Becoming Catholic, Again : Connecting the Faith We Live with the Faith We Were Taught

We all belong to groups, whether we were born into them or have chosen to join them due to prevailing similarities or common interests. Being a part of certain groups can be the essence of our identity, and it can be devastating to lose that feeling of connection with our group members or leaders. Catherine Brunell, a young Catholic wife and mother, has struggled with this dilemma; and while she may no longer have the absolute faith she did as a nun-adoring child, she has developed an adult faith that reconciles any differences. Brunell helps Catholics move from a childhood faith to an authentic adult faith in __Becoming Catholic, Again__. In the style of a personal narrative, Brunell examines how to maintain an authentic spiritual life and a connection to the Church in a postmodern world. She thinks back to an Ash Wednesday when her father rubbed cigarette ashes into the Sign of the Cross onto his forehead instead of attending Mass. Although in shock at his nonchalance at the time, she is encouraged by his ability to find the middle ground between the pressures of everyday life and his mother's unyielding religious expectations. In her father's compromise, she finds comfort in holding onto her own faith while waiting for the realization of her spiritual path in moments of discernment. Brunell invites us to find solace in her story—and to realize that faith can be approached as a route to personal discovery that can lead to spiritual growth. We all belong to groups, whether we were born into them or have chosen to join them due to prevailing similarities or common interests. Being a part of certain groups can be the essence of our identity, and it can be devastating to lose that feeling of connection with our group members or leaders. Catherine Brunell, a young Catholic wife and mother, has struggled with this dilemma; and while she may no longer have the absolute faith she did as a nun-adoring child, she has developed an adult faith that reconciles any differences. Brunell helps Catholics move from a childhood faith to an authentic adult faith in Becoming Catholic, Again. In the style of a personal narrative, Brunell examines how to maintain an authentic spiritual life and a connection to the Church in a postmodern world. She thinks back to an Ash Wednesday when her father rubbed cigarette ashes into the Sign of the Cross onto his forehead instead of attending Mass. Although in shock at his nonchalance at the time, she is encouraged by his ability to find the middle ground between the pressures of everyday life and his mother & rsquo;s unyielding religious expectations. In her father & rsquo;s compromise, she finds comfort in holding onto her own faith while waiting for the realization of her spiritual path in moments of discernment. Brunell invites us to find solace in her story & mdash;and to realize that faith can be approached as a route to personal discovery that can lead to spiritual growth "Everywhere I go, I find Catholics moving into adult faith and also longingfor adult faith--usuallywithout even knowing it. Here is an excellentbook that can partnerboth groups on their journeys. Becoming Catholic, Again is deeply personal, very readable, and quite solid theology too. You don'toften get all three!" -- Fr.Richard Rohr,O.F.M. For many Catholics, practicing one's faith may have felt much simpler as a child. This was true for Catherine Wiecher Brunell; but as she matured, she encountered a tension in her faith--a disconnect between the faith she learned as a child and the faith she lived as an adult. In Becoming Catholic, Again , Brunell shares her realization of a spiritual identity that is congruent with both her lived experience and ChurchTradition. Becoming Catholic,Again examines how to maintain an authentic spiritual life and a connection to the Church in a postmodern world. For example, Brunell describes her experience with "theology of inadequacy": if we only prayed more and did more, then blessings and grace would flow. But that attitude might actually box God out of our lives--to find grace, we should focus on the lives we lead and meet the needs we see in the world from where we stand. Brunell invites us to experience a faith that grows through personal discovery. Like Brunell, we may no longer have the absolute faith of a child, but we can nurture an adult faith that reconciles any differences. For many Catholics, practicing one's faith may have felt much simpler as a child. As Brunell matured, she encountered a tension in her faith-- a disconnect between the faith she learned as a child and the faith she lived as an adult. She examines how to maintain an authentic spiritual life and a connection to the Church in a postmodern world