Thoughts for the Journey Home (ePub)

Non-Catholic clergymen and women who become Catholics find great joy in answering God's call. But the road home can be long, weary, and full of obstacles. Along the way they must wrestle with difficult questions, the opposition of family and friends, anxieties about finding a new livelihood, and much more. Thoughts for the Journey Home offers insight, encouragement, and hope to those who face such struggles. These essays are the fruit of author Marcus Grodi's personal experience as a clergy convert and his work with those who have taken similar paths. Grodi, a former Protestant pastor who entered the Catholic Church in 1992, is the founding president of the Coming Home Network International, whose mission is to help non-Catholic clergy come home to the Church. The Network has assisted more than 1700 clergymen and women who are on this journey from more than a hundred Protestant, Orthodox, and non-Christian traditions. The author's reflections help readers grapple with a number of critical matters facing the clergy convert or potential convert: * intellectual issues such as religious authority and conscience; the necessity of the Church; faith and works; Scripture and Tradition; biblical interpretation; and the lessons of Church history * spiritual issues involving Marian devotion, redemptive suffering, the Eucharist, and the other sacraments * personal struggles with doubt, anxiety about the future, vocational guidance, and problems that may arise in relationships with loved ones. Thoughts for the Journey Home provides wisdom and strength for those who are exploring the claims of the Catholic Church, those who are on the path to the Church, and those who have already entered the Church yet need encouragement. Lifelong Catholics will find it useful as well in helping friends and family members they hope will someday come home.