Done with my break

Well, I just took an eight month break from blogging.

One big thing on my mind is a big change at my Parish. Fr. Freitag, Our pastor of 9 years, was transferred to another parish in the Archdiocese midway through his second term as our pastor. This was to fill a vacancy left at the other parish. His last week with us was at the end of June.

It is a difficult time for myself and my family because the departing pastor was the priest who helped me find my way back to the Catholic Church. His straightforward manner of presenting Catholic beliefs and practices were exactly what my wife (an evangelical Protestant) had been thirsting for since we met. She converted to the Catholic Church along with my oldest daughter, about 9 months after I returned.

I can't help but wonder how things would be different with the Catholic Church in the United States if all the bishops, priests, religious, and Catholic educators would simply present the faith without watering it down to make it more "palatable" or "friendly". It seems as if there exists a great hesitency in being straighforward about the faith. I think it's derived from a false sense of ecumanism, from being so worried about offending or challenging a persons ideas, beliefs, or conscience that people, (cradle Catholics, Protestants, and others) are left with an ignorance regarding what the Catholic Church actually teaches.

To highlight just two of the things my wife learned:

1: Jesus established a Church that was/is both visible and corporate, and entrusted the leadership of that Church with the Apostles. The Apostle Simon was specially called and placed by Christ as the leader of the Apostles and the Church. Simon's name was changed by Jesus to Cephas (Aramaic for rock). This showed that he was blessed and specially annointed by God for his new lifes role (the leader of the Church). No where in scripture does God change someones name without it being a blessing. A name change always indicates a calling, and defines a role that the individual will fill.

Abram to Abraham
Sarai to Sarah
Jacob to Israel
Hosea to Joshua
Simon to Cephas (Peter)

2: The Eucharist IS the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. It isn't a symbol, it isn't somehow both bread & wine and body & blood (as it is for those who want it both ways) the substance of the bread and wine are completely transformed into the substance of Christ. This can only be believed through faith, because our physical senses fail us in discovering this truth. We are called to "...eat the flesh and drink the blood..." of Christ in order to have His life in us.

Those are only two of the numerous things that my wife had illuminated for her through Fr. Freitag and his RCIA program. Fr. Freitag ensured that everything taught was from, or derived from, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or from Magesterial documents. My wife originally went to the RCIA classes simply to learn what it was that I believed. She didn't feel compelled to convert until about 6 weeks in to the class. This desire to convert came through the conviction of the Holy Spirit after having heard the truth of the Gospel in a faithful RCIA program. If only all RCIA programs told the truth without addition or subtraction based on some persons personal agenda and ulterior motives.

Thank God for good and holy priests such a Fr. Patrick Freitag. We wish him well at his new assignment with St. Monica's Parish on Mercer Island.