David Cataldi is fifty-five years old and has been studying the Word of God since the age of eight. Before he began studying, his mother would read religious stories to him and his...visualizza altroDavid Cataldi is fifty-five years old and has been studying the Word of God since the age of eight. Before he began studying, his mother would read religious stories to him and his brothers. With each story, she made a point to pass along the moral implications. From his earliest memory, he had a firm belief in God. He will admit that he was no angel by any means, but his faith was always well-rooted. He hopes that God has smoothed out most of the rough edges by now, but is aware that life is a continual learning experience.
David had choices when it came to his religious upbringing. His father was an atheist who taught his children these views with as much enthusiasm as his mother shared her faith in God. Young David found himself at the crossroads of the biggest decision of his life. He had to decide whether or not to follow his father and believe in nothing but himself or to follow his mother’s example and believe in God and live a life of faith.
David always looked up to both of his parents for different reasons. He saw his father as a physically powerful man. As a young boy, he watched his father lift automobile engines and transmissions. To a child, such shows of physical strength were awe-inspiring. In his mother, he saw a different strength. It was a quiet strength that seemed to have few limits. Yet as David looked at the world around him, he felt that God’s existence and the biblical teachings made far more sense.
David grew up in a small town midway up the New Jersey coast. The group he grew up with was generally a rowdy bunch, and fights were commonplace. A fair number of them met with untimely deaths. It was only by the grace of God that David feels he survived childhood. It was in this setting that an eight-year-old boy chose a life of faith over a faithless life.
David did not choose to become a teacher or a religious leader. As much as he enjoyed studying theology, he was still drawn to being a mechanic like his dad. He enjoyed manual labor, but he still tried to spread the word of God as much as possible. David has worn many hats and has had many jobs, but his faith and the word of God have been constant.visualizza meno