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.
I don’t know. It wasn’t like my parents were super-religious or sent me to Catholic school or anything. I don’t even think I agree with the Church on everything. But I know something’s missing, and I think it might be God. What do you think?
I don’t know either. But why not find out? Why not check out some activities during Lent at the parish closest to your home, school, or workplace? Why not go listen to a lecture or discussion, or attend Stations of the Cross one evening? Why not give one of the ministries in the bulletin (online or at the entrance) a try, whether it’s volunteering at a soup kitchen or taking part in a prayer service or rally? Why not attend Mass and maybe smile and say hello to the person seated next to you or to the usher or to the priest as he’s shaking hands when you leave?
I can’t tell you 100 percent that a return to Catholicism is right for you. I can tell you it worked for me, long after I would have thought any spark was dead. It’s the same for many people who start out life as Catholics and then leave not because of a huge dispute or drama, but because they get bored or wanted to sleep in or something else. Some think it’s because an indelible mark of God’s grace is placed on us at baptism, and He longs for our return, no matter how long it takes. I like that.
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