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 :)
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 :)
1 comment:
I have recently made the decision to begin the same journey of conversion that you started several years ago. I appreciated the thoughts and comments that you shared in your blog.
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