There are a few last thoughts I have on these matters Father. It seems hard for me to deny any longer that the Catholic faith was indeed built upon Peter, and he was the rock upon which You built Your testimony. Yet is this not true of a rock? A rock is steady, unwavering, but over time even it experiences some erosion does it not? I hope being a Protestant is the result to an answer of some erosion of which You had to correct. Whoa, what a thought that is! But as I let that thought resonate, let me also say this, I do have comfort in knowing the Catholic Church, Your rock, has in a catechism accepted those who are not of the faith but still acknowledge Your Son as their Savior and strive to follow Your Word, albeit in a different way.
Once again I go back to the beginning. People came to you in faith on the spot. There were no classes given on who You were. Paul, and Peter, and John, and Thomas, and all the disciples simply preached and in faith people came to You on the spot. Just with Peter alone, three thousand people came to You in one instance. Surely this is what Martin Luther was trying to say. I also look at the thief on the cross. You presented Yourself, he believed, and he was saved. There were no attending classes for a year to find out who You were. The thief believed and he was saved. And yet what is equally wrong with the beauty of the Catholic faith and the tradition, and the sacraments, and the holding on to this. At the moment of confirmation, if the person believes, then they believe. I know the arguments people will bring up regarding this, but the fact is confirmation includes a profession of faith in You, Your Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Maybe the Catholic rock stabilizes all of us and is a check and balance against the Protestant religions. Maybe in the same way the Protestant faith is a check and balance against the Catholic religion, as if to ensure we always remember people were saved in a different way at the very start.
Father I end all this by writing the following. I don’t know. And I especially do not fully understand all the differences in the Catholic religion and Protestant factions. I have questions, but I do not know. For anyone reading this, I hope they understand this. There was a time that I was scared that my faith could not stand up to the seeking, yet it seems my faith is growing stronger and my horizon is expanding. I realize by writing these things I am probably opening myself up to “venom” that may be directed my way, but again what is it we are scared of when asking these questions or pondering these thoughts? My passion for You causes me to seek You further, not my need to know the answers because I already realize I will never know. Three years ago, I would not have written a provoking piece like this. I am interested to see what I may write three years from now.
In the end, Father I love You, I love my Savior, and I love the Holy Spirit. Thank you for Your grace and Your love, and please forgive me for my continued seeking and at times an inability to simply rest in You. Oh Father, let me follow Your heart to feed the hungry, care for the poor, and help the afflicted souls. Let my thirst for knowledge decrease and mercy increase for others. In the end does knowledge really help to feed the hungry, or to care for the poor, or to help the afflicted souls. I am not so sure.
Indeed, maybe that is the lesson in all of this…
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