Crossing the Tiber

Catholics are frequently criticized for beliefs that the Church doesn’t even hold. When beliefs they actually do hold are mocked, usually it’s because Church teachings are imperfectly understood.

Public ridicule seems to be more frequent lately. My biggest disappointment was hearing a program on a local Christian radio station talking about some so-called teachings of the Catholic Church. The host wasn’t just discussing them, either, but actually laughing at them.

Yet he was 100% wrong in what he was talking about.

I wrote to the general manager but never got a response. Needless to say, I don’t listen to that station anymore. I can only conclude that the owners believe that Catholics aren’t Christian.

Still, would they present beliefs of non-Christians, such as Jews or Muslims, without bothering to make certain they were accurate first? In the areas where they disagree, would they laugh at them?
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I find that to tell people I’m Catholic means I have to be ready to defend my faith. Sadly, sometimes that means defending it even to other Catholics. I’ve found that, at least where I live, Catholics are often not taught their catechism well at all.

In Crossing the Tiber, author Steven K. Ray tells the story of his family's Protestant background, their misconceptions about Catholicism, and their eventual conversion. I bought this book in part because readers often commented about the extensive documentation. I was curious what made this family decide to become Catholic, and I wanted to know what kind of research they had done so I could refer others to it.

This book is worth reading for many reasons. In telling his conversion story, Mr. Ray discusses their biggest obstacles to believing in Catholicism and explains clearly what the Catholic Church teachings are on those issues and why those beliefs are held. If you’re tempted to think he is just picking and choosing his arguments, you can easily check it out because the documentation is extensive.

It doesn’t explain all of the Catholic teachings. That was never its intent. Instead, it explains some essential issues in depth.

This book is a good start for non-Catholics who want to better understand Catholicism, but it’s also a great book for Catholics. If you are a Catholic without a strong understanding of why the Church holds certain beliefs, I would highly recommend this book. If you’re to the point of considering leaving the church, please don’t go any further until you have read this book and some others, including a basic catechism. The people I personally know who have left Catholicism were, like most non-Catholics, full of misconceptions.

If you cherish and understand the Catholic Church, this is still a great book to read. Unless you have a parish that worships well and a priest like our local priest, one whose passion for God makes him glow as he speaks, it’s easy to get into the routine of Mass and forget what it's all about, how truly incredible it is.

This book will bring that back. Reading the author's excitement and awe at his first Mass reminds you of the uniqueness and wonder that we are invited to partake in each and every week.

In Mr. Ray's first book, you could feel his excitement from the beginning. It makes me want to read more of his works. A brief glance at his website shows he has several to choose from. You can find them here.

In the meantime, I’m starting to read The Shattered Lantern: Rediscovering a Felt Presence of God by Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I. You can read my thoughts about a different book of his I’ve read called The Holy Longing. I’ll let you know what I think of this one.