Joyful Searching

One year ago, I was in India.
One year ago, my grandmother was alive.
And one year ago, I was still a Protestant.

What am I getting at you may ask? Well my point might be that "alot can happen in a year," or the nifty observation that "things change."

Actually, I wanted to point out that I fully believe that God has a plan for our lives and although we may not know what it is - He does - and that's all that matters.

Sometimes life takes us beautiful (or scary) places , where we meet interesting (or disturbing) people, and somehow that changes us for the better (or worse). The bottom line is that we all have a personal journey that we make- so no matter where you are coming from - true joy will come when one listens to God in the little things and then begins searching His will out.

We don't need to know exactly what God's plan for our life is, but obedience to Christ is a good place to start.

Last summer, one year ago, I was in India studying Hindi in Jaipur. While there, I probably called my (current) parish 3 times via Skype trying to decipher which day the RCIA classes would start in the fall (I was a bit enthusiatic) - but I could not get Catholicism out of my system or the question of "Is this God's will for me to become a Catholic?" out of my mind.

Luckily, I had brought 5 books with me, and quickly went through all of them. I turned to the wonders of the internet to quench my thirst for knowledge of the Catholic Church (which I was beginning to believe held the fullness of the Christian faith), and for solace in the testimonies of former Protestants that had made the same leap I was considering...to become a Catholic.

This blog exists to highlight some of those wonderful resources (see sidebar) - but I also want to say how humbled I have been to see all types of different people and different countries (Singapore, Nigeria, Mexico, England, Malta, France, Indonesia, China, Brazil, Phillipines, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Canada, Germany and etc) whom have made contact with this website.

It has been a blessing to witness the search terms used by those that arrive here. I imagine those are some of the same Google searches that I made myself - a year ago, while I was trying to understand why there was such this intense desire to learn about Catholicism going on inside of me. It is fantastic that this website has been coming up on the first page of google for searches such as:

• becoming catholic my journey
• how does a protestant become a catholic
• protestants becoming catholic
• why do protestants become catholic
• RCIA classes

and my FAVORITE search goes to someone from Cincinnati, OHIO who searched for:

• how to explain why im becoming catholic

EXACTLY!  It's not a simple thing to explain to others, but it is important. Further, I have done very little to promote this website - but it has definitely been a blessing to me - and I hope to you. For those whom have contacted me - thank you so much. It is wonderful to be able to hear from you. If you visit the site - and have something to say - please feel free to comment 0R email me at dcmeolsen@gmail.com.

Thanks! And joyful searching to you...

An Ecumenical Calling

Over the past year, I have intensely studied the tenets of Catholicism. I accomplished this primarily through the reading of texts dealing with Catholic apologetics. And as I have said previously - this journey has been thrilling.

I believe that apologetics are so important, as they can illuminate different ways of understanding certain scripture or tradition. However, I also believe that one does need to be careful of overindulging in apologetics. Thankfully, there was a natural movement for me from apologetics to "the most thrilling part of this whole journey" - that of cracking open the Bible, and reading through the scripture from a Catholic perspective, and learning things about Jesus, the Apostles, and Mary that I never saw before.

Somehow these things were never emphasized for me, OR I just missed them. But in the Catholic tradition, I found Jesus Christ in a way that really spoke volumes to me. The Biblical texts that I came across were so convincing and convicting, that despite those in my family that sulked regarding this decision to become Catholic- I had a strong inner assurance that there was no other position for me to take.

Year 1 has naturally flowed into Year 2 of continued study -and recently I am focusing more on readings that have to do with ecumenical work and dialouge.

If you have closely followed my blog - then I suspect you may recall that I took the name of "Maria Elisabeth," for my confirmation name, after Maria Elisabeth Hesselbled. I am currently finishing up a book called "The Most Extraordinary Woman in Rome" based on her life. As a convert from Lutheranism to Catholicism - ecumenical work was high on her priority list. In her writings she wrote:

We must nourish a great love for God and our neighbors; a strong love, an ardent love, a love that burns away imperfections, a love that gently bears an act of impatience, or a bitter word, a love that lets an inadvertence or act of neglect pass without comment, a love that lends itself readily to an act of charity.~Blessed Maria Elisabeth Hesselblad

Her ecumenical spirit resulted in turning her convents into guesthouses open to all faiths, special prayers for unity in the body of Christ, interreligious meetings, a willingness to start convents abroad in places such as India, and in assisting Jews during the Holocaust. One Jewish family that sought refuge in her convent spoke these words about her:

"Mother Elisabetta restored our full dignity, welcoming us and totally respecting our life and religion."
~Piero Piperno

Today, Mother Elisabeth's order continues her work and legacy. This wonderfully strong woman has definitely been inspiring me recently.

