I Almost Left the Catholic Church

The Holy Spirit stopped me. 

Since last year, time after time, I read news about our highest shepherd doing things that are against my core belief, things that I felt are being twisted, being made sound complicated to understand yet only to lead to wrong things.  Such is blessing relationships in sin...how can a sin be blessed, I asked myself. It is just wrong and I will not accept this. Needless to say, I am scandalized.

I had to contemplate.

This month, God led me to Armenia.  I saw the Armenians preserved their faith, and Christian practices in the Church. I have witnessed how sacred they still keep the traditions. I wanted to become part of that.

I had to contemplate more.

I asked the Lord to help me make the right decision that night when I came home from Armenia. In my heart, I will start looking for the church here in my community, the Orthodox Christian church.

Sabbath day came. I attended my Sunday Mass. I thanked God for having brought me to Armenia and learned what I needed to learn in that place. But I did not forget to ask the Lord for guidance on the decision I was about to make.

I listened and participated in that Holy Mass so attentively. Homily came. And the first words that our Holy Priest said were these words:

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after resurrection, why did He choose the same people who betrayed Him?  They were not perfect, why choose them again?  He could have chosen to go and find others but why choose the same people?  Why?  

Because we are not perfect. We make mistakes.

Bam!  Like a punch in my heart, the Holy Spirit moved me.  There goes my answer!!!

My eyes shed tears at that point.  How the Lord really do answer me when I need Him to clear up my confused heart.  

That night, I thanked the Lord for having answered me.  I realized that even Peter, who has betrayed Him three times at the time He could have needed loyalty from His disciples, Peter was never abandoned by the Lord after all these times, the church led by Peter is still standing strong, the Catholic church.

I also remembered the homily of another Holy Priest during Christimas dawn mass: 

Christ came from a family of sinners, from generation to generation, there was always a sinner from his root.  Sometimes we condemn our family members because we want to have a perfect family but look at the family of our Lord, He came from generations of sinners!

Now, I have decided.

I will stay with the Catholic Church.  This is where God called me.

I will stay with the Catholic Church even if our highest shepherd is failing us.  It is my duty to pray for him.  He is not infallible like others teach.  A pope is just another human being, like Peter who failed and sinned before God.  So is our Pope.  

I will stay with the Catholic Church.  Specially when everything seems to be falling out of place.  That is where I am needed the most.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER!