Lesser things, My Catholicism

The last time I was weirded out by something was earlier this year. I was reading the Bible and reading puritan theology. (That leaned toward being Catholic on Sanctification.) When all of a sudden, I look down and see a certain T-shirt. I had just recently ordered the major works of Anselm, and Augustine's Confessions from Amazon.com. They were in the Mail. Well I look down and see this T-shirt:



This was also right before I started doing serious exegesis on the sacrament of baptism.(Things circling around spiritual baptism, covenantal theology, mikvah, mode, and regeneration. This study included a few references from church fathers like Tertullian.)

With all this catholic stuff around me, I had a week in which I felt almost Catholic. It was quite strange. I felt as if maybe I was turning into a... Lutheran!?!?!?!? In retrospect, it was rather funny. I had also read certain Greek Orthodox sources that more or less said that Protestants were still in the Shadow of Rome.

Finally, I have one thing to say about all this Catholic Stuff. Mass is a bunch of Hocus Pocus!! (Latin:"Hoc est corpus", "This is the body.") At least, it seems in all of this that I have not dropped my hatred of potpouri in all its forms. Especially, the "Made in Italy" kind. I am only able to be charitable to Catholics that do not follow the Pope. (ie Greek Orthodox)

Around this time it seems that I have been getting what every reformer had. A catholic education. Good or bad. Take it or Leave it.

My overall impression at looking into the sum of Catholic History is that you see some that get it and some that don't. Some that see the source of every blessing as Christ. Others that trust in the Church without the distinction to the source of the actual grace. It all becomes very complicated. It is hard to say at times that they all hold "salvation by works", when a long while back they didn't.