Another ecumenical type book I have been reading recently is "Rediscovering Mary: Insights from the Gospels" by Tina Beattie. I discovered this book, and a handful of other Catholic books at a used book store in Boston while on my recent trip. As a recent convert to Catholicism, I am still in the process of discovering the possibilities for a close relationship/devotion to Mary, and thought this book may come in handy. The author, also a convert to Catholicism, highlights many interesting ways to understand Mary and her activity in scripture. Respecting Mary is something that I think many Protestant brothers and sisters could find common ground on.

Finding an appropriate way to dialouge with those that have opposite views is so important. My friend Dawn Eden (author of The Thrill of the Chaste), recently co-wrote an article for Busted Halo entitled, "Catholics and the Culture of Hate" - which is primarily about Catholic vs Catholic dialouge on heated topics within Catholicism - and recommends charity in interactions and dialouge. I believe that ecumenical dialouge calls for this same charity - if not more.

Although I have been reassured on a daily basis of my decision to become Catholic - I definitely could have shown more charity to others during my initial passionate interactions on the topic of Catholicism. Luckily, my family has been very patient and kind towards any of my failings when I initially dialouged with them on these matters.

Speaking of common ground and ecumenicism - I came across samples of a wonderful DVD entitled "Common Ground: What Protestants and Catholics Can Learn from Each Other" that I hope to order ASAP. These following snippets are wonderful and I can't wait to watch the entire dialouge. This conversation, between a preist and protestant minister, has been applauded by many for the graciousness of both men to listen and try and understand where the other is coming from - without watering down the truth.

Sisters of St. Birgitta

I recently took a trip north to visit some friends over the July 4th weekend in Boston.

Along the way - I stopped in Darien, Connecticut to visit with the Sisters of St. Birgitta - also known as the Order of the Most Holy Savior of Saint Bridget - whose foundress, Blessed Maria Elisabeth Hesselbled - I had taken as my confirmation name.

After taking the decision to use Maria Elisabeth for my confirmation name - I searched and found that there was one convent in the U.S. and it happened to be about 5 minutes from my close friend's home in Stamford, CT.

I emailed the Sisters and recieved a friendly reply. Their correspondence and encouragement continued throughout my RCIA process, and these nuns, who wear a most interesting habit, sent me a wonderful confirmation gift including a beautiful rosary.

I wasn't sure what to expect as I set off to reach them in Darien. As I got closer - I did get pretty excited to meet them. There are currently 6 sisters living there, 3 from Mexico, and 3 from India. They were very warm and friendly - and I was happy to have a chance to speak with almost all of them.

The convent which functions as a guest house (in fulfilling their charism of hospitality & ecumenical work) is a beautiful Victorian mansion that overlooks the Long Island sound. Attached to the side of the house is a wonderful chapel where daily mass and prayers go on. They have a retired monsignor that lives there and provides the daily mass - Rev. Msgr. Robert McCormick (he used to be the Catholic Chaplain at West Point). Many locals attend daily/weekly mass there.

If one is thinking about a vocation to the religious life of a Sister - please consider this order - and read more about them at their websites. And if you live in the NYC metro area or will be traveling to the NYC metro area - I can give an excellent recommendation for the Convent of St. Birgitta. It is also a great place for a personal or group retreat!

~Pray for Vocations~

"Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it." (Matthew 19:12)

Today is World Day of Prayer for Vocations! Please pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In Matthew 9:37-38, Christ says:

"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for this harvest."

