I Love Verts!

I was having breakfast with some girlfriends recently when one of the moms got on the subject of sacred music. She's an ex-Catholic who recently returned to the Faith. A revert, as opposed to a convert. You couldn't help but get pumped up listening to her - she was so on fire about music and all things Catholic.

It was then that my dear friend Ann exclaimed, "I just love verts!!!"

I couldn't help but crack up. I never heard converts and reverts referred to as "verts." I think Ann has coined a new phrase.

And she's right. I love hearing the conversion stories of new Catholics. They seem to have a fire burining in them. They come to the Church, not because they were born into it, but because they chose it. They know more about the Catholic Church than many cradle Catholics in the pews.

However, I've never really thought too much about reverts. Perhaps, because I'm one of them. Yes, I left the Church for a while and then came back. It's a long story, but in a nutshell: I had a wild, misspent youth. I didn't leave the Catholic Church for Protestantism or any other organized religion. I was, well, quite frankly, a heathen.

I've long envied those of you who have always been in the bosom of Mother Church. Those of you who have always loved Church teaching. Those of you who have always lived Church teaching. Oh, to have few reqrets and know that you have pleased your Lord!

I can't change the past. Only the future. I don't make excuses or justifications for past sins, but I try to learn from them. Hopefully I'm doing a good enough job that people will someday look at me and say, "I just love verts!"