Author: Nancy Ward

Favorite: Profiles in Catholicism

Discovering the Holy Spirit is an amazing and endless pursuit. From the beginning of my awakening to the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, I’ve frequently called on him with the prayer, “I can’t do this; come, Holy Spirit.” He always shows up and reminds me of everything he has told me about my faith, as Jesus promised in John 14:26b. The Holy Spirit is my secret weapon in everything from seeking guidance in the presence of chaos, consolation in times of grief, or overcoming my shyness while speaking to a large audience.

What happened?

For me, conversion came as a tidal wave of love, followed by a seeping undercurrent of how God wanted to change my life. The tidal wave was the sudden and absolute certainty that Phil was God’s gift of love to me—and it swept over me before Phil realized I was the one for him.

Three components of your faith story

He gently made known his life in me through the gift of unexplainable joy that gushed from deep within me and filled me up. At that moment I knew God was real and loved me personally as my Savior.

As his love swept through me, I knew he was the only one who loved me like no one else ever could. In that life-changing God-moment of joy, I was overwhelmed with love for Jesus and committed my life to him.

Testimony: Finding Jesus in the Eucharist

As a lifelong Catholic, I spent many years going through the motions of Mass, catechism class, sacramental preparation, and prayer, without allowing myself to appreciate the beauty of our faith. For a time as an adult, I even drifted away from going to church altogether. Often, even when I was present, I had zero realization of, or respect for, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

I allowed myself to be disconnected. I didn’t desire to encounter him and accept his unconditional love found in his sacrifice and resurrection in the Eucharist. I didn’t appreciate the gift before me in the person of our Savior. Little did I know that his Body and Blood would become my point of conversion back to the faith I was baptized into. A fall morning Mass in Ordinary Time changed everything for me—not what I believed, but what I experienced.

Know Your Story: Your Faith Bio

You may have more than one God-moment, as you will later see that I did. Begin with the first encounter with Jesus that began your personal relationship with him, the moment you knew he was real and loved you personally. Fill in as much detail as you feel necessary to recreate it for sharing. Continue writing what you remember about subsequent faith events, as I do in describing my dive into Catholicism.