I was a cradle Catholic as well, but had quit going to church except for Christmas and Easter, and whenever I felt guilty about not going.
After a number of years of being virtually an atheist myself, God put me in a circumstance where I was beought to the end of myself.
I finally told Him “ If You can straigten out this mess of a life of mine, You can have it. I’ll do anything You want, even become a missionary and go to Africa, (the most desperate thing I could think of. Definitely at the bottom of my bucket list.) because I’d rather be happy doing what you want than continue going on as I am.”
Those exact words. I still remember doing that like it was yestersay, and it’s been 37 + years now.
Praise God that He took me up on that.
I’d never go back to the old life. I count it all as rubbish for gaining Christ and being found in Him.
You both gave up Jesus in the Eucharist as you went.
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; 38 for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”
47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”