God, and His mercy

Hey brother,

I want to share my experience and testify to His presence and mercy. Long story short, I wasn’t born into a Catholic family. When I was a young boy, maybe around 7 or 9 years old, I attempted my first communion. However, it didn`t go well. Time went by, and I was exposed to different religions. During that time, I would say, “I hate the church.” While I was living a life outside the church, one of my best friends—who is genuinely Catholic—used to tell me that, for her, I was more Catholic than some friends who grew up attending church with her. I've never been able to understand that sentence.

How can someone be Catholic without going to church or knowing much about it?

For the last 25 years, I`ve been trying to understand what she meant. Things started to clear up last month when I began reading the book "Catechism of the Catholic Church." The book is part of my preparation for confirmation—yes, I`m converting!—which will happen next month. As I read, I was already applying some Christian teachings to my life. I still have a lot to learn and practice, but I was amazed by that.

My friend was right!

God, thank you for your mercy in forgiving me for the malicious words I spoke against your church. God, thank you for always being there and for somehow teaching me your truths even before I joined your church.