Come Easter Vigil, I will have been a Catholic for two full years. It seems like it has been longer than that,\u00a0 and shorter at the same time. Perhaps because I feel so at home<\/em>, it feels like I have been a Catholic forever. But then the saying goes, Time flies when you\u2019re having fun<\/em>, and it feels like I just got on this ride.<\/p>\n Notice, I said that I feel at home, but I don\u2019t always feel comfortable. How could I? Bearing crosses and confronting your true self and your sins is tough work. It takes humility, which hasn\u2019t been a popular virtue in the world since the very beginning and doesn\u2019t come naturally to me. Add to this being constantly tripped up by temptations and how is this comfortable?<\/p>\n Of course I had a leg up because I married a Catholic, right? I don\u2019t dispute that fact, and since I went to Mass for 18 years or so before I converted, and had two of my three children in parochial schools for a spell, no wonder it feels like I\u2019ve been a Catholic for a long time. But what about the feeling that this all started just yesterday? This must be love, is all I can figure, love and gratitude.<\/p>\n And what is there to love about the Catholic Church? Some say \u201cnot much.\u201d I say lots! This sort of reminds me of my experience in the Marine Corps. For the most part, I loved the Corps. Lots of uncomfortable times there too though, many of which were purposefully set in motion by the organization itself. I\u2019d love to introduce you to my drill instructors as exhibit A.<\/p>\n Now for those of you who may be sitting on the fence and thinking about crossing the Tiber, you\u2019re probably wondering, Is this guy nuts? After all, you can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar, right? Why would I want to be a part of an organization that makes me feel the least bit uncomfortable? The more modern purveyors of \u201cprosperity gospel\u201d and \u201cnice guy Christianity\u201d sound a lot better.<\/p>\n My first answer to that is nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, or without any strings attached. I mean, if you haven\u2019t earned your stripes, or your title, than what value do they have? If you said none, or they\u2019re worthless, you understand what I mean. The second thing I would say is that when you are preparing for war, wouldn\u2019t you really want to be trained by the experts and supported by them as well? I know I did. And the final reason is simple soul survival.<\/p>\n And no, I\u2019m not trying to work my way into heaven either. Besides, if you have really done your homework on this question in regards to Catholic Christianity, it should come as no surprise to you that The Way<\/em> (as Christianity was known at inception) is hard. This again reminds me of the Corps and the iconic photograph that you see above. Surely you know and realize that our faith drives good works and not vice versa. This is explained fully in the Book of James<\/a><\/em> (2:14-26).<\/a><\/p>\n Truth<\/em> walked the hard road as an example to us all. Pilate asked, What is truth?<\/em> Leadership by example is Truth, <\/em>as the voice of God prompts the profit Isaiah to write,<\/p>\n By his sufferings shall my servant justify many, taking their faults on himself. Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute, he shall divide the spoil with the mighty, for surrendering himself to death and letting himself be taken for a sinner, while he was bearing the faults of many and praying all the time for sinners.<\/em> (Isaiah 53:11-12)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Don\u2019t worry, when I met my RCIA director it wasn\u2019t in the middle of the night, nor did I run like a scared deer to the yellow footprints when he yelled for me to get off the bus. And the 7 months I spent in RCIA weren\u2019t anything remotely as physically challenging as 3 months at Parris Island. But mentally, it was close. On my first attempt way back in 1990<\/a>, I failed. How could it be mentally tough? Because most of the spiritual combat that we face here on earth takes place in our hearts and minds. Haven\u2019t you noticed the battle raging there? Like the Desert Fathers said,<\/p>\n Man\u2019s conscience is like a spring, which, the deeper you hollow it out, the more greatly you cleanse it. If, however, you cover it with soil, in a little time it will be lost.<\/em><\/p>\n And then pride deludes\u00a0you into thinking that you can go it alone so failure isn\u2019t just possible, but highly likely.<\/p>\n Here is another similarity between the Marine Corps and the Church that you may not have thought about. When I was a freshly minted Marine with the rank of Private, I still didn\u2019t know diddly-squat about being a good Marine. The same holds true for new Catholics fresh out of RCIA, our youth\u00a0attending\u00a0CCD class, and older Catholics sitting in the pews. We had a saying in the Marines that \u201cIf it isn\u2019t raining, it isn\u2019t training.\u201d This could also be turned around to \u201cIt isn\u2019t training unless it\u2019s raining,\u201d so it works either way. The bottom line is that training for war was a constant, come rain or shine.<\/p>\n Would it surprise you to know that the Marines have a professional reading program<\/a>? Take a look. Does the Catholic Church have such a program? Certainly the Liturgy of the Hours<\/a> and the Daily Readings<\/a> is an example of this. And I\u2019ve pieced together a few other selections as well available on Google books<\/a> that you may find of interest.<\/p>\n Thankfully, unlike the Corps, Our Lord and His Church believe in second chances (and third, fourth, etc.). Just because you\u2019ve failed before doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t get back up and try again. And like the Corps, Our Lord and His Church provide us with sound training honed from years of campaigning experience. With all of the training, tools, resources and role models we need in order for us to successfully wage and endure the spiritual combat we face here on earth. For as the psalmist writes<\/a>,<\/p>\n I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From where will my help come? Both now and forever, Amen.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/85\/2013\/07\/Lost-sheep.png\" "\\"Lost")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMy help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.
\nGod will not allow your foot to slip; your guardian does not sleep.
\nTruly, the guardian of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps.
\nThe LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade at your righthand.
\nBy day the sun cannot harm you, nor the moon by night.
\nThe LORD will guard you from all evil, will always guard your life.
\nThe LORD will guard your coming and going both now and forever. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n