The example of my little brother

I grew up in a small town in the south of France, on the shores of the Mediterranean.

My family is Catholic by tradition but does not practice. After my first communion, I stopped attending school. As a teenager, I was in total rebellion, harboring strong preconceptions about believers. For me, they were depriving themselves of living and inventing imaginary friends to accept the human condition. When people questioned me, I didn’t just answer that I was an atheist, I declared that I was against religions.

My little brother started practicing regularly and talking a lot about his faith, to the point that my parents were worried: wasn’t he becoming a fanatic? I noticed, for my part, that it made him more cheerful about life, more positive in his interactions, more mature. Discussions with him were always very deep. By observing his life as a believer, it made me wonder.

Finally, I decided to attend a mass in Grenoble where I am studying. It was the 1st Sunday of Advent. I had chosen this mass, telling myself that if I had to “reconvert”, the Christmas period would be a good opportunity to get back on track and experience a strong and unifying moment of faith. I went there with apprehension, thinking I wouldn’t know how to behave. Once there, my fears were completely dissipated. I felt at home.

Since then, I have gone to mass as often as possible and my outlook on the world has changed. Previously, I was a little closed, a little provocative: I always wanted to support the opposite position to that of my interlocutor. Now, my relationships are calmer. I am more conscious in my actions, I am less on “autopilot”. Every evening, I review my day, I think: how can I become a better human being?

I pray at least twice a day, and, if possible, I do it with the Liturgy of the Hours. Of course, this goes a little against what my parents’ generation did. However, society no longer provides enough hope. I think it can be good to reinject a little faith into it. Today, I try to ensure that all my actions are focused on the hope of salvation. It carries me.