Can you help me to identify these new tears?

[Reaganorama]

I am a celibate, chaste gay man–55 years old, who just joined the Church.

Since joining OCIA, I’ve become overcome with emotion in things spiritual. I call them “Catholic Moments.”

In my second confession today, I talked with my priest about this. I was crying most of the time.

Tears of joy – of grief? Sadness or elation?

Does anyone have any insights?

God Bless,

Mark William

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi Mark,

Congratulations on coming home! You caught me off guard with OCIA. I had to check and found that it means Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. Most of us are more familiar with RCIA, the RITE of etc.

It would appear to me that your recent entry into the Catholic Church is the context of your tears. Such experience is so profound that it touches one on many levels. St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) to which I belong, is said to have had the “gift of tears” in that his awareness of God’s love for him moved him to tears whenever he thought of it.

Your tears sound like tears of joy to me because you belong completely to Him. If this is the case, let us hope that they remain with you for the rest of your life.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.