On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics, a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.
What will the Church expect of me if I come back? What will God expect?
What’s expected of you is pretty clear, if challenging:
- Live by the commandments, in particular the two greatest commandments—love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. The others flow from those.
- Study the Creed so that you understand the basic Christian beliefs. Educate your mind and open your heart to Church teachings. Study and ask questions about what you don’t understand, or what you disagree with. The more you learn about why Catholics believe what they believe, particularly when it comes to hot-button issues, the more you may understand and accept yourself.
- At minimum, go to Mass weekly and to confession annually, and receive the Eucharist at least once in the Easter season.
- Live all that you learn in community, with other people, so that you can continue to learn, and to be a teacher.
