Holy Obedience

My husband and I were talking about my experiences growing up in the Methodist church.

My Mom was Methodist (by way of Church of Christ) and my Dad was Catholic (but he died when I was 11). My Mom & I became Catholic when I was in my 20s. That, in itself, is an amazing story - well, at least to me. The long distance phone conversation between us that changed the course of my Mom's life in her decision to become Catholic happened on my Dad's birthday. That was when she decided to come home. On my Dad's birthday.

The drawing above is of my childhood Methodist Church.
The photograph to the right is my Catholic Church back home (up north).

Anyway, my husband and I were having this great conversation just a few minutes ago and I realized that I have learned so much more about my faith in the past 2 years. The "learning" hasn't made me any more faithful or, as Protestants say, "convicted of my faith." That, by God's grace, was firmly established. BUT! I sometimes feel like a am doing this remarkable free fall into Catholicism. (I like that feeling, by the way, so this is a good thing in my book). The depth of wisdom and love in our Church is infinite. Obedience makes sense (It NEVER did before).

The Gospel Reading this Sunday speaks to this: from Matthew 11: 28-30

28“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
29*Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Footnote: * [29] In place of the yoke of the law, complicated by scribal interpretation, Jesus invites the burdened to take the yoke of obedience to his word, under which they will find rest; cf Jeremiah 6:16.

A wonderful quote from a previous post, And if That City's on a Hill comes to mind:

"The scary thing about the modernist trait in Protestantism is that it plays so well into the hands of pride. There is little to orient Protestants towards the notion of making oneself small or last of all when it comes to doctrinal certitude. One is one's own final arbiter of every judgment, and it is in those difficult matters of dispute that this is all the more crucial.

Even scarier is this: suggesting the notion of holy obedience to Protestants, be it to the parish priest and to the bishop, is likely to receive a most intense objection. And this objection comes, not from the Bible, but really, from the Enlightenment. What a terrible and ill-suited master, who screams that the Catholic is therefore brain-washed or superstitious!" Jeff Tan @ One Bread One Body

Thank you, God, for your Church.

You are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against. it.
Matthew 16:18

photo source: picasaweb