I am Catholic.
I enjoy being Catholic.
I could certainly be a stronger Catholic, but I am Catholic nonetheless.
And I am confused.
I wonder...why do some Christian religions (faiths, beliefs, whatev...) feel that Catholics are not Christians?
That hurts me.
I believe in Jesus.
I believe that He is our Savior.
That He died on the Cross for our sins. I believe that He will one day come again to gather us all in His arms and take us to be with Him in Heaven.
BUT...and I think, but I'm not sure, that this is where the big differences start...
But...I also have a pocket full of Saints and a Virgin in my arsenal as well (don't worry, I keep them separated). And, yes...I DO pray to them sometimes.
My theory, is that more is NOT less, when it comes to religion (well, in some ways)...and that by praying to a saint...I am NOT worshiping that saint, but using my voice in a different way, to get to Jesus.
And, as a mother...I call upon Mary a lot. She's kind of my go-to girl.
As many of you know...I birthed 5 babies without a lick of meds.
What many of you don't know, is that I prayed the Hail Mary over and over during those contractions. Yes, it WAS a prayer of perfect length for a contraction, but...I also thought, who better to have by my side, than the woman who birthed Jesus?
Now...those that know me well, are probably scratching their heads...thinking, "Whoa...this is out of Mama's box..." and I fully acknowledge that it is. Religion is not my strong point.
I often shy away from religion talks like I shy away from politics.
*shudder*
It makes me a little lot uncomfortable...probably because I am not as knowledgeable in my faith as I should be.
What prompted me to start writing, is that there has been a lot of talk around me of religion, and I've just gotten to thinking...I'm writing more to get my thoughts out, in black and white, than anything else.
I occasionally feel that many "Born-again Christians" (would "they" be Evangelicals? See...I'm not well versed in religion...) are trying to convert everyone to their faith.
Well...let me put this here...
I DON'T WANT TO BE CONVERTED.
Like I said above, I enjoy being Catholic.
I respect that my religion is founded by Jesus, backed by the bible, and governed by the Magesterium.
I enjoy the traditions of the Catholic faith.
I enjoy the Holy Eucharist.
Do I agree with everything I'm "supposed" to agree with as a Catholic?
Nope.
Not at all.
But, I still enjoy being Catholic.
Do I intend to force my religion onto others?
Nope.
Not at all.
But, I enjoy being Catholic.
Am I knowledgeable about my religion?
Nope.
Not at all.
But...I still enjoy being Catholic.
Am I well versed in scripture?
Nope.
Not at all.
I have a lot to learn. I hope I never stop learning.
But, I do know that I am a Christian.
And, that I enjoy being Catholic.
(*Stepping back into my box...and quietly closing the lid*)
I too enjoy being Catholic. I live in the Bible belt, that makes me a minority. I have lived in the South all of my life and every Ash Wednesday I have to explain why I have a "dirt" mark on my head. Surely after all of these years people of other faiths have heard of Ash Wednesday. Also, a common misconception is Catholics worship Mary and the saints instead of Christ. We pray to Mary and the saints to take our prayers to Christ since they have a direct line of communication and can ask on our behalf. Remember the Wedding Feast at Canna? Mary helped solve the problem by talking with her Son. I too love being Catholic and am proud to call myself Catholic even in the Bible belt. AJ
ReplyDeleteAs a very imperfect Catholic momma, I want to applaud you for this post!
ReplyDeleteI grow weary of defending my faith to others, but in doing so, it makes me a better Catholic.
Stumbled on this from blogfrog...what a great post! So well written! I heard a opriest say a couple of weeks ago that when we are questioned about accepting Jesus as our personal Savior to say we do-every week when we receive the Eucharist. Remember that all Christian religions flow from ours...
ReplyDeleteI noticed that you "enjoy being Catholic" a lot, but that statement concerns me. Christianity is about following Jesus and learning about his ways, his truths, not necessarily finding enjoyment in one set of religious traditions. Christianity is not always comfortable or enjoyable; just look at the lives of those who followed Christ in the Bible. Look at Peter (he was crucified upside down for following Christ)! What I'm trying to say is that a religion should not be chosen by the amount of enjoyment you find in its traditions, but rather it should be based on the truths you find in your own study of God's word.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know that you have inspired me to join RCIA this fall. My husband is Catholic and I grew up Lutheran and we attend Catholic mass. I find myself defending the Catholic faith all the time and your post just encouraged me to take that final step and become fully Catholic! I just wanted to say thanks!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same about my religion Mama. I am not Catholic, I'm actually a Mormon. And many people think that I am not a Christian either. I have a lot the same feelings you do though, I believe in Jesus Christ and that He lived and died for me. The thing that I have different is the Book of Mormon, and many people believe that because we have it, we're not Christians.
ReplyDeleteI've just learned that all I can say is that I know what I know. I know I'm a Christian. I know that I enjoy being a Mormon, just as you enjoy being a Catholic. And in the end, I know everything will be worked out.
My best to you Mama, and keep your head up high. :)
I love this so much!
ReplyDeleteYou've explained perfectly all the reasons I also love being Catholic. I also live in the Bible Belt and once had someone say "I'm sorry" when I said I was Catholic. So, I most definitely know how hard it is down here. Thanks for renewing my desire to start attending Mass again.
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