On Being Catholic

Some thoughts on Christian unity and on being Catholic and on the greatest commandment…

This past New Year’s Eve, a group of us got together for a cul-de-sac party. We sat around the fire pit, sharing food and catching up on the news of the past year and contemplating resolutions for the year ahead. At some point, the conversation turned to religion, and my neighbor Jeri turned to me and said, “What does it mean to be Catholic?”

This question caught me by surprise. I don’t remember my exact words, but I basically said that, for one, some of our beliefs are different. Holy Communion, for example: Protestants believe that Communion is symbolic, but Catholics believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. I said that Catholics believe in the teaching authority of the Church: we believe that when Jesus founded His Church, He gave the Church the Authority to teach on matters of faith and morals, and to be a Catholic in good standing, we must accept that Teaching, even if we don’t understand it, even if from our limited human understanding it seems hard, or unfair. I also remember saying that I don’t believe that being Catholic makes me any better than anyone else; if anything, it gives me more responsibility.

“…Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
--Luke 12: 48

I wondered if I had answered well. We all of us agreed, however, on that cold winter evening, that it was very cool that we could be together like that. All of us from different backgrounds, different countries even, and different faiths, that we could come together in a spirit of friendship – very cool.



Someone once asked Mother Teresa if it was important to be Catholic. She answered, “Yes, for me and for every individual, according to the grace God has given to each.” The person persisted, asking her if what church a person went to was really important, and she responded:

“It is important for the individual. If the individual thinks and believes that his or her way is the only way to God, if they do not know any other way, do not doubt and so do not feel the need to look elsewhere, then that is their way of salvation, the way that God comes into their life. But from the moment that a soul receives the grace to know God, it must begin to seek. And if it does not seek, it moves away from the right road. But God gives to all souls that He creates a chance to meet Him and to accept Him or reject Him.”
--Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Blessed Teresa was stating the teaching of the Catholic Church: there are many ways of knowing God, and one does not have to belong to a particular church to go to Heaven.

“The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these (other) religions. She has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and teachings, which, although differing in many ways from her own teaching, nonetheless often reflect a way of truth which enlightens all men.”
--Dominus Iesus

Obviously, however, not all faiths can have the same level of Truth. Like Blessed Teresa said, it’s all about grace, and our individual response to God’s grace. The questions each of us must ask ourselves are, “Am I being honest with myself? Am I making an honest effort?”

What does it mean to be Catholic? The word catholic means “universal” – the Catholic Church is meant for everyone. After all, we are all of us children of God; we are all of us brothers and sisters. Knowing this, I am able to forgive and to love.

Another good friend, “Mario,” feels this way:
“The Roman Catholic Church possesses the certainty and fullness of Truth, with Sacraments of both intimacy and mercy.”

I know there is a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment out there. I’ve heard and read some very mean and hateful things said about Catholics, and there are those who believe that Catholics are not even Christians. Wow. As a Catholic, I would never say that about anyone else. Where is the love in that?

I’m reminded of something my friend Kevin wrote a couple of years ago to someone who was putting down the recently deceased Pope John Paul II:
“I will pray for you. I belong to a Church that does not conform to the secular ways of this world. I belong to a Church that holds to the ideology and moral teaching of Jesus Christ. I belong to a Church with a long lineage back to Jesus himself. I belong to a Church that does not have a cafeteria style menu teaching that allows me to select and choose what I believe, and cater to secular morality just because the world teaches us that it is OK to kill unborn children, murder an innocent woman because she can't feed herself, that same gender relations are OK to call marriage, that birth control is OK. I am grateful to belong to this Church, a Church that has a Magisterium that has studied for 2000 years, and passed the teachings and traditions of Christ Himself on. It is called the Catholic Church, and I praise God that the leaders of this Church will stand strong under the persecution of this world and have the moral servitude to say no to secularism. May God bless you and open your eyes. You don't draw people to God by tearing apart other religions. You draw them to God by loving them. Try it; it works.”

My friend Kevin had an incredible conversion experience some years ago – Jesus’ Love touched his heart, and Kevin became a new man. You can see this in Kevin, the love he has for Jesus, how it has filled him. When he talks, it flows out of him.

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
--Matthew 22: 36-40

The Church Jesus founded is based on love. We’re supposed to love each other, to take care of each other, to support each other, to give to each other, and hold each other accountable. We are supposed to sacrifice for each other. And we are supposed to forgive each other, even those who would be our enemy.

“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”
--Matthew 5: 44

We are all of us God’s children, and our Father in Heaven loves all of us the same, from the greatest Saint to the most wicked sinner. And He expects all of us to love each other. To me, this is what being a Catholic is all about. It’s not about being right; it’s about being good, as our Father in Heaven is good.

So is it important to be Catholic? For me, Darrell, Yes, it is important to be Catholic. As a human father, I love my children and want only good for them. So I teach them and give them rules to keep them safe and to teach them to lead good lives. Sometimes my children don’t like my rules because their understanding is limited. Jesus has given us His Holy Catholic Church – a Church meant for everyone – to guide us because our human understanding is limited. But this is my understanding and my belief, and I will judge no one for not believing the same.

As my friend Padraig says, “At the end of the day we will be judged on love.”