Five years ago I had never once believed in God, not even as a child. All my life I was a content atheist; it was simply obvious to me that God did not exist. I thought that religion and reason were incompatible, and eventually became vocally anti-Christian. In 2005 I began to have doubts about atheism and started this blog to ask questions of believers. Long story short, I blogged my way from lifelong atheism to Catholicism (my husband and I both entered the Catholic Church in 2007). I now write about faith after atheism. Welcome to my blog, I'm glad you're here!
Happy Easter!
I glanced at my computer this morning and was surprised to see my inbox filled with emails welcoming me into the Church. Thank you all so much, and thank you to all the other bloggers who linked here with well wishes.
Last night was actually more beautiful than I'd expected, and we were overwhelmed with the support we received from friends and family. I will write about it more when I get a free moment. Tomorrow we go to the church to have our marriage blessed, which is another huge occasion for us.
I need to get back to managing jelly bean consumption and Easter egg dying with the brand new white carpet that came with the new house, but I just wanted to post quickly to say thank you all for your kind emails and blog posts. Have a happy and blessed Easter.
Last night was actually more beautiful than I'd expected, and we were overwhelmed with the support we received from friends and family. I will write about it more when I get a free moment. Tomorrow we go to the church to have our marriage blessed, which is another huge occasion for us.
I need to get back to managing jelly bean consumption and Easter egg dying with the brand new white carpet that came with the new house, but I just wanted to post quickly to say thank you all for your kind emails and blog posts. Have a happy and blessed Easter.
Labels: Big Discussions, Good Days
Posted on
Sunday, April 08, 2007
at 1:22 PM | Permalink
| 
52 Comments:
Welcome Home and Happy Easter.
Stu
Welcome Home! I am so happy for you--you have been given the gift of Sactifying Grace--the grace you need to enter Heaven--I pray you will always treasure your gift!
Welcome home and have a Blessed Eastertide!
Happy Easter! And welcome to the Catholic Church!
Janet
Welcome Home! Happy Easter!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Congrats and welcome!
Welcome and congratulations! What a wonderful gift you have been given. I am thankful for your yes!
Welcome and congratulations! Your posts are always thoughtful and interesting, but your first confession story was really beautiful. So very happy for you and your husband today!
It is just beginning, Jennifer!
To live an intense and sacramental life is an incredible thing. It is NEVER boring either! And the depths of the Church can never be plumbed; it is so rich and there is so much mystery and beauty.
Thanks be to God for the graces you have been given!
Deo Gratias!
Ave Maria!
Welcome to the arms of Holy Mother Church. Congratulations for your successful journey. Have a blessed Easter and persevere in the Faith and in the works of love, so that one day, bearing without blemish before the tribunal of Our Lord Jesus Christ the white baptismal garment you have just received, you may partake in His kingdom, and there obtain everlasting life. May the Blessed Mother be always on your side, helping you, and guiding you. May She guide us all, that we may one day have our part in the Church thriumphant, in the society of the Saints.
I wish I could give you a hug Jen. Welcome home!
heard about you on the cafeteria is closed and followed the link. welcome home sis. happy Easter and alleluia. very inspiring to read your blog and conversion. thank you for being unabashedly honest. may your daughter be the joy of your days and your husband the strength of your life, and you always belong to the Church and God.
Christ is Risen, Alleluia.
- pio
Welcome home, hope u had a great easter!
Happy Easter Jen to you and your family, and hope you all soon feel right at home in that new house of yours.
I hope you got my e-mail.
Everyday this Lent I included a petition during the intercessions at Mass for those who were to finalize their sacramental union with Christ in his Church at the Easter Vigil.
So, a lot of people have been praying for you
Hmmm, tried to post this a while ago, but it apparently didn't go through.
Welcome Home! So glad comments are open for this. I have read all your archives and am awed at your beautiful faith journey and your tremendous gift for writing. Your post on your first confession is especially inspirational and touching. BTW, we share a confirmation name (patron saint). I, too, just love St Monica. May God grant your family great blessings.
Jen,
Found your blog in the middle of Lent and it took me a week to get caught up.
This is a wonderful story and I want to thank you for helping so many understand and share your process.
Welcome to full communion with the Church and her High Priest.
Laetare! Alleluia!
Dear Jen
I am a cradle catholic and I think I have never missed Mass in my life (well maybe once or twice) but reading your testimony, your thoughts on reconciliation, about your road to the Catholic Church did strenghten my faith and renew my love for it...
Thank you!
Since I came to live in the US I love going to the Easter Vigil and watch closely the baptism of the cathecumens and can't help being amazed and emotional about it.
You are really blessed. Thank you and welcome to our Mother Church.
Angie
Welcome Home my sister in Christ!! I'm so thrilled for you, and can't wait to hear more about your Easter!
Blessings to you and your family. Yours is such a beautiful and honest journey. I have delighted in reading your blog. Thank you for sharing this precious gift. The Holy Spirit is really working through you.
Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Welcome Home, Jen!
Congratulations! Hey, now that your marriage will be blessed, you have an excuse to go on a HONEYMOON! Woo hoo!
How exciting! I loved reading about your answered prayers, your first confession, and your entry into the Church! Fabulous! Congratulations.
Also, it IS a big deal to have your marriage blessed. Congrats again!
Happy Easter to you. My mother-in-law was just received into the Church on Easter Vigil as well.
BTW, I wholeheartedly agree with your earlier post; you do have the best commenters! I'm always amazed and in admiration at the quality of the words, wisdom and advice you've received. Kuddos to them.
Welcome to the Church!
Congratulations and God bless you, my fellow neophyte!
Welcome home and may God continually bless you and your family.
Happy Easter and Congratulations!
Welcome!
Jen, The sweetness of Jesus in the Eucharist will only grow with the passing years.Makes me sad for all the people who reject Him & sad for Him for being rejected!
Congratulations, and welcome home.
I found your blog through Amber at Rutabaga Dreams, and I'm really enjoying reading.
I feel funny saying "welcome" since I'm Anglican, not Catholic...but I'm so glad for you just the same! :)
By the way, I read your post "closing my eyes" and it made me think that you might find this book helpful: A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot. I'm working through it for the third time as I try to order my life in line with my vocation (motherhood) and I just keep finding more and more helpful and insightful bits in it. It might help you, too.
I wonder if the atheistic friend who greeted the news of your dawning Catholicism with, "Et tu, Jen?" has followed your blog.
If so, I wonder what that friends thinks now.
I'd enjoy very much reading about that.
Congratulations indeed, from San Diego California! Welcome to a big, messy family, not perfect in its human constituency, but flawless in its Divine commission. All you have to do to make your contribution, is to live it. May you do so with fervor, patience, and perseverance. Easter Blessings
Jen,
Welcome home to Holy Mother Church! May the Blessed Virgin Mary continue to lead you to her Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Many blessings from a fellow former athiest,
Ygnacia
Jesus, Mary, I love you, save souls!
Would you be so kind as to identify the parish you attend? We're planning a new church and I'd like to see some other pictures of your parish. Thanks and welcome home!
Welcome, Jen!
Have a wonderful Easter.
:)
Welcome home! Happy Easter!
Welcome Home!!!
How warm is the Tiber this time of year?
Only found your blog recently.
Welcome Home!
-JimmyV
You are inspiring to this cradle Catholic and you will no doubt inspire many to finding their true home. God bless you and your entire family.
Happy Easter!!!
(Yes, I'm a bit late in posting, but the cool thing is it's still Easter!)
And welcome home. I've been praying for you all weekend and I'm so happy for you.
And I'll second the recommendation for A Mother's Rule of Life. I just started reading it last week and plan to post a review of it on my blog when I'm done. But I've been meaning to write and recommend it to you since I finished the first chapter.
Congratulations and Happy Easter to you and your family! Peace be with you and your family.
I have just stumbled upon this blog and it has been a blessing to read about your spiritual journey. I won the lottery: I was born Catholic. I must admit, however, to being in awe of a person like you who has had the faith and courage to respond to God's grace in your life. I don't know if I would be that strong if the situation was reversed.
With respect to your wonder at how God can accept one who has "come late to the party" please try to focus on the parables of The Lost Son and The Workers in the Field who show up at different times and are paid the same wage by the master. Every one of God's lambs is precious to Him, especially those who were once lost and now have been found.
God bless! We are a better Church today than we were before gaining our new converts at the Easter Vigil.
Welcome to the Church! 'And once you have turned, may you strengthen your bretheren'. We need your fervor!
Happy Easter and many marital blessings to you and your husband!!!
Congratulations!!
I'm a new reader to your blog (and somewhat new to the Catholic Church--celebrating 5 years this Easter Vigil), and I have really enjoyed reading your passages right before Easter. It is a blessing!
BTW, regarding your previous post about being a mom and living in a convent. I am a mom with two young boys, and we live in an old convent (now our house). The convent doesn't seem to help my trials being a mom. Although, sometimes I feel guided to do the right thing when frustrated and want to take the easy way out. There is a good (spiritual) presence in our house-convent. The nuns of the past apparently approve of us (or at least accept us being there).
Oh I could cry! I have been so busy lately and I have not been able to stop by and see you and here you are all blessed and confirmed and a member of the family!
I am just so happy for you and so bless to have you in our church!
God is good!!
(Formly Another Catholic Mom... long story)
Congratulations! Just found your blog. What a story.
Congratulations Jennifer. Welcome home.
Dear Jennifer,
Congratulations on your entry to the Church and Happy Easter.
I keep you in my prayers.
Best Regards,
Mahsheed
Welecome Home! Congrats Jen and have a wonderful Easter season.
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