Conversion and Partial Conversion

You have heard the saying "I'm all over it!" or "I'm sold!" or even "That's what I'm all about." These saying represent a deep understanding of whatever they are speaking of at that point. It took an understanding and an agreement, or "meeting of the minds", as they say in real estate lingo. There was probably no Vulcan mind-probe performed on the individual, but there was a change that happened inside, deep inside, that caused that feeling of being totally on board with the subject. The feeling of being in total agreement, heart and soul, is called conversion. Conversion, a term we have heard many times in many situations, but when it comes to religion and God, that term seems obit more profound, deep and even somewhat intimidating.



Those who attend Mass each month or every week seem to be the converted. Totally in, and on board with the Catholic Church, right? Well, not necessarily, many are the partially converted Catholics. Now I must confess that I was one of these Catholics, the partially converted. I attended Mass almost every Sunday, not aware that not attending Mass (because I felt like sleeping in from a long work week) was a mortal sin. I made sure that my children were baptized and made his sacraments on time, attended and taught CCD for a few years and helped out with vacation bible school during the summers, but for the most part, I was doing all these things because I was raised a Catholic and it only made sense to help out. But, when it came to attending Mass, realizing the total significance of what the Mass does and is, receiving the Eucharist and singing the Great Amen, making the sign of the cross at the final blessing...well, not to mention that I would come into Mass obediently and babble my "lines" on cue...I had no clue!!! After I took a Church history course at the parish I belonged to back in Texas, I began to learn about the Church, about Christ and what He and the apostles did and brought about for the world's many generations to come. This massive, obedient entity that Jesus Christ gave the keys to Peter so many eons ago that still survives today through battles, heresies, abuses, and heroines/heroes, spiritually charged people with conviction and fortitude beyond most humans' ability, I was touched deep down into my soul. My heart grew strong for the Church of my heritage, not for what was passed down, but for what the Church passed down to me.



Not long before that, non-Catholics gave me challenges about my faith and I couldn't tell them why I was a Catholic, only that I was raised one and decided to stay one. Now, after taking the history lessons, and knowing the what, how, and why of the Catholic Church’s survival thousands of years later, I am converted, or as some call it, reverted.



There is so much information out there for Catholics/non-Catholics to learn more about the Church and the many documents that have been generated by the Church fathers, popes, bishops, and scholars that one could be completely overwhelmed by it. Where to start, you ask? The Catechism of the Catholic Church is first place I would start. I will give a list of the other resources later.