw him just wanting to attend mass minimally and not wanting to grow in his faith.  I began praying for him that one day his eyes would be opened to the treasure that is inside Christ's Church.  I knew that once he saw it, there would be no turning back.

Fast forward to the time when I was pregnant with my third son.  The last time I wrote about my journey, this is where I left off.  I had become pregnant with him after my second miscarriage.  This baby boy was a gift and every time I thought of the baby while he was in my womb, I heard the name John Paul.  Man, did I fight that one.  I tried to think of every other boy's name, but I kept hearing the name John Paul.  I fought this name because it sounded too "Catholic" to me.  What would people think?  They're going to think we're some weird "Pope worshippers"!  God was still leading us.

I don't remember exactly when but sometime in that pregnancy, my husband began reading vigorously about his faith mostly to defend it to a Protestant co-worker.  He never knew how to properly defend the Catholic faith, so he decided to try to learn as much as he could. So he and I began this journey of trying to learn more together.  We shared information, discussed it, and continued to be amazed at all we were discovering...all that had been in the Church for two thousand years...all that's still there that so many Catholics don't even know exists.  Well, my prayers were finally being answered.  I had a husband who was turned on to his faith.  We were both on fire with the Spirit!

We talked about one day him being able to go to Franciscan University to one of their men's retreats, as we had heard they were amazing.  He was attending a men's bible study at our church and they had even discussed sending a few guys up there for a retreat sometime in the future.  Well, our third son (John Paul, of course) was born in April of 2009 and I decided to send my husband to a Franciscan University retreat that was coming up in June as a Father's Day present.  I told him early of my present so we could buy his plane ticket.  He, of course, turned me down because he said he couldn't imagine leaving me alone for the weekend with two boys and a six week old newborn.  I told him I'd be okay and I wanted him to go.  He said no.

His Men's bible study decided to send a small group of men to the conference - one of our deacons and two men who lead the group.  My husband was so happy that at least someone from our parish would get to go and be involved with this incredible retreat.  At the last minute, one of the men could not attend and asked if my husband would take his place.  It was like God was saying, "You know, I tried to reach you through your wife, but you declined.  I had to pull out all the stops."  This retreat was handed to him and I told him it was meant to be, that he should go, and that we would manage without him.

He went.  It was life altering for him.  And he met a former professional football player who would help him and the men from our parish enliven the spirit within the men of our Archdiocese.  My husband's faith was alive - something I had prayed for years ago - and it was changing the course of our marriage...all for the better.

I will write more in my next blog.  :)