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I was born a Roman Catholic, and therefore in the jargon of the day I am called a cradle Catholic. I thank God for my membership in His Church and want to share some of the reasons why being a Catholic makes me happy.
- Eucharist - as a Catholic, every time I go to Mass I receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ - as He is in Heaven today! You can get no closer to God this side of heaven. Catholics take very seriously indeed Christ's instructions to eat His Body and drink His blood as found in the Gospel of John Chapter 6.
- Bible - At every Mass besides being fed the Bread of Life we receive generous portions of the Word of God to further enrich our souls.
- Preaching - At every Mass the priest explains to us what the readings we just heard mean and how to apply them to our lives. I know Protestants say we can interpret the Gospel for ourselves but then why are there thirty-thousand denominations each with a slightly different interpretation of the same concepts? I feel safer relying on the Holy Spirit working in accordance with the promise of Jesus to keep His Church, the Bride of Christ pure and safe until He returns.
- Reliability - The Catholic Church has never once changed her doctrine. She teaches the same truths that were handed down to her by the Apostles. It is the Sacred Tradition that assures me that her teachings are true. One example of how her teachings have not changes comes to mind. Back in the 1950's all churches stood united against birth control and abortion. These things were viewed as evil and against the Law of God. One by one the denominations gave in to "modern thought." One by one they began to allow birth control and later on abortion was seen to be okay. The Catholic Church stands virtually alone today in speaking up for the rights of the unborn and continues to preach against the culture of death afflicting the world today.
- Real First Century Christianity - Some denominations today are trying to get back to the original teachings of the Apostles and the Church Fathers. Well, the Catholic Church is already there and as a matter of fact, she never left the teachings of the Apostles. Remember that for the first fifteen centuries there was only one Church, the Catholic Church.
- Universality - The Roman Catholic Church is universal. It is not a national church, it is open to all. It has one leader, the Pope, successor of Peter whom Jesus appointed as the leader of His Church. We can trace the origin of the Catholic Church to that day when Jesus gave the keys of the Kingdom to Peter.
- Sacraments - The seven sacraments of the Church are opportunities for her members to experience the gift of grace of God in different ways. I have already mentioned the Eucharist, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Triumphantly Raised Jesus but there are six more sacraments each providing grace for the soul.
- Reconciliation - Yes, reconciliation is one of the seven sacraments but I have to mention it separately because it is such a powerful gift. Some Protestants say that a priest has no authority for forgive sins. They do not take into account the words of Jesus when he said; "Those things you loose on earth are loosed in heaven, those things you bind on earth are bound in heaven." This gave the power to forgive sins to the Apostles and to those that followed. Some say that they go direct to Jesus and pray for forgiveness so they do not need to confess to another human. Well, okay, but if we take the words of Jesus seriously we need to ask ourselves if a priest can forgive sins, how will the priest know if he is going to loose or bind unless we tell him our sins? I go to confession regularly - because I sin regularly. I confess my sins to God's minister and he in the name of Jesus and His Church grants me pardon and absolution for all of my sins. I in effect get to start over again, grace floods my soul and I try to not commit the sins I confessed again. To experience forgiveness is to experience love in its most exquisite form. To hear the words of absolution gives me assurance that the rend I created in the fabric of my relationship between God, man and His Church has once again been healed.
These are but a few of the reasons that I have for the joy in my heart that I experience because I am a Catholic. My Church is despised by those who think her ideas are outmoded. She stands as a conscience to a world that has lost it's way. She points in loving ways as to what should be and she, like her founder receives a crown of thorns for the trouble. I will never, ever, leave the Catholic Church for She is the repository of all we know of God, His laws and His love.
God bless you and your family and friends, Come home to the Catholic Church. Below please find some links that you may find helpful. Remember, I answer questions about faith, I am happy to do so. I do not respond to hate mail.
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