Don’t you just love when you find great people doing great things? Of course you do. That’s why you are going to love reading May’s male voice for the “Why I Love Being Catholic” series. His name is Fouad and he is a Lebanese-American living in Winston-Salem, NC. I came across Fouad when he joined a blogging group I’m a member of and learned that he has a heart of compassion for those suffering around the world. He is just starting out his platform, so I encourage you to show him some love on social media. Fouad reads news from around the world and then writes beautiful prayers for those suffering in different parts of the world. His prayers would be a great thing to add to your rosary intentions or daily prayer list. You don’t even have to think them up, he’s written them for you. So often we just focus on our own little world and I’m grateful that there are people like Fouad out there that realize we have brothers and sisters suffering in ways we in America cannot fully understand. Please find Fouad on Facebook @humanitarianprayers, Instagram @fouadabourizkcreates, Twitter @fouadabourizk, his blog site is medium.com/humanitarian-
1. Are you a cradle Catholic or a convert? If a convert, from where did you convert?
I was raised Catholic but never paid much attention during Mass or faith formation and was not devout at all. When I was 16, I read a book called “The Good Life” by my favorite rapper, Trip Lee. The premise of the book was “the good life is living by faith in God and everything he offers us in Christ.” This book opened my eyes to see the Gospel and that the joy coming from it is better than the worldly pleasures I was pursuing. Shortly after I read that book I started going to Mass regularly. I was very attracted to Protestantism by my friends and the music I listened to, but when I had questions I would always ask the Catholic priest and thought his answers made more sense than the Protestant pastor. I’d say that’s what kept me Catholic.
2. Who is one of your favorite saints and why?
My favorite saint is Saint Cherbil because he is Lebanese, like me! His miracles are incredible. He was a priest and died in 1898, but in 1993 he visited a paralyzed woman and performed a surgery on her. When she woke up there were surgical wounds on her neck and she was healed, but the doctors didn’t do it. She said Saint Cherbil appeared to her in a dream and performed surgery on her. This woman is still alive and they host a celebration with her once a month at his monastery in Lebanon! I think that is super cool.
3. Besides the Eucharist, what is your favorite part of the Mass?
I always enjoy listening to a good homily, though I often forget most of what the priest said by the time Mass is over.
4. Where is the best Catholic place you’ve visited? Where do you hope to visit?
The coolest Catholic place I’ve ever visited is Mar Qu’Shia monastery in Lebanon. They have two sanctuaries there built into the cliff face. The sanctuaries are basically in caves and it is really cool!
5. What’s a myth or misconception you hear about the Catholic faith? What’s the truth of it?
A misconception of the Catholic faith that I think of is that we pray to Mary and the saints instead of or in addition to God. I have been told and I like how someone said we pray “through” the saints. When you think about the words of the Hail Mary prayer, we say to Mary “Pray for us sinners…” For a non-Catholic, I compare it to asking your pastor or friend, whom you believe is very faithful, to pray for you because in some way you see them as closer to God and their prayers as being more effective.
6. Why do you love being Catholic?
I love being Catholic, because I know it’s the one true church that God wants us to be a part of. I love being Catholic, because when I do something really bad I can go to confession. For non-Catholics, who don’t have the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I think they’re really missing out on the true knowledge of having the burdens of their sins lifted.
