Why I am Catholic I

was born and raised in a Catholic family, and I had a wonderful experience being taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Anne’s School in Le Sueur. The decision to send my children to St. Anne’s School was an easy one. My Catholic faith, and passing it on, were always important to me.

Within the past few years, I have been challenged and even embarrassed that I was not able to give satisfactory answers when asked about different aspects of the Catholic faith. I realized that my Baltimore Catechism education so many years ago had become foggy over time. And, looking back over the busyness of life and raising my four children, I have to admit I was making little effort to grow.

I needed to educate myself, not only on the questions I had been asked but also on other matters our Protestant brothers and sisters don’t understand, such as the Virgin Mary, the infallibility of the pope, confession, the Church’s position on divorce, and why priests are not allowed to marry.

I began to ask questions and get more involved in the various studies offered in our parish. Author Scott Hahn was recommended as a good source for Catholic study. I was intrigued by his story of conversion to Catholicism because he had been a staunch anti-Catholic Protestant pastor. As he explained his many surprising discoveries about the Catholic Church, and gave biblical references to support them, I was learning not only how to defend my faith but also to appreciate the richness that I had taken for granted for so long. These amazing stories motivated me to go deeper.

I have found a whole new joy in attending Mass. Over time, God has opened my heart to a richer prayer life. Rather than just

COURTESY KATHY RIEBE

reciting prayers, I try to “pray” the words or phrases. When I look at the cross and pray, “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us,” it is very different from just reciting those words. I want to truly worship the One who made the redeeming sacrifice on the cross before going forward to receive him in the holy Eucharist. Turning my focus to the cross has been life changing.

Confession is no longer something I fear. Although I knew its benefits from memorizing the Catechism as a child, I now value the precious gift of walking out of the confessional with something I didn’t have when I went in — sanctifying grace. Quiet time spent in eucharistic adoration is another gift I have grown to love. To sit in the presence of Jesus renews my spirit.

The Catholic faith I had underappreciated for so many years is the same faith I now profess with conviction. I wish every cradle Catholic would be invited to go through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults to study more about their faith as an adult learner. The rewards of intentional study have been many.

Since we are called to be holy as God is holy, I pray God will give me the grace to stay the course and to never lose my desire to learn more and serve him better.

Riebe, 73, has four adult children, works for a greeting card company and is a member of St. Anne in Le Sueur, where she has received six of the seven sacraments.

“Why I am Catholic” is an ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic? Submit your story in 300-500 words to CatholiCSpirit@arChSpm org with subject line “Why I am Catholic.”