Can you believe we've gone through a whole year of the "Why I Love Being Catholic" series? The time has flown. My last interview is with one of my favorite bloggers out there. Anni from A Beautiful Camouflaged Mess rounds out the year for us. I'm so excited to feature her! Anni is a military spouse like me and I relate to so many of her posts. She is one of those ladies where when I see she has a new post or blog out, I have to read it. She always gives me something to think about. I highly encourage you to follow her, I've included all her handles at the bottom. I think you'll really love her answers, especially her favorite Catholic place that she's visited. For the last interview, I'm happy to welcome Anni.

1. Are you a cradle Catholic or a convert? If a convert, where did you convert from?

I am a cradle Catholic. I did leave the Catholic Church for a while to worship in non-denominational churches, and was a "Catholic in name only" for several years. After the birth of my oldest, I realized if I was going to call myself Catholic, I should probably know why and what that entailed. For the past five years, I have been living and breathing "all things Catholic," as I have devoted time to learning more about my Catholic Faith, and figuring out how to best share said faith with my children.

2. Who is your favorite saint and why?

I have a lot of front runners - I love the message of Divine Mercy, so I consider St. Faustina near and dear to my heart. But, as I look at all of the saints, I would have to say I am most deeply drawn to St. Peter. A couple years ago, I read Brant Pitre's book, "Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist." I realized as I read that book that Peter, flawed and sinner as he was, was still handed the Keys to Heaven. I loved how Brant Pitre explained on page 107, "Essentially, Peter was saying, 'Lord, I don't fully grasp what you just said, but I do know who you are.'" If Peter couldn't fully grasp things, and he was right there in the thick of things, but he kept trying and he believed in Christ, then there is hope for me, too! 

3. What has been your favorite Catholic place you've visited? Where do you hope to visit?

The most peaceful place on earth I have ever visited was Moloka'i, Hawai'i. On the island of Moloka'i, separated from other islands by the ocean, and separated by the rest of the population by cliffs, was the site of the leper colony run by now-Saints Damien of Moloka'i and Marianne Cope. I was blessed to tour the pilgrimage sites with an Army chaplain, a motivational Catholic speaker, evangelist, and writer (Meg Hunter-Kilmer), and a dear Army veteran and wife who (most likely unknowingly) provided me with inspiration in deepening my practice of the Catholic Faith in my daily life. 

4. What's a misconception about the Catholic Church that you often hear? What's the truth of it?

I think the misconception which rankles me most is, "Catholics pray to saints." It's one which I also fight internally, and have decided wording is essential. Much like I ask another (living) person to pray for me, so too do I ask the souls of the faithful departed to pray for me. Those souls - especially the saints the Church recognizes as being in Heaven - are closer to God than I am in the current state of the Church (being fully alive). So, I often think long and hard about the wording when I pray... specifically when I ask a saint to intercede on my behalf. 

5. Besides the Eucharist, what's your favorite part of the Mass?

I love Jesus! But, since you said "besides the Eucharist," I will have to say since I began blogging a couple years ago, I have fallen in love with the homily. Even if I don't get an opportunity to listen fully because of the kids - or, because of my mind wandering - I have learned that period of the Mass helps me set the stage for receiving the message God wants me to hear. It might be a message delivered through the priest's homily, or it could be a message delivered as a whisper into my heart. Either way, I have found the period of the homily helps center me to reflect fuller on God.

6. Why do you love being Catholic?

I love being Catholic because it is where I have found myself drawn the closest to Christ. I have been blessed to know some very God-fearing, holy priests - either as active duty Army chaplains or as civilian priests working within our military chapels - who have helped me learn the Faith deeper on a more nitty-gritty intellectual level. But, ultimately, I have found myself closest to Christ in devotions like Adoration, sitting with Him, staring at Him in the Monstrance or sitting by the Tabernacle in the Blessed Sacrament chapels. Being Catholic has led me to a deeply intense passion for our Lord, and allows me to receive His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity every single time I go to Mass. And, I am awed, amazed, and humbled by that gift - of receiving Him, but knowing and believing it is Him! 

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