Why Catholic

Who is this God, this "being" that is greater than ourselves? He has revealed Himself to us, both in the way He has written the world, through the revelation in the Scriptures, and most importantly by coming to Earth as one of us, taking on our flesh, and revealing fully who He is.  This God is a loving creator God, who desires not just to be worshipped as an almighty infinite God, but desires to be in an intimate relationship with all of creation.  God is love.  So much that we know that love cannot exist in a vacuum, so we know that God is three persons in one God (the Trinity).  The Father loves and love must have another so there is the Son who loves in return, that love is so great that the love between them is the Holy Spirit.  God is three persons in one God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and He loves humanity greatly, He created humanity in an outpouring of His love, for no other reason than to love humanity.

Some look at the world and ask how can that be true.  Look at the earthquakes, fires, tornados, disease, pollution, poverty etc.  A loving God doesn't seem to make sense among all this death and destruction.  Let's propose a different world.  A world with no death, no disease, no pain. In this world all would have to act in accordance with the laws of nature, the common good, and the laws of the Creator.  In order to have this world one of two things must take place.  Either everyone freely chooses to do what is for the common good of others, or there is no free choice.  Looking at the latter, a world without choice is not a world with a loving God.  What loving parent wants their child to follow their commands simply because they have no choice.  It is precisely because the child has a choice that their decision to follow the parent’s commands shows love both from and to the child.  A loving parents commands are out of love, for the child to be able to have the best life possible, but the child is free to choose.  In a world where there is no choice there may not be pain, death and sorrow, but there is not joy, love or happiness. 

Looking at the world we find the freedom to choose.  This freedom gives us great responsibility.  Yet, when we can choose the good, we can also choose the bad.  Each choice has consequences.  Pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, wrath, lust and greed tear down the society.  God created a world with choice, gave this world the answers on how to live in accordance with creation, and humans freely chose to disobey.  We now live in a fallen world, a broken world.  Yet, God did not desire that it remain this way.  He sent Jesus (the Son, the second part of the Trinity) to redeem the world.  Jesus did not just show us the way to be obedient and love God but reversed all the previous disobedience by being obedient even unto death.  His death on a Cross is a saving act for the world.  It opened up the gates of Heaven and moved humanity on a trajectory toward salvation.  As we continue in this fallen world, He has opened up the graces (special encounters with God) that allow us to slowly transform into beings that desire the good over the bad. One day Jesus will come again, those who live in His grace will be saved, those that reject it will not.  The world will be renewed and only those who desire and chooses to live by the laws of God will live in the world, and death, destruction, disease, and misery will be wiped away.

In order for humanity to be transformed, God works within the parameters of His created world.  As humanity we are made of both physical bodies and spiritual souls.  These work together.  We learn from the body and understand from the soul.  These should not be seen as two competing entities, we are not trying to rid ourselves of the body, or ignore the soul.  In order for us to be one in how we were created, we use our bodies enlightened by our souls to be the loving creatures of God. Thus, the sacramental life.  In the Catholic Church there are the sacraments.  These are outpourings of the grace of God, done in a physical way.  What we see physically happening has a spiritual effect.  So, at baptism, the pouring of water over the person really washes away sin. In confession the physical confessing of sins, and hearing the absolution from the priest really forgives sins.  In Marriage the vows and placing of rings etc. really unites two people into one bound unit.  In the Eucharist Jesus really transforms bread and wine into His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in Holy Orders the vows and marking with chrism changes the man into another Christ, who can now act in the person of Jesus through the sacraments.  In the anointing of the sick, a spiritual healing takes place with the anointing of oils.  These sacraments have an eternal effect of slowly changing our own will to follow that of God.  They should be transforming moments.  In the Catholic Church you will also find many sacramentals (rosaries, medals, holy water, blessed oils etc.), these do not have the same effect as a sacrament but point to the sacraments.  You can find statues, and paintings, works of art.  These again are not for idol worship, but help our physical beings understand and see the spiritual realm.  The Catholic Church is full of physical manifestations of the spiritual world.  These all point to and help us realize the real grace offered by God.

Our moral code and compass in the Catholic Church can feel like rules, much like a young child hearing the rules of their parents.  Yet, as adults we know these rules are not arbitrary, but point toward realities.  An example, "don't touch the stove" because it could be hot, yet as we grow, we learn how best to use the stove.  Yet, the moral code is more than just this idea of how we will or will not be hurt in this world. The way we live the moral life brings us closer in relationship with God.  Since He is the author of the world, when we live according to His laws, we are living in the way He has created us to be.  What we do, in every action, either teaches us to love God or to turn away.  The Church gives guidance in how to love God better. 

When we allow God to transform who we are, we turn to virtue instead of vice.  We transform to decide to sacrifice our own good for the good of others.  We give of what we need instead of what is in abundance, and we follow the law of God.  We pray for and act toward the kingdom of God being a reality on Earth. We pray for that day to come when Jesus will come again and transform our world.  On that day all will freely choose to live in accordance with the laws of God and truly love.  Then we shall be free and live in a world without suffering.   

To learn more about the Catholic Church contact your local church and ask about their OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults {formerly RCIA -Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults}) which is the program not just to become Catholic but first to learn more and explore this way of life.