Dennis R. Berry, Writer/Editor

  “Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bid’st me come to thee, oh lamb of God I come. I come!” To many, these words are just lyrics to a song that they are forced to sing every Sunday at church. And, to some, that is the case. But not to all of us. Sure, they ARE lyrics, and they ARE sung quite often in many churches around the world on a weekly basis. But have you ever stopped to just think about what these words mean? We’ve all heard the story of the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. We know all about the “greatest story ever told.” These words.. these few simple lyrics, put the reason for Christ’s Passion into perspective if you stop and think about them. You see, if you’re like me (and trust me, unless you’re the pope, you probably are), you’re full of sin.. thoughts that go against your Christian nature, sudden moments where you want to throw up a finger and cuss at the guy who just cut you off in traffic because ...

April 2010. Easter. It was one of the most thrilling nights of my life up until that point. I had been preparing for almost a year (well, years, if you count all of the soul-searching and jokes.. more about that later). All within a matter of hours I was baptized, confirmed and took first holy communion. I was on the proverbial cloud nine. The Easter vigil mass was intense, with darkness and candles, trumpet blasts and rising lights at crucial moments. It was awe-inspiring and wonderful. For the first few months I was a faithful Roman Catholic. I attended mass, I took holy communion, I went to confession on a weekly basis, I went to holy hour whenever I could.. I did everything a good Catholic was supposed to do. The masses were relaxing and comfortable. But I soon began to fall into “just a routine.” I began skipping mass, making excuses not to go.. basically becoming one of those “cafeteria catholics” people always talk about. I had become the thing I swore I never would. But bef...