I am a Catholic who doesn’t really fit that ‘stereotypically Catholic’ mould. I love rock/metal music and people who have a dark sense of humour. Most of my friends aren’t Catholic, and I don’t really have any practising Catholic friends either.
In December 2014, I went to a Catholic retreat called Youth 2000. The name of the retreat was ‘Take Heart’. One of the main reasons I went was because I saw it as an opportunity to find like minded, Catholic people who were my age. Finding practising Catholics my age these days is harder than finding a needle in a haystack, so I felt it was an opportunity I could not miss. However, I have to admit I found the whole experience pretty uncomfortable. I didn’t feel like I fitted in, and it was a pretty alienating experience all in all. Although there were some positives I got out of it, if there was one word to sum up my own experience at ‘Take Heart’, it would’ve been ironically, disheartening.
The impact of that retreat also left me seriously questioning whether it was worth still calling myself a Catholic, or whether I’d be better off as a ‘non denominational believer’. Quite a few of the people from Youth 2000 added me on Facebook. A lot of the articles they post I strongly disagree with, to the point where it’s left me frustrated. They are pretty conservative based posts, and it gives an impression that if you don’t agree with what they say, then you’re not really a Catholic.
However, I feel that God is currently showing me signs to stay as a Catholic. I will be using this as an opportunity to post blogs on my more ‘alternate take’ on Catholicism. I don’t know if it is necessarily in line with Church teachings, but I am sure it would be in line with what Jesus said in the Gospels. I have started to realise that life is a quest for truth. I feel it is important to question the legitimacy of what you believe, because you don’t want to be living a lie. I am not saying I have all the answers, and obviously my views may change over time. However, at this moment in time, I certainly have a lot of questions to ask and general things I need to get off my chest. So hopefully, whether you’re a Catholic, Christian, or non believer, you will be able to find these blogs interesting and maybe even relatable to you!
jrajak10 