Major update

[zappo]

On Thursday, I will have been a bona fide Roman Catholic for a month. Golly! I still can't quite believe it (ha ha).

Does this seem like something out of the blue? It's really not. Yes, the step from thinking about converting to actually going through with it was like a lightning bolt from the sky but my first thoughts about converting date back at least 30yr. Then for the last few years I've been hearing the call of God but been too afraid -- and lazy -- to answer, until my Mother tried to kill herself and I turned to the Virgin Mary for help. And my prayers were answered almost the very next day. How can one ignore that?

So ever since then I've worked towards becoming Roman Catholic, by going to Mass at least once a week, praying, and of course attending a class on What Does It Entail, every second or third Wednesday. Not just for converts, but for anyone who's interested. It's pretty much like joining a geek society: you can discuss these things with like-minded ppl without having constantly to apologise and explain. Not that I discuss much, I'm far too literal-minded to have anything useful to contribute. "Father Ted" doesn't really count, does it? (Drink!)

Anyway, so there it is. The ceremony on 3 April was quite beautiful; I've now been confirmed twice, as it were, and have taken Communion a lot more than in all my years between confirmations, which was none. I look forward to a future of constant learning, as there is every week, almost every day, something new that I've never encountered before. Awesome!

N.B. I did not convert, like most ppl seem to do, because of politics. They say, my native church is going lax on foreigners and gays so I'm turning to the Vatican to express my conservatism, or reactionaryism even. Nu-uh. I have converted _despite_ politics. I don't want to spout anti-anything, but embrace that whole do-unto-others, and love-thy-neighbour philosophy which, frankly, entails so much hard work and good will that it's like a major task. Hating is easy, loving is hard. So, despite the harshness many ppl approve of in the Church, I have joined it.

P.S. If this post offends you and you now want to defriend me, just go ahead. D.S.