Receptus
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Erica was received as a catechumen last night. A fascinating coincidence of events brought a catechumen into our parish last night, as well. She expressed to me exactly the same fears that Erica expresses on her blog, and they resonate with my own fears when I myself faced the forkéd paths. In fact, I have had to face them twice — once when leaving Canterbury for Rome and then again when taking the ship from Rome to Byzantium. The first turning was not so bad, since it seemed natural and logical. The second was awful — “having accepted the Magisterium of Rome, will I be held culpable on the last day for leaving the Bark of Peter?” That was my main fear. “What if I just damned myself?” Erica asks. I resonate completely.
If catechumens did not question their decision, question their very ability to make it, I would be suspicious. All is as it should be. Many years to both, and welcome home!
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3 Responses to “Receptus”
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January 13th, 2004 at 10:09 am
“If catechumens did not question their decision, question their very ability to make it, I would be suspicious.”
Really, so there is no place for someone who walks in the door and finds that they are home? Heather and I never had any reservations when becoming catechumens, at least not in the way you are insinuating. We had found the Truth and our Home, and did not look back once or falter in our step (due to doubts about our choice at least) on the road to the Eucharist.
So is our faithfulness and love for Orthodoxy now suspect? I would hope not.
January 13th, 2004 at 3:36 pm
The two of you had already done a lot of work before becoming catechumens. I was suspicious of your initial enthusiasm, but time has told the story. Suspicious doesn’t mean cynical or skeptical or anything bad, just healthily cautious. Besides, this is why I’m not the priest.
January 13th, 2004 at 7:37 pm
I would think using the word cautious would have been better then, since suspicious means: Tending to suspect; distrustful, which is the way I was taking your statement, not as simply “healthily cautious”.
Another demonstration as to the limitations of the web as an adequate medium to have a discussion… no context and body language.
Oh, I hope you will be at prayers tomorrow night, I have special greetings for you from someone in GA.