My Life: Chapter One

I'm a Catholic. That comes first,and my approach to everything in my life stems from that fact. Please, I did not say GOOD Catholic. Mother Theresa was a Good Catholic; John Paul the Great was a good Catholic; St. Francis of Assisi (is that the right number of S's?)was a good Catholic. And there are many other good Catholics that "blush unseen" by all but their families and God. But I take the Church seriously; I believe in the infallibility of the magisterium, and when I perform actions that prove I am not a good Catholic, I do not pretend they are trivial. I rush off to confession sincerely penitent and usually end up disappointed by the small penance given. And I was thrilled when I saw on a TV in a shopping mall Joseph Ratzinger walk out on the balcony in white the day he was elected. He was my choice, and I was pleased that the Holy Spirit agreed with me. He was and is a brilliant theologian.
That "brilliant" part may be a bit presumptuous; I'm not a theologian. But I have read the works of a number of Catholic theologians, and some Jewish and Protestant ones, and, as I consider myself reasonably intelligent, (and do participate in the sensus fidelium), I consider his work intellectually thrilling and spiritually humbling. One thing that makes me bristle is when some Catholics and the New York Times talk about "conservative" and "liberal" Catholics. Some Catholics are uncomfortable with doctrinal change, but accept it when the Church approves; some like whatever new ideas come along, but realize they are not infallible and accept what the Church says. Many are somewhere in between. We are all looking to be with God, and the Church is the only way to get us there. The Church is eternal. Those who think there hasn't been a Catholic Church since John XXIII was elected and those who think the Second Vatican Council threw out all previous tradition are on the fringe. And I am, in an admittedly unchristian way, short tempered with those who read nothing of the Church's teachings but think, simply because they are Catholics, they can give authoritative opinions. My biggest peeve is with Catholics who don't know what "The Immaculate Conception" is, and, when you try to correct them, say, "Oh no, I'm a Catholic. I know." I made certain that all four of my children know what "The Immaculate Conception" is, and I trust that they have done the same for my eleven grandchildren. (That sounds like a lot, but I met a man in Uganda with 200 grandchildren. But then, he is Muslim and has more wives than I do. )