Well, I didn't See that Coming!!!!!

 

photo by Xavi Cabrera

Xavi Cabrera (@xavicabreraf) • Instagram photos and videos

     As I said in my last post (five years ago!), even though I don’t post much anymore, I still attend Vespers when I can, given my involvement in my Protestant Parish (where I’ve been a member for over thirty years.) I had not entered into the Orthodox Church, mainly because of the disunity it would have caused in my marriage.  But something happened which, honestly, I did not see coming! No, no one is dead and no one is divorced but one morning my wife Karen and I are sitting in the living room before we eat breakfast (which is our morning routine) and she quietly tells me  “I’ve been listening to Catholic podcasts in the last few months and I feel a draw towards Mary and a desire to receive the Eucharist. I have been following the Catechism in a year podcast and I think I want to become Catholic.” I was flabbergasted! This was completely unexpected and I, quite frankly, never thoutht I would hear those words. My wife was bought up very Lutheran and recoiled at the idea of praying to the Saints.  But here she is telling me she is drawn to Mary!

My wife's announcement was a surprising as this 

fictional incident in this video....Yes, I have fun with A.I

     Wait a minute, Jim. How does this help you? Roman Catholic ain’t Eastern Orthodox! Remember 1054 A.D.? I know, and I have no intentions of becoming Roman Catholic, but this is a huge shift in my former Iconoclast wife’s way of thinking.  I never heard her speak before of a desire for the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist nor had she ever spoken of honoring Mary as she does now. Her way of thinking has changed. For example,  she was visibly angry when she learned how Martin Luther threw out books of the bible because it didn’t suit him. Luther also added words to the bible that wasn’t there  so that Romans 3:28 reads “a man is justified through faith alone, apart from the works of the law” That really got her mad! .And you should have seen her when I told her that Luther almost got rid of the book of James.

     I suggested we attend Mass on Sunday, before we headed over to our Protestant Church.  Understand, as much as I love the people (and Pastor) in my Protestant parish- and they really do love Jesus -  I have increasingly been dissatisfied with the music which mostly consists of what I call “little ditties” which are chorus of little substance and a heavy reliance on emotional appeal.  So, when we went to Mass with its Liturgy and respectful worship, well, let’s just say we felt like we were at Church. 

     Over the weeks, Karen continued to study the Catechism and faithfully went to Mass, even on the days she had to work (She’d always skip our Protestant church on the Sundays she was scheduled to work but that didn’t happen with Mass.) In our discussions I told her I could not become Catholic after all I have become to believe regarding the Orthodox Church and she said:

          “If you don’t become Catholic then you will have to become Orthodox. How

          Can you live without the Eucharist?”

     So that is where I stand now.  I continue to attend Mass with her but realize I have to take the plunge and enter into Communion with the Orthodox Church.  That means I’ll have to have a discussion with my Protestant Pastor (which won't be easy) and talk to Father Gary on next steps. 

     I would love for my wife to become Orthodox, but I can see real growth in her relationship to Jesus by her attendance to Mass and her studying the Catechism. My own journey towards Orthodoxy started out with me exploring Roman Catholicism and seriously considering converting. So I understand her journey and am grateful for her growth and I would rather see her in a Catholic Church than both of us staying Protestant.  As great as these people are, we were both rather stagnant in our walk with the Lord.  But, with this turn of events, we are both growing closer to each other and to Christ -We even started praying together again. 

So, in your charity, keep us in prayer.

Glory to Jesus Christ!