The beginning, a meeting..

I went inside the Davan Thai on Webster, swung my head to find her, we have not met before, only spoken on the phone couple of times, didn't have to look for her long, we instantly recognized each other.  I sat down and blabbed as if we have known each other for a long time.  Too bad I onlyhad  an hour break.

She had her first taste of the Catholic Church, when she raised her hands in a children's camp to volunteer to get on the van and attend mass. She had her communion, without knowing what the significance of it all. She attended Catholic school, her father is Catholic, she is married to a Catholic, she apparently has quite a number of Catholic friends.  It feels that she is being ushered slowly in the Church.  No, it was not an epiphany, it is almost a given that she will be a convert.

She had questions, which I hope I was able to answer. Questions, like:

1. Why don't I need to be baptized, if I have already been, even if it is with a different tradition?


2. Would you be offended if I told you that I partook of communion without preparation?

I said, no you don't need to be baptized if your baptism in a different Christian tradition is by immersion in water, because the Catholic Church believes in one God. one baptism, one church, and we all are being baptized to accept the same God.

It does not offend me if someone partook of communion without preparation for it, as I look at it as it having a different meaning for me as it is for someone who has no preparation.  I also believe that the pureness of one's intentions qualifies anyone into participation of our tradition.  Lordy would have understood.

What is admirable is her desire to start a family in the Catholic tradition, to be able to set an example to her children and be able to raise them Catholics. No prodding, no long winded preaching, she is just following the desires of her heart, to glorify Him and make Him a big factor of her life.

To that I say, "Amen".