"With"

The sheep whisperer has a post about the funeral of Cardinal Lustiger with the most brilliant, pregnant bit of unidiomatic English...

A friend of his, (for whom English is a second language, presumably,) has translated a French report on the ceremony, and instead of the expected phrase, "converted to Catholicism," the kind translator tells us Aaron became Jean-Marie when he "converted with Catholicism."

Converted with Catholicism.

Isn't this felicitous, isn't this exactly right? Doesn't it speak perfectly to the conversion to which all men are all called? the ongoing conversion to which Catholics are most particularly called by virtue of the head-start we have been given?

We must all turn toward God.
And turning may not be the best description, as one can turn and remain we place.
We must turn toward and MOVE toward God.
And the path on which we move, the road on which we travel, the WAY is Christ Jesus.
Catholicism, the Church, His Bride is the means WITH which we may most easily, most completely, most surely do this.

Does everyone have to accept this or be condemned, must everyone believe as the Church teaches or be denied Salvation?

Not at all!

God is all-merciful.
In His mercy, He knows and allows for the fact that it is perfectly possible for us poor human beings to arrive at a destination without having an clear vision of what that destination is, without even knowing the name of the highway on which one has traveled.
Without knowing the Way.
Without knowing the Truth.
Without knowing the Life.

Ignorant though we be, we may yet arrive home safe and sound.

How often running around in the chevy has one thought oneself hopelessly lost, wasting time, perhaps even headed in the wrong direction, only to round a bend in the road and gratefully see, ah! there it is, just what I was looking for!

But when the Home-Owner has sent directions, has provided a map -- why leave the house without it?

And there's the "with."

We find our Way "with" the Church.
We convert, ever constantly, "with" Catholicism.

Thank You, Lord, for the Church with which to convert!

Interestingly, this post of Rocco's was right below a post that focusses on other little words: et...et. We Catholics are a people of Both/And

(Yeah, yeah, I know I'm blathering WAAAAAY outside any field of competence.... even shallow people are entitled to Deep Thoughts)