This is so important! I have a strong belief that this is going to be ever more necessary as we see the influx of new converts coming into the Catholic Church:

1)There will be a need for more priests as the numbers of converts to Catholicism grows.
2) Another prayer to consider is specifically to pray for vocations for new converts.
3) And last but not least, pray for vocations for the Eastern Churches (such as the Byzantine & Chaldean Rites) to help meet their needs.

This also ties into the news that I learned this week that following the Year of St. Paul, will be the Year of the Priesthood (June 2009-June 2010)! Very exciting stuff!!!

A personal Confession about Penance

When I was considering becoming Catholic, there were a few issues that were harder than others to accept. And although, I was not adverse to the concept of Confession - I definitely didn't understand it in the fullness of Biblical or Catholic teaching.

While growing up, I simply knew it as some diabolical practice of telling all your secrets to some man on the other side of a screen. It made no sense. Why should we do that if we can directly confess to God I wondered? Knowing that it was one of the top issues that Protestants take issue with, as I began to learn more about it, I was surprised to realize that this sacrament is much more complex than at first glance. Confession is only a part of the sacrament of Penance. This sacrament contains the concepts of 1) conversion, 2) confession, 3) penance, 4) forgiveness, and 5) reconciliation.

The first part of this sacrament, conversion, is about a return to God through recognizing that we need Him. The Catechism explains it as "the first step in returning to the Father from whom one has strayed by sin." This is the point where you realize you have sinned, you pray and ask God to show you where you have failed, you go through the Ten Commandments and examine your conscience.

The more I understood this part, the more I liked it. The benefits of this part of the sacrament allow one to really take a close look, on a continual basis, at which part of their life they are failing to live up to God's commandments. They can see over time, where they have improved. I could see how this conversion would keep them open and honest in front of God, and keep them close to His Will.

As far as confession, it is the next step after conversion. To disclose these shortcomings to a priest in the sense of a "confession" - is according to the Catechism, also an act of "acknowledgement and praise - of the holiness of God and his mercy toward sinful men."

Penance is the part of this sacrament that first calls for an interior penance, a "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again". As the Catechism puts it "without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gesters and works of penance." As such a interior posture of conversion, of sadness for your offense to God, is the most necessary step, and often the portion of penance prescribed by the Priest at this point of the Sacrament is really a very small token amount of penitential work. It's an outward sign, of an inward reality.

But wait a minute. Who has the power to forgive sins in the New Testament? For a Protestant this is a slam dunk question.

Only Jesus. Obviously!

This is what I thought as well. It was ingrained in my head through powerful mantras such as "Only Jesus can forgive your sins". And although it is very true that Jesus does forgive our sins - I would ask you to read John 20:21-23.

[Jesus] said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And then he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

These verses blew me out of the water! Although, I had read the Gospel of John - it was as if I had never read that part. I think that meditaion on them, will lead one to realize that here - Jesus is not just talking about a brother forgiving the sin committed against him by his brother. Obviously, that is needed. Jesus speaks about the need we all have to forgive one another. But these verses are about the Apostles being given the power to forgive or retain sins. This is one of the verses that relates to the apostolic tradition handed down by Jesus, which according to the Catechism, "by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to excercise in his name."

Through this absolution of sins, we are reconciled to God and to the Church. The Cathecism says that "Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Chruch which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion."

Any Protestant will agree that we need to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20), but the method is what is disagreed upon. I can say that I have never heard Catholic teaching against the need for us to personally forgive one another, nor that we should not pray and confess our sins to God. This is in agreement. What is missing is the reconciliation to the Church that is offered in the sacrament of Penance. The Church, is infact harmed by our sin because Catholics believe that the Church is the body of Christ. And we, as Christians, are part of that body. Thus the sin we commit, doesn't just harm us, but is harmful to the entire body of Christ, the Church. So how do you ask the Church for forgiveness?

As a new Catholic, Confession has been a very new sacrament for me. By the time it came time for my first confession, I definitely believed in the sacrament, and wanted to make a good confession. But I also was very nervous. And as far as the wonderful effects of absolution that I had heard about - I did not have confidence in that. But I was fairly certain that this whole Confession thing was a good idea, and Biblical. I could see how in my past - there were times I was in active rebellion to God, and remained unrepentant, and that seriously injured my relationship with God and the Church, to the point of moving me in the opposite direction of God's will. I think that there is a safety net for this found in the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

And I must confess, that those wonderful effects I had heard of are not merely myth. There is something amazingly comforting and wonderful in hearing those words

"May God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

I have been quite surprised at how emotional the act of confession has been, and I am quite without words to describe the peace that follows!

