My First Prayer as a Catholic [reposted, slightly edited.]

Today is the anniversary of my baptism into the Catholic Church. I was 20 years old at the time.
I knew that my first prayer as a Catholic would be an interior one, and I hoped that it would be something beautiful, something profound, something almost, note that I said almost, good enough for this wonderful event.
That, however, is not what happened. My first prayer as a Catholic was neither beautiful nor profound.
My sponsor was a young woman, just a few years older than I was, who lived in the same building. Because she was a bit nervous, she chomped on bubble gum during the rites. I don't think Fr. Conroy, the priest who baptized me, was impressed.
And so, this is what I prayed inwardly as the water was poured over my head:
"Please, Lord, don't let her pop a bubble!"

a minor friar blog: The Holy Spirit

I just HAD to share this!


a minor friar blog: The Holy Spirit: I got caught up in the readings on the way up to Pentecost, especially Jesus' prayer at the Last Supper as it comes to us in John. &qu...

Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?

Earlier this week, in countless Jewish homes, at countless Seders, the youngest son, or, if there was no son, the youngest daughter, (not counting babies, of course!) asked the traditional Four Questions, beginning
"Why is this night different from all other nights?"

(In my family, I was the one who asked those Questions.)

And now, for me, as a Jewish convert to Catholicism, these words have an even deeper meaning as a foreshadowing of the night of the Last Supper... the night on which Our Lord instituted the Eucharist. 

Practicing Catholics

Why do we call ourselves "practicing Catholics?" Timothy Cardinal Dolan tells us what he thinks in this post.   

My First Ash Wednesday (re-post)

I remember my very first Ash Wednesday, my first day of
fasting as a Catholic. For me it was easy as pie; it was
a piece of cake. (Although, of course, I had neither pie nor
cake!)
Remember, I am a Jewish convert, a veteran of Yom Kippur
fasts: From a little before sundown until a little after sundown,
no food, and nothing to drink. Not even a sip of water!
The not eating wasn't all that hard (I'm not saying it was a picnic, but who picnicked on Yom Kippur, anyway?).
What I found hard was the "not even a sip of water" part.
So, my first fast as a Catholic was easy in that respect. What I found difficult was figuring out the "two small meals that
together don't equal a full meal."
It was like a combined one-day-diet and math exercise!
When Fr. Kelly asked me how I'd gotten through my first
fast-day, I couldn't help laughing.
"Father," I said, "you don't know from fasting!"

Wonderful Article by Fr. Robert Barron

Saints in a Confessional Box

Not Believing, Yet Pleasing to God

There are, right now, many Catholics who do not follow the teachings of the Church.   They do not believe in the Real Presence.  They do not believe in the Infallibility of the Pope.  They do not obey the laws of the Church.  They do not pray.

And yet, these Catholics are pleasing to God.

Why?

They are babies.

In Case of Accident, Please Call...

Many Catholics carry, or used to carry, a card with these
words printed on it:
"I am a Catholic. In case of accident, please call a priest."
Well, I knew a priest who had a card that read:
"I am a Roman Catholic priest. In case of accident, please call a doctor."

"Are You A Christian?"

I'd like to share something that happened less than a year after
my conversion to Catholicism.
I was on the train one afternoon when a girl in her mid-to-late teens walked into the car with some tracts, or pamphlets. She approached the woman sitting right across from me and said,
"I hope you don't mind my asking, but are you a Christian?"
"No," said the woman, "I'm a Catholic."
I didn't know whether to cry, or throw up! I wanted to say something, but I wasn't sure I had the right words. While I waited for the girl to reach me, I prayed for the right words, and for the guts to speak them.
After awhile, the girl came to me, and asked me the same question.
I answered, "Yes, I am a Christian. I'm a Catholic." It was just a little thing, but
I'll always be glad I spoke up.
You can be a Christian without being a Catholic, but you can't be a
Catholic without being a Christian.

My First Ash Wednesday

I remember my very first Ash Wednesday, my first day of
fasting as a Catholic. For me it was easy as pie; it was
a piece of cake. (Although, of course, I had neither pie nor
cake!)
Remember, I am a Jewish convert, a veteran of Yom Kippur
fasts: From a little before sundown until a little after sundown,
no food, and nothing to drink. Not even a sip of water!
The not eating wasn't all that hard (I'm not saying it was a picnic, but who picnicked on Yom Kippur, anyway?).
What I found hard was the "not even a sip of water" part.
So, my first fast as a Catholic was easy in that respect. What I found difficult was figuring out the "two small meals that
together don't equal a full meal."
It was like a combined one-day-diet and math exercise!
When Fr. Kelly asked me how I'd gotten through my first
fast-day, I couldn't help laughing.
"Father," I said, "you don't know from fasting!"

Stations of the Cross

I've found an online version of the Stations that I like very much.

My Daily Way of the Cross
Daily. So perhaps I should go on with this devotion after Lent, at least on Fridays.

Lent Starts On Wednesday....

....and I want it to be a bit different this year; I want
to do a little more.
So this year, in addition to no junk food, no soda, no chocolate in any form whatsoever, no eating between meals, no alcohol (I like a glass of wine or beer once in awhile with a meal),
I've decided to abstain from meat (but not fish), except on Sundays, solemnities, and
feast days. On Fridays, I will even abstain from fish, because, to be honest, I love fish sticks, and this is another "extra sacrifice" I want to make this Lent.
I also plan to pray the Stations of the Cross every day.