We set a tentative date for a house- blessing, and once again we invited my sister and her family. Family gatherings and holiday meals were becoming very tense occasions.Ī few months ago my mother bought a new home, where she plans to spend her retirement. My mother had converted to Catholicism two years earlier, and we spent many hours commiserating together. The pain of missing them on that important night grew into an ugly resentment that was exacerbated with every challenging comment, every out-of-place suggestion that I leave the Church. Although many close friends showed up, I still felt empty without my sister’s family. They did not bother to come to my baptism and confirmation. I was working so hard to justify my faith and to earn their respect. I spent hours and hours reading Catholicism and Fundamentalism, and I prayed that my family would understand me. I poured over my Bible, literally wearing out two copies that year. In spite of the fact that they really love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of their hearts, they could not bring themselves to accept what I was becoming – a Roman Catholic. Joe’s is a Bible-believing church!” was my answer, of course.ĭuring that year, I visited my sister’s church to witness their newest daughter’s “dedication” to God. On several occasions my brother-in-law asked me, “When are you going to start going to a Bible-believing Church?” Polite invitations to Bible studies at their Fundamentalist church became more insistent, finally taking on a desperate tone. I thought they would be overjoyed that I had finally turned my heart to Christianity after years of dabbling in Eastern mysticism and New Age philosophies.Īs time went on, I began to realize that certain people in my family were very worried about my salvation. Not being a person who easily understands subtleties, I was oblivious to the hints dropped by my relatives that they were not pleased about my recent conversion experience. I looked forward to my baptism for a full year. Would our families be angry with us? Would they become even more distant after Easter? As the Easter Vigil drew near, anxiety began to build in many of our hearts. Throughout the year-long process of the RCIA program, my classmates and I began to share our most hidden fears about becoming Catholic. When I decided to enter the Church two years ago, I was surprised that my Protestant sister and her husband did not share my joy.
But for converts, these special days are sometimes the most painful. First Holy Communion and confirmation are family events commemorated with photos and presents. When children are brought into the world, the whole extended family rejoices and shares in the special day of baptism. Much of the joy of being a practicing Catholic is derived from the family-oriented nature of the Church.
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