Finding home and coming home is for many a long, wayward journey. The tracks can look like an old Family Circus cartoon map. It took me 35 years to find home and another couple to truly come home. Home is within the Catholic Church, home is with the Eucharist, with Jesus.
In different ways, my journey, like Scott Hahn’s was through the Book of Revelation. For Professor Hahn, this book led him to the Mass. For me, the writings brought me to my knees, to Jesus and, then, to the Church.
My wife turned my heart toward Jesus, no doubt the role she played in saving me. But, the kick in the pants came from the sensationalized, Protestant view of the Book of Revelation. My wife bought one of these books for me and I fell into the story of the rapture. This scared the heck out of me, because I knew deep within that story, I didn’t have a relationship with Christ. If we met at that time, He wouldn’t have known me nor, would I have honestly known Him. This ‘encounter’ turned me around and dropped me to my knees. Jesus got to my soul by scaring the Hell into and then out of me.
“‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”” Matthew 7:21-23
So, now that I found my way to this relationship with God, I started devouring Christian books. But, all were slanted to the Protestant viewpoint. Good books for sure that helped grow my faith but all, missing something. I finally realized the books were missing the fullness of the Catholic faith. I quickly pivoted to reading only Catholic books. It was then that I found ‘The Lamb’s Supper” by Scott Hahn. My thoughts and soul finally came home to our Mother Catholic Church.
“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’” John 6:68-69
I finally came fully home through the realize of the truth of the Eucharist. I was in a place spiritually in which I was seeing no conviction or joy within the pews of my church. I prayed to God asking Him to guide my heart where He desires me to be. I didn’t want to leave the Him for sure, but I would leave this church is He asked. Over the period is weeks, I looked for God’s guidance. Finally, one Sunday, it came clear as the sun filled, clear sky. As I stepped toward the door of the church, I saw resting over the building a bright, white disc – very much like the Eucharist. I knew instantly that God answered my prayer. “I am here, My son, would you leave Me?” I knew that only in the Catholic Church is found Jesus in the fullness within the Eucharist. The Gospel that day at Mass was these words from the Bread of Life discourse in John 6.
What paths did you walk on your Road of Faith to come home? What is your story of finding that homeward route? Are you at home (in the Church)?