I love to tell the story; the rest of the story.

I love to tell the rest of the story!

Paul Harvey and Paul Harvey jr. have the knack of telling the rest of the story. In the song are the words I love to tell the story. When I was a boy I learned the story of Jesus, who is God and man, died for my sins 2000 yrs. ago, but forgave me, rose again from the dead or loves me enough to do all this for me as my friend. I was a WASP and belligerent. But I tried to live as a Christian Free Methodist. They are a strict Evangelical church which was nicknamed Holy Rollers. I had an issue with self-love, started smoking, drinking and having other addictive behaviour. I became an agnostic and had psychiatric issues too. I tried to seek the Father again but made slow progress. I was still a hypocrite by the time I was 50. But the story does not end there.

Through the Roman Catholic Faith I discovered our attempts to seek the Holy Spirit is nothing compared to how we are sought by God. I was Baptised into new life, really born again, Confirmed and sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Father welcomed the prodigal son home. It was not the day I was born again that made the difference but frequently availing the Sacrament of Conversion does. Christ’s body was not just symbolised by bread at communion but Jesus: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity is present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It was no longer just me and Jesus for it but Christ and us in union with the Church. The history we were taught was not the truth I know now. King Henry VIII was not fit to be head of the church, the Pope is. Calvin was not justified, St. John of the Cross was. Martin Luther didn’t improve the church, St. Teresa of Avila did. The Wesleys were not heroes of the faith, St. Alphonsus Liguori and St. Junipero Serra are. My spiritual heritage did not come from Bs. Fairburn and Bs. Roberts but comes from St. John Henry Newman and St. Therese di Lisieux.

               I’m afraid my Protestant brothers and sisters don’t know the rest of the story. We both love to tell the story, but I love to tell the rest of the story.