I love being Catholic! I love that the Catholic Church is the oldest continuous institution in the world. The Holy Spirit must lead the Church to have survived all the scandals and difficulties and remained without error in its teachings. I love that the Catholic Church has an unbroken line of 266 popes going back to St. Peter the Apostle, the Rock on which Christ built his Church (Matthew 16:18). I love our sacraments. In each of them, we personally interact directly with God. I love the solemn and consistent way we celebrate Mass. This consistency can be found as far back as the second century writings of Justin Martyr. I love that we have Magisterium, the teaching office of the Church. After all, the teaching office is the only thing that Christ left when he ascended. The New Testament was not written yet. Other than writing in the dirt, there is no record of Christ writing anything! He left us eleven men and told them to baptize and teach (Matthew 28:19-20). I love our Hall of Fame, the communion of saints, and I ask for their intercessions in the same way that I ask you to pray for me.
Yes, I love being Catholic, but I am not oblivious to Church’s critics and history. I know about the sexual abuse scandals of recent years. I know about the excesses of the Renaissance Popes. Martin Luther was not wrong when he said the Church needed reforming. It certainly did in Luther’s time and in many other times in history. Luther’s mistake was rejecting the Church and the clergy. If you think that Christ did not expect that there would be sinners in the Church, read the parable of the weeds among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). If you think that the early church did not have scandal, read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. Scandal and difficulties have been part of the Church since its birth. While the Church has suffered through all these difficulties, it is also the home of such wonderful people as St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), St. Francis of Assisi and Pope St. John Paul II!
Yes, I love being a Catholic . . . The Relentless Catholic™!
I love your posts and grateful that you have chosen to write them. I love the church as well and it feels like going home every time I go to Mass. I guess it is like the voice of an old friend or being with your parents in the home you were raised in…..So familiar and warm!!!