So, normally when I go on here, it seems like I have nothing good to say about Catholicism. So today, I wanted to do something new. Like I’ve said before, I will never tell a person that Catholicism can’t help someone. There’s tons of evidence and research to backup that Catholicism will help somebody. I mean, that’s just a stated fact, and it really does help some people. So I’ll never say Catholicism can’t help someone, cause it can. If anything, I’m just very skeptical about the religion in general. Catholicism is one of those religions where I put it in my “questionable” category, cause with the research along with personal experience, I don’t quite know what to make of Catholicism really. I just know, for me personally, it’s been a very interesting religion to research, if I’m being real here.
But, today I decided to talk about the good that Catholicism has done. I have briefly touched on this, but today I would like to talk about my Mother. My Mother grew up in a big family (a family of 8 to be exact, her being the middle child). My Mother didn’t have a very loving Mother, but had a very loving Father. My Mother, from a very early age, had to grow up very fast. I want to say my Mother has been working since she was 6 years old. Now obviously she didn’t get a job at 6 years old, but she did laundry along with some of the house chores when she was little. My Mother’s Mother was a rough person to talk to. My Mother’s Mother told her she was a mistake, that they weren’t expecting to have another child, but yet here she was. My Mother’s Mother would keep tabs on what my Mother did wrong, and when her Father would come home (And I mean, we’re talking when he came home late at night), her Mother would tell her Father all the bad things she did that day, and her Father had to dole out the punishment. Keep in mind, her Father came home from work late at night, so by the time she was getting punished for the bad things she did that day, my Mother would be confused cause she wasn’t able to remember all the bad things she did that day. So you’re punishing a child who is literally confused on what she did during the day, cause by the time her Dad came home, she couldn’t remember the bad things she did during the day.
By the time my Mom turned 17, she left home. Eventually she just got tired of her Mother’s behavior that she decided to move out at 17. Her Mom basically told her that she was going to get pregnant when she moved out, but she proved her Mother wrong that she didn’t get pregnant, at least not till she was married.
My Mom eventually married my Father, and for a while, things were good and things were looking up for my Mother. But then, my Father basically divorced my Mother, which really broke my Mom. The divorce really messed with her, but she kept on going. After my Mom and Dad were divorced, my Mom would go down a road that was very sad. She found her value with men, because if a man perceived her as good, that made her feel good. So, she tried to find love, even though, in reality, she really didn’t love herself.
My Mother went out with many men. Most of them wanted nothing to do with her, and her depression would keep rearing its ugly head in her life. She went to Church at the time, not because she wanted to, but it was just something she normally did. She never went to confession nor did she ever receive the Eucharist, but she realized that she was living in sin (cause the guys she’d go out with, she’d invite them over and sleep with them). And, the last guy she dated (which was years ago), something in her finally broke or changed. You see, the last guy she dated, she was being physically choked by this man. I and my brothers never really cared for this man. He was a wimp by every standard you can think of. I gave her a prayer called “The MIracle Prayer.” And she said “I dunno what got to me or ran through my mind, but I started saying your Miracle Prayer everyday. I guess I was wanting God to intervene, cause I didn’t know what to do anymore.”
So, she said the Miracle Prayer daily, and for once in her very sad and tragic life, things were going good for her. She got out of that bad relationship she was in (and the karma that her boyfriend at the time accumulated was repaid.) He died of a heart attack as soon as he moved out of the house her and her boyfriend bought.
After she moved out, life just changed for her dramatically. She prays to God all the time and worships Him in mass. She finally went to confession, and she had years upon years to confess. But she said “After going to confession for the first time in years, I feel so good, like a burden has been lifted from my shoulders.” Ever since then, our Mother has been living such a good life.
I really do thank Catholicism for changing her life. She’s gotten a new lease on life, and she’s never been happier. My Mom has been through very very tragic events for a good portion of her life. But now that she’s with God, she can focus on actually living and not just going through the motions as she did for years on end. She’s become a very strong yet religious woman. She loves God very much, and thanks God each day, especially since she finally was able to afford her own house, something she has wanted for the longest time. I’m so proud of my Mother, and I’m so glad she’s happy, cause she deserves to be happy!
I didn’t tell you everything that went on with my Mother, but you can imagine how pure of a soul she is. She has a heart that’s bigger than a planet. She shows love everywhere she goes. She’s a rough person, she’s one of those women who have a rough exterior, but inside her heart is big and golden! I love my Mother, and her and I have a relationship that has grown since.
Catholicism can help someone. It really is the gift that keeps on giving with my Mother. I’m so proud of her.
What has Catholicism done for you? Do you find you have more inner strength? There are many success stories with Catholicism. What’s one thing that God has done for you in the Catholic religion?
