Most of us do not have conversion moments like St.Paul’s Road to Damascus or the Samaritan woman’s moment of realization. After both of their conversions, they went out immediately to tell everyone about what happened to them. I know for me, I tend to fight God’s will and it takes me a long period of time before I can fully accept what I am hearing from him.
I am sympathetic to those who reject Church teachings on many areas of Faith and Morals because I know how long it has taken me to accept the teachings. For some areas, I still am struggling to accept. So I am always humbled when I encounter people who respond immediately and openly when they hear The Call. I met a couple recently who quit contracepting after 20 years of using birth control. Why did they quit? Their deacon preached that any form of contraception is evil from the Church’s perspective and that the only moral choice is zero family planning or some form of NFP. This couple in all of their married life had never heard this message so they went home in shock, researched the Church’s teaching and discovered the Deacon was indeed correct. Instead of becoming defensive and hostile to the Church, this brave couple quit using that night. And they were scared. Were they going to have more babies? What did this mean for their family? Despite their fear, they had the humility and the faith to obey God.
When I think about them, I am deeply humbled by their faith. This Advent Season, let us pray that we, too, can respond to the Holy Spirit. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will give us the courage to continue our conversion and sanctification.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In