The Faith of the Fortunate

My faith is not something I simply believe on the basis of family tradition, though certainly it has its roots in the way I was raised. It is something studied, experienced, and practiced throughout my life. As a Catholic for 74 years, my faith bridges Vatican II with neither regrets nor expectations. It matters little to me whether an organist is playing Ave Maria or a guitarist is playing Amazing Grace; I am equally present to God's presence wherever I go to pray.

There was a time in my forties when I realized that I did not know God in a personal way. I wondered how one gets to know God. Two words came to mind: read scripture. So I began reading the Bible -- a practice uncommon among Catholics at the time. Years later, while alone in a motel room, I was moved one night to get down on my knees and surrender myself to God. It was a most unusual experience I shall never forget. It took away all doubts about God's loving presence in my life.

The practical and vocational side of my faith embraces marriage and family as top priority. My professional work, though rewarding, has always been a means to end and not an end in itself. Fifty-one years of married life, the raising of 10 children, and the enjoyment of 33 grandchildren speak to what my adult life has been all about.

The generation before mine is often referred to as the "great" generation.

I think of my generation as the "fortunate" generation. I have been fortunate in so many ways, and I sometimes worry that I am not grateful enough.

I was fortunate for the family in which I was raised, for 14 years in Catholic schools, and four years at the United States Military Academy. I was fortunate to find a wife whose faith inspires my own. Upon leaving military service, I was fortunate to find a job in which I was able to support my family and develop skills I use to this day working part time as a computer programmer.

Mostly I am grateful for a faith that recognizes God as a God of mercy.

Without His mercy I would long have given up in despair trying to overcome plaguing faults. This faith rests in Jesus Christ who died once for all, allowing me to know and accept myself in truth.

--Jim Devereaux, Ijamsville, Md.