On Saturday, we received the quarterly magazine from our alma mater. Because of some of our family's reactions, my wife was wondering, broodingly, about how our old friends would respond to us when they discovered we had become/were becoming Catholic.
On Monday, last night, my wife's best friend from college called. They hadn't seen each other in thirteen years, but she happened to be in North Carolina visiting her mother, who has been undergoing some long-term cancer treatments at Duke University. She wondered if Laura was available to get together. They met halfway at Chick-fil-A so the kids could play in the playland. Inevitably, our decision to become Catholic came up. Laura's friend just nodded and said that she had three close friends in Ohio who were Catholics. She told Laura that a lot of what she had once believed had changed in the past decade as well. She was comfortable with our decision because she knows my wife, and because she knows my wife loves the Lord.
On the way home, my wife was struck with the proximity of her wondering about her friends' reactions to our decision and her actual discovery of one of her closest friend's acceptance of it. It was a profound and intimate moment, a recognition of God's hand showing kindness to us.
It floors me how He, in His great mercy, answers the prayers of our hearts even when we forget to pray them. What a show-off.
4 comments:
LOL!!! What a show-off :-)
:) I understand the apprehension. I became Catholic 16 months ago and my husband did this past weekend. His family still doesn't know. We dread it. Shunning is a real possibility from some of his siblings.
I have taken comfort that those who know me really well are mostly supportive of me even if they don't agree with my decision. The ones who have journeyed with me over 15 years and have dismissed me casually as if my being among them meant nothing - that hurts. I am still hopeful though that the things that divide and separate don't have to and one day they won't.
I’ve been a Catholic all my life, and with the priest scandals going on, I’ve become a bit disillusioned. But I know that my Catholic faith is not about the priests. It is about revering and loving our God and learning how to become a saint while on this earth. The sacraments are wonderful tools to help us on our journey. People may not understand becoming Catholic since many Christian denominations were created in order to break away from Catholic doctrines with which they disagreed.
Welcome to our Catholic family. I’m thinking your newly found love of Catholicism will help me rediscover mine. Thanks.
I'm glad your wife found acceptance from her friend.
It would have been awkward and hurtful if she would have had a condescending attitude.
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