Meet Nathan, one of thousands...

...who were received into full communion with the Catholic Church this spring.

...This highlighted for me one very important fact that my RCIA program never even alluded to: that to be a Catholic, you are taking a very firm stand in a very distinct way. The fullness of truth does not come without its costs. Our faith is not something that should work to make us comfortable where we are, rather, it is something that that should make us bitterly uncomfortable where we are whenever we are not fully in God's presence. There is no salvation without the cross.

Over at Genesis and Eschaton, Nathan Kennedy bares his soul for us and reminds us once again that the road to Christ is not wide and easy but one that requires our full cooperation and dedication. Oftentimes, as Christ promised us, this means that in the eyes of the world, particularly in the eyes of those who are closest to us, we are deemed insane, fools, fanatics. For many converts like Nathan, there are immense struggles attached to committing to Christ in the Church - but the same goes for anyone who takes their faith seriously. We can all learn and gain from reading Nathan's story, whether we are converts, reverts, or still unsure of what we really believe and how far we are really willing to go for God.

Go read all of Nathan's Early Reflections on the Challenge of my Confirmation