Beautiful Blood - A Moving Conversion Story

My brother was going to take me to Mass the next day. I hadn’t been to Mass since the 3rd grade when I went to Catholic school. My friends and I would sit in the back and get in trouble for giggling and putting our feet on the kneelers. Other than that, I remember hating it. Now, I knew that I was going to go back, and I might hate it again. But if all of this was true, I would be stuck going to Mass every week. I would have to go to boring, lifeless Mass instead of the church I loved.

So that night, I locked myself in the bathroom (the only place to be alone in a college dorm), and prayed. I asked God to either show me where the Catholic schema broke down, or else to show me why Catholicism was beautiful. I told him I was terrified of it being true because it still seemed so dark, ugly, and lifeless to me. I prayed: “God, if this is from you it has to be beautiful… so please, if it is from you, show me how it is beautiful.”

I wasn’t really that hopeful.

Of course, all conversion stories are moving and Daughter of Glory's is a beautiful one about Christ speaking through the Mass. (Via The Crescat.)

This story may strike me particularly because Tom and I were asked to help with our parish's RCIA classes which begin tonight. In thinking about tonight, I hearkened back to my own attendance back in 2000 and my expectations which were simply that I'd learn the rules and go through the rigamarole required. Rather a workmanlike approach really. Not lacking hope, but not expecting much either.

It turned out to be a much more spiritual journey than I would have expected. Of course.

So I think also of the people who will attend the first class tonight. Are they eager? Wary? Confused? Any of those emotions and more will probably be just below the surface. The great thing is that God will answer them. One way or another, if they are honestly seeking, He will be there.