I was raised Catholic... But

      What's crackin'? Sorry, I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Anyways, welcome to the blog, Modern Day Disciples. Before I write anything else, I would like to make one thing very clear. The authors of this page, including myself, are not saints or anything close to holy. We do not have VIP passes that get us a relationship with God. No, we are just like you. We struggle with you, and we share in your loneliness, doubt, confusion, depression, addiction, and all other insecurities. So do not be discouraged by our stories and think,"I'm just not holy enough," or "I just have too many problems to be a good Christian." God came to save sinners, and that's who we are until we die. If you are looking for an encounter or an intimate relationship with the creator of the universe, He will meet you where you are. You probably heard the saying, “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.” That's true, and the stories that you'll  find on this blog are stories of healing, 'cause God knows we all need it. 

      Alright, now it's time for my story. My name is Alex. I'm 17 years young, a rising senior, from Ennis, Texas. (Which is such an obscure small town that autocorrect doesn't know what to do with it.) Anyways, my story begins much like many of the stories on here will begin...

I was raised Catholic...

      I went to mass every Sunday with my family, and at Sunday School I learned about God and Noah's Ark and David and Goliath, but until the summer after my 7th grade, I had never truly experienced God, or encountered the Love he has for me. I was missing out on the reality that God has an amazing plan for me. 

      That summer I went to The Pines, a week long Catholic summer camp, where with the help of my camp counselors and cabin mates, I was able to open myself up to God. During the week, I had the opportunity to go to confession, but I was reluctant to go because I hadn't been to confession in... a long time, and I barely even knew how to go to confession. 

      However, the priest was incredibly gentle and patient with me, and as uncomfortable and scared as I was before confession, as the priest helped me recall my sins and recite the act of contrition, I began to feel every insecurity, everything that made me so uncomfortable about confession fall away, and instead I felt calm and peaceful. I knew that this moment of my life had been planned for a very long time.

      At the end of the confession, the priest asked me if I had a rosary, and I said no. He then pulled a rosary out of his pocket and handed it to me:

      It is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. 

      The love that I felt that day, the love that priest showed me, created a burning inside of me, an insatiable craving, that would continue to grow after that day to the point where I am now discerning if God may be calling me to the priesthood, where I can share His love through the ministry of sacraments.

      Brothers and Sisters, if you haven't been to confession in a long time, if you have chains that are weighing you down, sins that make you feel unworthy, if you have never tried opening yourself up to the Lord, I encourage you to go to confession, and let Him in. He is waiting. He is ready, at all times, to unleash upon you every grace and gift. 

John 8:36 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."       
If you want to talk, my email is walexfry@sbcglobal.net and my cell phone number is 972-825-3477
God Bless,
Alex Fry