What Does It Mean to be Catholic?

What does it mean to be Catholic?  What does it mean to follow Jesus? 

The simple answer would be that being Catholic means a person is baptized in the Catholic Church. 

Being identified as Catholic starts with Baptism but it is more than that.   

There are people who are cultural Catholics.  The term “cultural Catholic” has been used to identify a person whose identity has some connection in the Catholic Church.  Their parents had them baptized as infants.  Their parents had them baptized because that (historically) what their family does.  They go to church on Ash Wednesday, Christmas, and Easter because that’s what they do (culture).  Family funerals and weddings happen in the Catholic Church but they may not attend Mass much else during the year.  They mark “Catholic” on forms that ask their religion, but their faith is not deep.  They do not have an active personal relationship with Jesus.  They know about Jesus but they may not really know Jesus.  The teachings of Jesus do not define their lives.  The teachings of Jesus do not serve as the foundation of their lives. 

They want to receive a place in our Father’s house as Jesus promises in John 14:2.  They may even know that Jesus died on the Cross so that our sins might be forgiven.  However, either they are not transformed by knowing this or they take God’s forgiveness for granted.  They think everyone gets into Heaven (that’s not what Jesus says – see my article “Proof That Hell Exists”).  They want to be Heaven but only after they live their earthly lives the way they want to. 

Does this express what your Catholic faith means to you?  Or does your faith mean something more to you? 

What about the Ten Commandments?   

Do you see the Ten Commandments as a set of rules or, together with the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), are they a way of life (see my video presentation, “Are They Rules or a Way of Life?”)?   

Do you keep the Ten Commandments?  Can you name them?  If you try to keep them, do you see them broadly or narrowly?  For example, do you see the Sixth Commandment, You shall not commit adultery, narrowly, as only prohibiting sex with a person besides your spouse?  Or do you see the Sixth Commandment broadly, covering all aspects of sexual behavior? 

Do you know which commandments Jesus says are the two greatest commandments?  The two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor.  What does it mean to love God?  What does it mean to love our neighbor? 

You won’t find loving God listed as one of the Ten Commandments.  Yet, loving God is what the first three commandments call us to do. 

Likewise, you won’t find loving our neighbor as one of the Ten Commandments.  Yet, loving our neighbor is what the remaining seven commandments call us to do. 

There are those who think being Christian and loving our neighbor means we ignore their sins.  You won’t find that in the Bible!  A parent who loves their two-year old child does not allow them to touch a hot stove.  Why?  Because they want to protect their child from the pain and  injury touching a hot stove will cause them. 

If we love our neighbor, it is our desire to help them avoid the pain and injury caused by sin.  We warn them of their sins (see Ezekiel 3:17-21) without judging them.  In accord with Jesus’ instruction, we stop judging others (per Matthew 7:1).  Jesus gives us an example to follow in how He treats the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11).  He does not condemn her but He does tell her, “do not sin any more.” 

If we are Catholic, we try to help others to stop sinning.  We also firmly resolve, with the help of God’s grace, to sin no more ourselves and to avoid the occasions of sin.  We may sin but we do all we can to open ourselves to the conversion that leads us from sin. 

If we are Catholic, we realize how much we need God’s help.  We recognize that we cannot save ourselves.  We need Jesus to save us.  If we are Catholic, we realize that when we celebrate the Eucharist, we are celebrating the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary that God makes present for us on the altar at Mass. 

If we are Catholic, we strive to follow Jesus.  Following Jesus is not just the early disciples following Jesus in geographic terms as He traveled from town to town.  To follow Jesus is to live our lives in accord with all that Jesus teaches.  We do not get to pick and choose.  A life of true faith in Jesus is not a buffet of Jesus’ teaching where we pick and choose what we believe and ignore what we disagree with.  We may not understand all that Jesus teaches but, trusting in the love that God our Father shows us in sending Jesus to save us (see John 3:16-17) and the love that Jesus shows as He lays down his life for us (see John 15:13), we trust what He teaches us. 

You see, if we truly seek to be Catholic, Jesus is not just a way, a truth, or a way to life our lives.  Jesus is not just one voice among many (see my article, “Many Voices: Who Should We Listen To?”). 

Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life.” No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6).   

Do you continue to struggle in sin?  Do not be afraid.  Jesus has the remedy for your sins.  It is his death on the Cross.  Do your best to follow him.  When we fall short, we come to him for the Sacrament of Healing known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Come to Jesus with a repentant heart and He will heal (aka reconcile) your relationship with him that you have broken in your sin. 

If you want to be Catholic, surrender your life to him.  Allow him to deliver you from evil. 

Peace, 

 Fr. Jeff