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How I Grew Up Atheist and Ended Up Catholic
By Jennifer Fulwiler
You’ve heard the term “cradle Catholic” before — referring to someone raised Catholic from infancy. But how often have you heard about “cradle atheists”? Well, you’re about to meet one. Jennifer Fulwiler, a highly successful blogger, writer, author, wife, and mother of five rambunctious little ones, just happens to have been born into a staunchly atheist family and was raised according to the dictates of atheism. She grew up believing that God does not — indeed, cannot — exist and that such notions as immortal souls, angels, devils, heaven, hell, and religion itself are just silly, false concepts that can be roundly disproven and discarded by science and reason. But little did Jennifer know that as an adult she would eventually encounter the One Person she thought didn’t exist, Someone who was able to gently but persistently challenge and eventually topple the atheist worldview she had grown up with. Turn to page 16 and she’ll explain how it all happened.
Hope in God Our Creator
Blessed John Henry Newman
One of the secrets of the saints, which isn’t really a secret at all, is their reliance upon God’s loving providence to supply all the good things He wishes to give them. In this article, Blessed John Henry Newman lays out the basics of how you can begin right now to trust more in God and less in yourself. It’s a simple three-step process: First, read Neman’s wise advice. Second, do your best, by God’s grace, to put it into practice each day. And third, get ready to experience how wonderfully life-changing surrender to God’s providence can be.
They Know I’m Catholic, Right?
By Randy Hain
Jesus once told His Apostles: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38). Here’s a true story about a Catholic layman who had heard and read that verse a million times, but never imagined that it would one day refer to him personally! He describes his unique experience of being invited to speak at a local Methodist church, before a large audience of Protestant folk, many of whom, it turns out, were former Catholics. His topic? The Catholic Faith! After weeks of nervous anticipation, the Big Day finally arrived. He found himself at the podium, about to speak to an audience of several hundred very attentive non-Catholics. What happened next might surprise you.
Good Shepherd, Feed Us!
By Abbot Placid Solari, O.S.B.
On September 23-24, 2010, His Excellency Bishop Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, led his flock in the Diocese’s annual Eucharistic Congress, drawing over 11,000 people (see an extensive picture slideshow at http://vimeo.com/15034271). One of the great highlights of this profoundly spiritual event was the powerful Eucharistic meditation given by Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey. We present it here for you in its entirety and with one suggestion: take it with you, and meditate upon it prayerfully the next time you make a visit to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. You’ll be glad you did.