I’m home again.

I was away from Catholicism for over twenty years. I thought I would become a Protestant pastor. I took classes, preached from a pulpit, studied Scripture and taught Sunday School. I thought I knew how “wrong” Catholicism was. Turns out that being raised Catholic and attending Catholic schools does not necessarily prevent ignorance of the Faith.

It took a while, but my relationship with Christ eventually led me back to Catholicism.   Since reverting several years ago I’m continuously amazed at the precious gift I ignored for twenty years.  I’ve cleared up some of my own misconceptions about Catholicism and I seek to help others do the same when I can.  It brings me great joy to contemplate the treasure I’ve come home to.

In addition to being Catholic I’m also a husband, a father, a Marriage and Family Therapist, a pilot/flight instructor and a drummer (some might even be gracious enough to call me a musician and an artist).

Here I will share some of my reflections about The Faith, daily life and maybe some other odds and ends.  I hope you enjoy your visit.

Peace!

Thomas

17 thoughts on “”

  1. sober4jesus

    we have a lot in common! you are a revert, i’m a revert! you’re married w/kids, so am i! and we are both *drummers*! finally, you’re a shrink… and i’m a nut! haha! seriously, cool to find your blog, bro. God bless! 🙂

    Reply ↓
  5. Veronica Alejar

    I chanced upon you because I have been avidly reading April the Peaceful Wife’s Blog. I too am a devout Catholic Christian and it is enlightening to read about our faith from your blog. God bless you more! 🙂

    Reply ↓
    1. Thomas Post author

      Thank you, Veronica. I appreciate your kind words. April does some great work with her blog and I hope you find it helpful. I am always encouraged to hear from other Catholics. This is the age of the New Evangelization and we really need each other’s support in helping people fall in love with Christ through his Church. Your comments mean a lot. Thanks for reading my blog!

      Peace to you, and Merry Christmas

      Thomas

      Reply ↓
      1. PeacefulwifePhilippines

        Merry Christmas too, Brother Thomas! 🙂 Should I have questions about our faith, would it be okay to post it here? I do have many! I am devout as devout goes, I still have a long way to go in terms of being able to explain about our faith. When amongst non-Catholics, I get tongue-tied and very defensive, without being able to graciously clarify their doubts/accusations against our faith. 😦

      2. Thomas Post author

        Of course! Please feel free to ask questions here. I will answer as many as I can. If I don’t know the answer I might be able to direct you to a place that does. We all have a lot to learn, and the process never stops. Asking questions is a great way to learn the faith.

        I understand what you mean about getting tongue-tied and defensive. It happens to me, too. I just let those experiences make me more determined to learn and grow. Sounds like you are doing the same. God teaches us things in those moments. He teaches us patience with ourselves and with others. He also teaches us humility and trust. He teaches us holiness.

        I have learned much by reading books by reputable Catholic apologists. There are also some great websites that are very helpful such as catholic.com, ewtn.com, and catholicscomehome.org. Catholic.com also has a forum for people to ask questions and discuss the faith. Their radio show is good to listen to because people call in with questions.

        When someone challenges my faith, there are a few things I can do. If I know the answer, I answer them. If I don’t know the answer, I tell them, “That’s a good question. I’ll find the answer and get back to you.” (Then I must actually follow through and get back to them later). I can also say, “I know a great website that explains the answer very well.” The most important thing to do is pray for grace and patience. Some people genuinely want an answer, but others just want to test you to see how you will react. They want to see if your faith has made you a kind, compassionate, gentle, loving person. In their heart they are looking for God, and they want to see evidence of Him in you. Many people don’t care so much about the information you have. They just want to see that your faith is real.

        So, pray for peace and love in your heart in those moments. Pray for patience. Keep studying. God will use you.

        Peeace!

        Thomas

  6. Veronica Alejar

    I will follow your advice on how to answer them when I don’t know the answer. 🙂 Thanks too for reminding me that more than my ANSWER, what they would remember more is HOW I answered. Was it in anger, in spite, or with pride? Or was it in peace, with kindness and humility? That’s how they will know if Christ is in my heart. 🙂

    A favorite question that non-Catholics like raising and which most of them sneer at and taunt us with, is our use of statues and “graven” images, which in their eyes makes us pagans or idolators. (Exodus 20:4) I myself do not consider any statue a god. I know there is only one God with Three Persons, but it doesn’t hurt to remember Him, His Son, His Mother, or His saints for that matter by having these images… just like I want to remember my dead parents with pictures. Nothing makes me MOST DEFENSIVE and TONGUE-TIED than THIS accusation. 😦

    What is the Biblical basis, implied or otherwise, of our use of statues? And how does it not constitute IDOLATRY? I would love to hear your answer on this. Peace! 🙂

    Reply ↓
    1. Thomas Post author

      Your answer is the same as what I would say. We do not worship statues or images. We simply use them to remember the heros of the Faith, as you stated. Non-Catholics often have a limited perspective on the Church as a family. They see Christians on earth as being the Church. But the family of the Church also includes those who have left this life. They are not dead, they are alive in Christ. We do not worship them; we worship God along with them as members of a family. Images simply remind us of who some of them are. A crucifix is John 3:16 in picture form.

      I would also add that it is certainly a sin to worship a statue. The Catholic Church teaches that to do so is idolatry. However, the same God that said, “Do not worship graven images (or other gods)” also instructed the Israelites to make statues for use in worshiping Him. For example, God told them to make statues of angels to place upon the Ark of the Covenant. He also ordered the making of a statue of a serpent which was placed on a pole. When people looked at it they were healed. God does not tell His people to sin. Obviously, making a statue and using it as an aid in worshiping God can not be a sin.

      The Catholic Church uses statues appropriately. We do not think they are gods. We know they are only plaster, plastic, wood or stone. They remind us of our family and add beauty to life and worship of God.

      Reply ↓
  7. PeacefulwifePhilippines

    By the way, just to add, in our country, the Philippines, out of 96.8 million Filipinos, 76.18 million are Catholic. We are mostly cradle and cultural Catholics (like I am), but I too am Catholic by choice. I love our faith and would want to be able to share about it more. Thanks in advance for your reply! 🙂

    Reply ↓

Leave a reply to Thomas Cancel reply