Mystery, knowledge, secrets, powers, miracles, there are all some of the reasons Catholics join the NAM. By our very natures we are attracted to mysteries. We all enjoy “knowing”. And who doesn’t like to be the keeper of a secret or believe they can possess “powers” or witness miracles! When we are involved in something like this it makes us feel special, different, set apart….holy!
While making my personal tour in the NAM, I was very intrigued to find out that almost half of all the people I met were former Catholics. In my mind, AT THE TIME, it was perfectly understandable. Catholics had rules that were “dated”. Catholics did the same thing over and over every Mass. Catholics were rigid in their thinking and Catholics believed in …oh no…SIN! How cliché! I could go on and on about the reasons given by Catholics for leaving the church and joining the cult of “I-am-my-own-God”; “I can create my own reality”; and more recently (even within the Church) “I can define and clarify my OWN values”. Wow what a deal! A deadly deal.
If I am my own God, create my own reality and define my own values than anything goes! But those are only the superficial claims good heavens; we have people WITHIN the faith doing the same thing today! We call them Cafeteria Catholics…they pick and choose which doctrines they like (maybe an order of the Blessed Virgin with a few Saints on the side please…but HOLD the Birth Control and Abortion issues, please, I’ll have none of that!). So while it is attractive to many Catholic to think this way, they have found that they no longer need to leave the church to “practice” their own personal brand of ”Catholic Faith”. I believe they are drawn into the new age to fill a grave need that the Catholic Church used to fill in ALL mankind… the need to be somehow connected with the MYSTERY AND MAJESTIY OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD.
I believe the real reasons behind the Catholic attraction are: Mystery, Majesty and Miracles. These attributes of our faith have been missing from the Church, dare I say, since the 1960’s and ‘70’s. The Fullness of Truth isn’t being taught. We are sterile and devoid of uniqueness and awe! Over 70% of today’s Catholic DENY the MYSTERY of the Holy Eucharist! And their children will do the same if some changes are not made soon.
I remember the nuns training us for Holy Communion. We were instructed to NEVER step foot on the altar of God. I remember looking up to that altar, the tabernacle, the windows, candles and feeling a tremendous sense of Mystery and awe! I KNEW there was something different, special, unique and POWERFUL about that area called “altar”. I also knew that the Sacrament of Communion was like a “magic moment” to remember forever! The All Powerful Lord of the Universe coming to little me- Majesty and Miracles.
In our Churches today the altar is not a special place, being occupied by just any old body who can grab a chalice and make Communion quick and painless for Sunday crowd... How sad this must make the Angels and Saints as they look on...How sad this must make Blessed Mother...How sad it makes our Lord.
How many young Catholics today experience any of Our Lords Majesty this in the marshmallow, powder-puff garbage they are force to swallow under the pretense of CCD!
I will not mince words here as I speak from the experience as a former CCD teacher. The books and methods of instruction are often abhorrent! I had a DRE tell me once that kids just "can't relate to 'that stuff' and that Jesus needs to "be their FRIEND"...you know, like Johnny on the ball team!!! 
Many times I would scrap the books and bring in a large picture of the Miracle of Lanciano and the eyes of even the most errant child were fixed on the image.
They looked at the dried blood in the chalice with a sense of wonder and excitement. This would spawn some excellent questions from the class. After one such class that I taught at a Catholic School, I received 30 thank you letters from the students telling me that they would always remember that miracle. They were like dry sponges soaking in the Mystery of the Lord and His Power and Majesty!While there are probably as many “reasons” given for joining the NAM as people doing it, I contend that Catholics are attracted by what they are missing (and know on some level exists) from our Faith.
The tremendous beauty Majesty, Mystery and Miracles of our Holy Faith is just not emphasized in weekly Masses like it used to be. Our faith has been marginalized by “higher critics” who seek to explain away all of the mystery and thus leave the laity with a hollow-cream- puff-nicety-nice- type faith. So the faithful are sitting ducks for any guru or psychic that will offer them some mystery, majesty and miracles, the meat of real Catholic teaching.You would be amazed at how many of these NAM practitioners have pictures of Saints, BVM, Jesus and sacramentals in their homes. You would be even more surprised to find them saying Catholic prayers during their psychic sessions or séances. (The devils deception at it’s finest.)
The laity needs to start asking for what they want from their priests and deacons. Ask for themselves and their children. There are excellent books about the Saints, Miracles of the Eucharist, Fatima and Visionaries. One NAM minister I know converted to the Catholic faith when he discovered the Incorruptibles!
God has given us signs and wonders within ordinary things! Like Confession and Holy Communion! Yet, Catholics are ignoring them! How sad. But if the laity will ask, we shall receive all of the Mystery, Majesty and Miracles we could possibly hope for. And this will in turn ENRICH our faith, fire up our desire for Union with Him, Set the Church on Fire for God once again! OUR WORLD NEEDS THIS SO DESPERATELY! We are in a crisis of Saints (Fr. John Rutler)! And Saints think about, meditated on and achieve the SUPERNATURAL! Above nature, Mysterious, Majestical, set apart.....HOLINESS!
The ranks of the Heritics and "Higher Critics" will deminish and the swell of real faith will take their place, not just in the pews, but at the Pulpit and in the Classrooms! Being Catholic will once again, MEAN SOMETHING SPECIAL.
In this Year of the Eucharist, let’s ask for His Majesty by demanding Benediction, let’s contemplate His Mystery by keeping a Holy Hour, let us renew our own wonder and awe by teaching a child about Jesus’ Mysterious Existence Within the small round “Bread of Life”.
Thank you and God Bless. St. John of the Cross, Pray for US; St. Teresa of Avila, Pray for US; St. Francis, Pray for Us; All Holy Saints and Angels, Pray for us.
Marguerite
