The joy of conversion, Christian community, and the Catholic faith
A river runs through my life. It flows over pebbles and around jagged boulders. It twists and turns, disappearing into the dark underground, and then rises abruptly until it breaks forth into a glistening waterfall. This river always was a part of my life but, except for a few rare glimpses of it, I was unaware it was the faithful stream of God’s presence.
Three posts this week: I discovered our joyful duty of passing it on. As Pope Paul VI wrote: Here lies the test of truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn. Then, In Bread Upon the Waters, Deanna Klingel tells the true story of Father Tien Duong, a Catholic priest who grew up in the strife and hardship of Communist Vietnam. The biography is filled with incredible personal stories told to Deanna during her long hours with Fr. Tien. Fr. Bob Hilz teaches us that the Eucharistic Liturgy, the Mass, is the clearest source of God-power in our life. The liturgy, in the scriptures, teaches us how to live a good Godly life on earth and provides us the energy and power to do that.