"It's Official" & Happy Easter

Or rather I should say - I'm official. Officially a Roman Catholic that is. A busy Holy Week culminated in a beautiful cermony and mass - at yesterday's Easter Vigil service. My RCIA class was privileged to have Bishop Holley from the Archdiocese of Washington, DC to preside over the event along with the other parish staff at St. Stephen's. Also, one of my friends, author Dawn Eden (The Thrill of the Chaste), was a reader during the service. Another treat was that the Missionaries of Charity sisters (Mother Theresa's order) were in attendance. I had met them while preparing boxed meals at their Convent house in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of DC. I heard through the grapevine that they were praying for me, after a friend from St. Stephen's told them about the Miraculous Medal I had recieved over three years ago when visiting the Mother House in Kolkata, India fall of 2005. They gave me a beautiful card and gift. The event was exciting and everything I expected it to be!

Prior to the event, I held a Confirmation Party at my house. I was surprised by a gift that arrived in the mail earlier that day - a package from the Sisters of St. Birgitta from Darien, CT - whose order was founded by Mother Maria Elisabeth Hesselblad. I had been in contact with the sisters, letting them know that I was becoming Catholic and planned to take the name "Maria Elisabeth" for confirmation. They have been very kind and communicated regularly and let me know that I was in their prayers. They sent me some prayer cards, a beautiful white rosary, and lapel pins, and a key chain that feature Bl. Maria Elisabeth. It was very nice. And I got to wear "Maria Elisabeth" pinned to my collar during the Confirmation!!!

I wanted to also highlight an article, that just ran in the Wall Street Journal on Good Friday, written by my friend (and fellow RCIA-er / former PCUSA-er/ and Catholic Convert) Ashley Samelson entitled "The Freedom to Chose a New Faith." It's a great piece on religious persecution tied into the story of Esther, which Ashley took as her confirmation name.

I wish all of you a blessed Easter! He is risen!

Why Bother to Blog?

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."-1 Peter 3:15

To blog or not to blog? I wrestled with this question for awhile. I wanted to make sure that it was the right thing to do, that I was 110% indeed becoming Catholic, and that I had something relevant to say.

I have had a desire to get down in "writing" the issues, ideas, and experiences I have had before, during, and through this journey into the Catholic Church. Why? Well, for starters, I have alot of friends and family that are not Catholic - and thought this might be an efficient format "to give the reason for the hope that" I have - and how Catholicism play it's important part. Also, I plan to document my thinking on some of the differences (and similarities) found between Protestants and Catholics (sharing some interesting tidbits that I have discovered from the Bible - that as a Protestant held little to no meaning for me). Also, I wanted to have a semi-chronicled account of my journey.

But probably one of the most compelling reasons to share my experience- is to be able to give props to the different books/blogs/websites/podcasts/videos/conversion stories that I came across during the midst of my own journey. These things fed my ravenous desire to understand and learn more about the Catholic faith, as well as feel less isolated by recognizing a similiar path that had been paved by many, many before me.

I strongly believe that this is a time, where many are being prepared to come into full communion with the Catholic Church. I am delighted and honored to be able to enter during The Year of St. Paul - as St. Paul is such an awesome example of conversion.

Happy Feast of the Annunciation!

(Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci)

Paraphrasing from wikipedia: The Annunciation is the revelation to Mary, the mother of Jesus by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. This is celebrated with the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th, which is 9 months before Christmas."

Luckily, I was alerted to this day by a friendly email (see image below) from my new friends, the Sisters of St. Birgitta (more on my special connection to them coming soon)! I was able to attend mass, and also see and participate in the devotions to Mary that followed.

The Conversion Two Step

One of the ceremonies that occurs at the beginning of the Lenten period as a Roman Catholic cathechumen or candidate is the Rite of Election presided over by the Bishop. This ceremony invites those present to continue seeking & preparing through the Lenten season to enter the Catholic Church at Easter.

