Memory Recall

MEMORY RECALL

“We have to be married by a priest before I can go back to the Catholic Church,” I told Velden.
“I married you once and I’m not going to marry you again,” my normally, mild mannered husband replied.
I’d just returned from meeting with the Priest. I thought the Lord wanted me to go back to the Catholic Church. Now Velden wouldn’t remarry me. ‘What am I going to do?’ I asked myself?
It all began four weeks ago. I took the children to church by myself as usual. Velden was out flying with Ed Bennett. Velden’s parents thought we should go to the Assembly of God Church while my Mother wanted me to go to the Catholic Church. Torn and disturbed between the two, I felt so all alone.
I settled the children to their area and joined the church service. It was when ushers served the weekly communion it happened. All was quiet as the congregation prepared for communion when suddenly a voice spoke to my mind.
“I want you to leave this church and go to the Catholic Church. Don’t ever come back to this church.” I wasn’t sure if it was God or not but I was afraid not to obey in case it was. I collected the children from the nursery and returned home wondering about the voice.
When Velden returned home I said, “I want to return to the Catholic Church.”
He paused and slowly said, “Okay, if that’s what you think you should do.” He wasn’t happy about it but thought I should make up my own mind. His mother said, “Its only natural she’d want to go back.” That didn’t mean they like my decision either.
I wrote to the Church Pastor to cancel our church building pledge since I was changing churches. It wasn’t long before he came to the house.
“The Catholic Church is a combination of paganism and superstition,” He told me.
My Dad always said people believed what they’d been taught while growing up. I thought, all this minister knows is what he’s been brought up in and taught. How do I know he’s right? I disregarded anything he said. I couldn’t take other people’s beliefs as my own. I had to see it for myself and I didn’t understand it his way.
Mable Nyland stopped by to tell me about an upcoming meeting. We both belonged to a Christian Women’s Club my friend Laura started. Ladies from different churches were part it. I considered myself a Christian because I believed in God and went to church.
“I won’t be coming to the meetings anymore because I’m going to back to the Catholic Church,” I told Mable. I knew the Catholic Church didn’t allow its members to attend non-catholic Christian organizations. My statement dropped like a bomb.
“Why, you shouldn’t do that,” she sputtered.”The Catholic Church is wrong about many things.”
“That’s a matter of opinion,” I told her.
“I’m going to get Fern Current. She’s better at talking than I am.” She said, leaving.
That afternoon Fern Current came. She tried to convince me why I shouldn’t return to the Catholic Church. They considered it the worst thing anyone could do. Nothing she said changed my mind.
Our next visitors were their Minister and his wife, obviously sent by Mable and Fern. They too, tried to persuade me not to return to the Catholic Church. I thought they didn’t know what they were talking about either. They like Christian minister only knew what they’d been taught.
“We’ll be praying for you,” he told me as they left. I didn’t think much about his statement at the time but it came back to me when things got rough Then I knew how much I needed his prayers.
I timidly knocked on the door of the Catholic Church parsonage where I was showed to the Priest’s office. I told him I thought the Lord wanted me to return to the Catholic Church. He gave me a booklet on the Catholic Church and what it believed and some Catholic literature.
“You go home, study it and come back to me,” he told me.
I did study the booklet carefully the Priest gave me on the Catholic Church. There were two parts. Part one explained the basic beliefs of the Catholic Church which seemed like the truth to me. The second part contained all the church traditions instituted by men through the years. I wasn’t so sure about them.
I went to the library to read up on different religions and churches trying to find the truth. The more I read the more confused I became.
Finally after studying the booklet the Priest gave me I was ready to join the Catholic Church. After all if it was the Lord speaking to me I wanted to obey him. I went back to see the Priest again.
He quizzed me about Velden and my backgrounds. He didn’t say much but I could tell he didn’t think our marriage would last.
“You and your husband need to take the instructions and join the Catholic Church. Then you will need to be re-married since you weren’t married by a Priest the first time. The church can’t recognize your marriage unless you are married by a priest.”
I went home to give Velden the message, thinking he’d go along with it. He was always so agreeable.
I was shocked when he told me he wouldn’t marry me again. I began to reason in my mind, if we don’t get remarried in the Catholic Church, then in the eyes of the church I’d be living in sin. Therefore I can’t go back to the Catholic Church. I must have only imaged the voice.’
I was greatly disturbed to think I must have mental problems. I didn’t tell anyone because I was afraid they might put me away in a mental institution.
“How did I get into this situation?” I asked myself.