I’m Catholic. What Does it Mean to Be Born Again?

IN OUR TRAVELS this week to Arizona, I met a young woman one morning. After speaking together for a bit about all the people gathered in Arizona for Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, she asked me what does it mean to be born again? We’ll call her Claire for this true story.

Claire said, “I am Catholic and I don’t know what it means to be born again. Can you tell me?”
I shared some verses from the Bible about the power of Jesus’ life and death on our behalf, and then recalled my experience at the age of eighteen. How I was born again and received the Holy Spirit.

“I was raised Catholic too, Claire. My parents enrolled me in catechism classes at St. Rita’s Catholic Church when I was a boy, and I learned some of the aspects of being a Catholic and what Jesus’ life meant. And yet, I didn’t know what being born again meant or what it was to be saved either.
I said, “I was 18 years old, just out of high school and in my first year of college as a music major when I learned. I was practicing my guitar, singing a song by myself atop an iconic mountain in Northern California called Mount Tamalpais, when about eight people, a couple of years older than myself, trudged down the hillside and sat down in the grass around me. I remember the name of one. His name was David Best. He was married and his wife was with him. They were all charming, and after a time of chatting, they asked me, “Are you born again?”
My response, probably with an inquisitive expression, was, “What’s that? Being born again, what does it mean?”
One of them said it means this: “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. It’s Romans 10:9-10.”
I remember my thoughts to this day. I’d never heard such a thing in my lifetime. (We didn’t have cell phones and the internet, you know.)
“Claire asked me, “What did you do?”
“It made perfect sense to me. To confess Jesus as my savior and to make him Lord in my life. It just fit. They explained that I would have eternal life with Jesus as my brother and that I would become part of the wonderful family of God, along with all Christians—forever.”
“So, what happened?” she insisted.
“They asked me if I wanted to be born again.”
“Well, what did you say?”
I said, “Now? You want me to do this right now, for you?”
They said,” Yes. Right now.”
“I know I paused for a moment.”
“And?”
“And, I said, no.”
“Oh, gosh,” Claire said. “What happened then?”
“Well, they all left after a time, and David and his wife invited me to their home for fellowship—if I wished.”

Claire put her hands to her face. “So…”
“… As they crested the hill and were out of sight, I stood up and asked Jesus Christ to save me. I wanted Jesus to be the Lord of my life. I waited. I wasn’t sure what would happen. Within minutes, I knew it would become the most memorable day of my life. There was no thunder, no earthquake, no lightning, simply the stillness and peace of God that filled me and i knew life had changed forever.  I packed up my guitar and headed up the hill. I was now the son of the most-high God and forever a part of the kingdom of God.”
We spoke awhile longer but Calire had to hurry to work. You probably wonder what happened to Claire in this story. I offered to help her in any way I could to find a church group in her area. And truly, I too learned a great deal in our time togeather.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gives the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but it’s God who gives the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6–7)

Gratitude,

Anthony Barbera

9-22-25