I took a day trip with a friend and her sister to the Eastern Shore of Maryland this past weekend. Since we had a three and a half hour drive each way, we had ample time to talk. I found that they were both “recovering” Catholics. This was after I related to them my story about defending the faith at work. They were both raised Catholic and received the Sacraments through Confirmation. One goes to Church on Christmas and Easter. The other isn’t practicing at all. The first one is drawn to pray at a Church near her home in front of the Blessed Sacrament. When she goes she feels at peace. I told her it was because God is there in the Tabernacle. Her sister said until she grew up she went to Church every Sunday and she “spun the beads” each night before she went to sleep. She finds the Church confining now, both for the people and for God. “You can’t put God in a box,” she said. She says she is much happier now than she was as a practicing Catholic. “I think people should just be good and kind – they shouldn’t have to worry about all those rules to go to Heaven,” she said. “My God doesn’t work that way.”
“You and I have different Gods,” I said. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Our next topic was the weather.