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The Deacon's Bench

A pagan converts after asking, "What if it were all true?"

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:43 pm   by Deacon Greg Kandra

A pagan converts after asking, "What if it were all true?" 2016-09-30T17:43:46-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

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Here name is Christie, described as a convert from New Age philosophy and Neopaganism.

Read her account of what led her to the Catholic Church, and marvel anew at the ways God works:

I was an arrogant fool sitting in on my very first Mass and watching it like I’d watch a National Geographic nature film. I was analyzing away, “Those pews are so phallic, who are they kidding that this isn’t all about a patriarchy?” when I heard something Jewish. A cantor sang the Psalm. It caught my attention and stopped the haughty drift of my thoughts. I began to be interested. What else might they have stolen from the Jews?

This led to other discoveries, like the parading of the Gospels. “Well, if Jesus does claim to be the Jewish Messiah, I guess there should be Jewish elements in the worship,” I thought dismissively until it occurred to me I’d never seen Jewish elements in the Protestant churches I’d attended as a girl. Why not? I puzzled that one out for awhile. I’m not the kind of dog to drop a bone, so I puzzled awhile.

About the time for the consecration (I had no idea what it was called at the time), I had come all the way around to the skeptical thought, actually accompanied by a quiet sarcasm-laden snort, “What if all this were true?”

Then I was hit repeatedly in the head with a 2 x 4. That process took all of three seconds.

I say that comically, but the wave upon wave of revelation breaking over my stunned mind was actually very painful. And beautiful and exquisite and utterly horrifying. I saw things, felt things, all in quick succession with the complete clarity of the words, “It is all true,” ringing me like a bell.

Then an actual bell rang signaling the consecration. Jesus himself was upon that altar, and I was done for. I had a choice to make and it was my very last chance. It was true. I could never again deny the truth of it, but I could still deny Him. A yes would cost me every friend I had, the community I’d built, my reputation. Everything. Was I willing to give it all up?

Oh, God, yes.

Read the rest. A big H/T to New Advent.

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