This week I’ll be 13 years old. In the eyes of the Church, that is. I was received into the bosom of Holy Mother Church at the Easter Vigil thirteen years ago after forty years of wandering through various deserts. Deserts of new age philosophies, teachings of self-proclaimed gurus–the usual claptrap embraced by rebellious pseudo-intellectuals like myself. I admit, I thought I was pretty sophisticated, educated and pretty darned smart. I thought I knew too much to be a Christian, much less a Catholic.

Heh. Yeah, well, our good Mother, the Church, has humbled me to my knees too many times to number now. Some people think one must cease to think in order to be a Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth. Never before have I had to think so much. Since becoming Catholic, I have had to stretch my mind to embrace clarity of thought, the clarity of vision offered by the Church and her Doctors. These holy Doctors of the Church have truly acted as physicians for me, providing medicine for my soul and for my mind, their wisdom bringing light and meaning to my life. Because they have given me light on the meaning of Christ, on what it means to be Christian and Catholic. I say Christian and Catholic because there are those who don’t understand that to be fully Catholic is to be fully Christian.

To be fully and faithfully Catholic and Christian is the goal toward which I am striving, by the graces and blessings of God, every day. And if the next thirteen years are anything like these first have been, then they will be very wonderful years indeed.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Cor 13:14) Have a grace-filled and blessed Easter.