I love being Catholic

I need to say it—I love being Catholic. Of course, being in the faith that represents the fullness of truth like no other is powerful and moving, but what impresses me so much is how this truth is reflected in the life and history of the Church.

First, there’s the liturgy. It’s more than just ritual or symbol; its first half (the Liturgy of the Word) is a living expression of God’s word through scripture—and second half (the Liturgy of the Eucharist) is a celebration of the Word made flesh. Through the Eucharist, we can’t get any closer to God than by literal, physical communion!

But there’s more to it than that; Catholicism is so much more than the Mass. This is the faith, after all, that has attracted (or produced, depending on your point of view) more great minds than any other institution. The list of names is nearly endless—from the early fathers like Irenaeus, Origen, Tertullian, Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory Nazianzus, John Chrysostom, Ignatius of Antioch…each brought so much brilliance. Then of course there’s Augustine, who alone seems like the cornerstone of Western civilization. Moving through history, there are almost too many great thinkers and authors to name—Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Ignatius of Loyola, Thomas More…the list just goes on, up to modern times and such greats as Hilary Belloc, GK Chesterton (though I admit I can only take him in moderation), Fulton Sheen and of course our current Pope, Benedict XVI (whom I credit with literally saving my life).

And there are so many other areas that I find moving about the Catholic faith. Architecture, music, art, science…I can’t begin to write anything that conveys the important and beautiful contributions that Catholicism has made to my life and the lives of so many.

Still…all these great topics don’t capture all that is best about the Catholic faith. What keeps the faith alive is its people. Of course not every single person is a saint. But for me, that’s not a negative; I’m no saint myself, so it’s encouraging to me to find others who are on a spiritual journey to improve their lives and the lives of those around them.

With all this being said, what sort of a Catholic do I think I am? An improving one, I hope.