Well when it comes to this part of my story it is much less dramatic but very important nonetheless. First I want to say if you have not read the first 2 parts of my story click here for part 1 and here for part 2.
After my conversion, It was a slow process of understanding. Lots of prayer and reading. I came to a point though where I just wanted to be in the true faith that God had made himself. It really didn't matter to me what it was. I asked God to show me where it was that he had established the way he wanted man to worship him. I told him it didn't matter whether it was Judaism, Christianity(Catholic or Protestant) Islam. It didn't matter. I just wanted to be with him.
Now some of you reading this may think that a prayer like that is blasphemous, but i don't think it's even possible to be, because for the simple fact that a human being can humble himself enough to say such a thing with the absolute intention and desire to do the will of God and exposing yourself to him in this way is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he said that we must become like little children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is probably one of the only examples that I can give in my life where I completely gave myself to God and let him take complete control. I have a hard time with everything else in life with complete trust to him, but in this instance the Grace was there and I meant it. What happened in the next 6 months of my life was a hardcore crash coarse in the History of Religion especially Christianity, and when I was able to pinpoint the footsteps of Christianity it didn't take me long to realize what Church existed in the very beginning after Pentecost.
It was the Catholic Church, better yet it is the Catholic Church. Look...if you're honest with yourself and you study even just a little about the history of Christianity from RELIABLE sources, there is no mistake that the faith the Early Christians held on to was what we would call the Catholic Church today. Everything from infant baptism, to the sacrament of Penance(Confession), Belief in the True Presence of Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist.
The combination "the Catholic Church" (he katholike ekklesia) is found for the first time in the letter of St. Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, written about the year 110. The words run: "Wheresoever the bishop shall appear, there let the people be, even as where Jesus may be, there is the universal [katholike] Church." From http://www.newadvent.org/
I had questions like what did the Early Christians believe? Who established what books would be part of the Bible? Why do we have so many different denominations if there is only 1 Holy Spirit, 1 God? If one truly prays and honestly asks God these things and opens their heart enough to say to God "Your will be done not mine. Even if it means doing something I can't stand or don't believe, or don't want to do." God will see your heart is wide pen to him and won't let you down.
Anyway...this isn't a long drawn out and in depth post. This my story. There is much more detail to it, but my posts would be quite long. More time than I have at the moment. Please consider commenting with your story, and I will post it as soon as I can. If you've got questions about anything to do with the Church leave a comment as well. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
May God bless you and give you the Grace to persevere until you take your last breath. God Love You, and Bless you always.
