I grew up Catholic during a very different time in America.
Catholic school, church, prayer, and discipline were simply part of everyday life.
We went to Mass regularly, and faith was treated seriously.
There was reverence when you entered the church.
You knew you were entering a place set apart for God.
Looking back across eight decades, I realize those years taught me many valuable lessons.
My faith journey eventually took me in a different direction.
I became Baptist, and later became part of the Full Gospel movement.
Today, I am a Spirit-filled Christian and an evangelist.
But I have never forgotten the lessons Catholicism planted in me.
Some lessons stayed with me throughout my entire life.
I Learned Reverence for God
One thing Catholicism taught me was reverence.
Church was not treated like another social gathering.
You entered quietly.
You lowered your voice.
You understood that worship concerned something greater than yourself.
There was a seriousness about God that made an impression on me.
Today, my worship may look different.
My theology has changed in several areas.
But I still believe we should approach God with reverence.
The Bible says:
“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints.”
— Psalm 89:7
We can worship joyfully without becoming casual about God.
He is our loving Father.
But He is also the Almighty God.
I Learned the Importance of Discipline
Growing up Catholic taught me discipline.
There were expectations.
There were rules.
There were responsibilities.
You learned that faith involved more than feelings.
You did things because they were right, not because they were convenient.
That lesson served me later in the Marine Corps.
It served me throughout my working life.
It has also served me in ministry.
Feelings change.
Circumstances change.
Commitment keeps you moving when feelings disappear.
Jesus said:
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
— John 14:15
Christianity requires more than saying we believe.
Our lives should demonstrate what we believe.
I Learned the Value of Prayer
Prayer was woven into Catholic life.
Some prayers were memorized.
As a child, I sometimes repeated them without understanding their full meaning.
But something important was being planted.
I was learning that people should talk to God.
Later, I discovered a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Prayer became more than words I had memorized.
It became a conversation with my Heavenly Father.
Yet those childhood prayers had taught me something valuable.
When life becomes difficult, turn toward God.
Don't run away from Him.
I Learned That Faith Should Be Part of Daily Life
Religion wasn't reserved for Sunday morning.
It followed you home.
It followed you to school.
It influenced how you behaved.
It reminded you that God saw more than your Sunday appearance.
That remains an important lesson today.
Christianity should never become something we wear only inside a church building.
Jesus should influence our marriages.
He should influence our businesses.
He should influence how we treat strangers.
He should influence what we do when nobody is watching.
Real Christianity goes home with you.
I Also Learned That Religion Alone Isn't Enough
This became one of the greatest lessons of my life.
A person can attend church faithfully and still miss something essential.
You can know prayers.
You can know ceremonies.
You can know church traditions.
You can know when to stand, kneel, sit, and respond.
But knowing religion is not the same as knowing Jesus Christ.
That realization changed my life.
Jesus did not simply call us into religious activity.
He called us to Himself.
He said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
— John 14:6
My greatest discovery wasn't another denomination.
My greatest discovery was a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
I Learned That Christians Should Respect One Another
As I grew older, I encountered Christians from many denominations.
I met Catholics who deeply loved God.
I met Baptists who deeply loved God.
I met Pentecostals and Full Gospel believers who deeply loved God.
I also met people from every denomination who sometimes disappointed me.
Denominations are made of human beings.
Human beings make mistakes.
Jesus remains perfect even when His followers are not.
We should be careful about condemning everyone whose worship differs from ours.
We can disagree about doctrine without becoming enemies.
Jesus prayed that His followers would be one.
Our loyalty should ultimately belong to Christ.
I Learned That Tradition Can Have Value
Some Christians hear the word “tradition” and immediately consider it something bad.
But not every tradition is wrong.
Traditions can remind us where we came from.
They can connect generations.
They can teach respect and responsibility.
The danger comes when tradition replaces truth.
Jesus warned against traditions that made God's Word ineffective.
Tradition should never become more important than Scripture.
But neither should we discard something merely because it is old.
We should examine everything through God's Word.
Keep what is true.
Release what is not.
I Learned That Buildings Aren't the Church
Catholic churches often created a powerful sense of sacred space.
The altar mattered.
The sanctuary mattered.
The building was respected.
But eventually, I learned something even greater.
The church isn't the building.
The church is the people.
Paul wrote:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?”
— 1 Corinthians 3:16
God does not live only inside beautiful buildings.
His Spirit lives within believers.
That means worship can happen anywhere.
It can happen in a cathedral.
It can happen in a country church.
It can happen beside a hospital bed.
It can happen aboard a ship at sea.
It can happen while walking alone through a pasture.
Wherever God's people seek Him, He can meet them there.
I Learned That My Childhood Was Part of God's Journey
I don't look back on my Catholic upbringing with anger.
I look back with gratitude for the good things it taught me.
It taught me reverence.
It taught me discipline.
It introduced me to Scripture.
It taught me prayer.
It taught me that God mattered.
My understanding of Christianity grew as I grew older.
There were things I questioned.
There were doctrines I eventually understood differently.
But God used those early years as part of my journey.
The boy sitting in Catholic school could not see what was ahead.
He couldn't see the Marine Corps.
He couldn't see the oilfields.
He couldn't see marriage and children.
He couldn't see the hardships, victories, failures, and second chances.
And he certainly couldn't see himself preaching the Gospel decades later.
But God could.
What I Would Tell That Young Catholic Boy Today
If I could sit beside that young boy today, I know what I'd tell him.
“Pay attention.”
“Some of these lessons will stay with you for the rest of your life.”
But I would tell him something else.
“Don't stop with religion.”
“Keep searching until you truly know Jesus.”
Church membership cannot save you.
A denomination cannot save you.
A preacher cannot save you.
Good works cannot save you.
Jesus saves.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith.”
— Ephesians 2:8
That truth became the foundation of my life.
My Journey Continues
I began my journey in the Catholic Church.
God eventually led my life through other Christian traditions.
Today, I preach the Gospel as a Full Gospel evangelist.
But I haven't forgotten where the journey began.
I am thankful for every person who pointed me toward God.
I am thankful for every lesson that survived the passing years.
And after more than eight decades of life, I have learned something important.
God can use every chapter.
He can use our childhood.
He can use our successes.
He can use our mistakes.
He can even use the roads we eventually leave behind.
The important question isn't where your Christian journey started.
The important question is:
Do you know Jesus Christ today?
Not simply your church.
Not simply your denomination.
Not simply your traditions.
Do you know Him?
Because when this life is over, that is what will matter.
— Evangelist Mike Cunningham