I came across this delightful video, via Team RCIA on Twitter, that showcases the Rite of Election at the Diocese of San Jose and something called the "dancing books" (seen at the end of the video - who said 'Catholicism is boring'?!?)!

Rite of Election 2009 video, Diocese of San Jose (hi-res) from Diana Macalintal on Vimeo.

Although, this video is different from the Rite of Election/Call to Continuing Conversion that I experienced in DC at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (see below)- I can tell that the excitement and large numbers of adults coming into the Catholic Church look very similar.

My experience: On Sunday March 1st, 2009, along with my Catholic sponser Andrea, I attended the 9am mass at my parish, it concluded with the priest "sending" us to the Bishop for the afternoon ceremony at 3pm. Typically, this ceremony is held at the Cathedral in one's diocese, BUT here in Washington, D.C. there are SO many adults becoming Catholic, that they hold it instead at the very large National Shrine. TWICE! Very exciting stuff. Thanks be to God, indeed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

ps. And a very Happy Birthday to my sister!

Is it the end of Protestant evangelism as we know it?

The Christian Science Monitor recently had an opinion piece that caught my eye. It speaks to some of the reasons I feel that I have abandoned the Protestant evangelical establishment and moved on towards Catholicism.

In particular - the following points by the author rang true for me:

1) We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent...has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it. Our young people have deep beliefs about the culture war, but do not know why they should obey scripture, the essentials of theology, or the experience of spiritual discipline and community. Coming generations of Christians are going to be monumentally ignorant and unprepared for culture-wide pressures.

2) Despite some very successful developments in the past 25 years, Christian education has not produced a product that can withstand the rising tide of secularism. Evangelicalism has used its educational system primarily to staff its own needs and talk to itself.

3) Two of the beneficiaries will be the Roman Catholic and Orthodox communions.
Evangelicals have been entering these churches in recent decades and that trend will continue, with more efforts aimed at the "conversion" of Evangelicals to the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

Although, there are parts of the article that I disagree with - overall I think it raises some valid points. Interestingly enough, it somewhat reminded me of THIS Newsweek article I read last summer (during a train ride in India - 6 months after it had come out - handed to me by a missionary - hmm...God does work in mysterious ways)!
___________________________________
The coming evangelical collapse

By Michael Spencer

We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West. Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.

This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.

Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline. I'm convinced the grace and mission of God will reach to the ends of the earth. But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close.

Click the link below to see the rest of the article!

The coming evangelical collapse csmonitor.com

Riding the Wave

Over this last year, my experience of becoming a Catholic would definitely qualify as a continuing conversion experience. It is interesting that I use those words, as one main difference between Protestants and Catholics, has to do with the idea of "continuing conversion."

This experience of "becoming Catholic" - has also been such a multifaceted process (posing difficulty to precisely define the starting point and proving equally difficult to identify an ending point - which is a good thing), both literally and spiritually.

Literally, as an adult considering Catholicism, there is an established practice of beginning a class (RCIA) in the fall that continues to - and through Easter Sunday. There have been many steps along the RCIA path as well, many which I took even before beginning the class (such as really studying and examining why I would have any desire to become Catholic - thankfully I came to realize there were many serious reasons why I should desire to become Catholic!)

Spiritually, the reasons why I am "becoming Catholic" have continued to spring forth. Whatever the initial reason to begin this process was, it has now, joined in with all the other reasons that have emerged as I have moved along this continuum. Recently, I have likened my conversion to experiencing a Tsunami.  I characterize it as this, because it seems that day after day, a new wave of TRUTH clobers me over the head.

Another analogy that could describe my experience would be that of the "diagram". In most advanced fields of study such as Engineering, Biology, etc - complex charts have been created to explain how certain phenomena takes place. Although I can imagine how a chart explaining my path to Catholicism might look, at this moment it would seem impossible to "chart" this complicated, yet wonderfully surprising experience. Recently, as I continue to share with others my story, the starting point continues to shift, as different people and circumstances, bring out different aspects of my personal conversion experience.

It is here that I hope to share as many of those aspects as possible :)