10 Things to Know About the Catholic Faith

"The primary reason for evangelizing is the love of Jesus which we have received, the experience of salvation which urges us to ever greater love of him. What kind of love would not feel the need to speak of the beloved, to point him out, to make him known? If we do not feel an intense desire to share this love, we need to pray insistently that he will once more touch our hearts."  Evangelii Gaudium 264. 

I love these beautiful words about the spirit of evangelization from Pope Francis.   

 Alas, even though we can have the spirit of evangelization, sometimes we lack the  catechism  to explain what we believe. I have found a really great resource to help. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis recently posted a fantastic document called "10 Things We Want  You to Know About the Catholic Faith"  which can be found on the Archdiocese of Indianapolis website as part of their "Year of Faith" initiative.  The text of that document can also be found below.  Much gratitude to Ken Ogorek, from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for permission to share these wonderful explanations  about what we believe.

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1. We’re Christian….

“Are you Christian or are you Catholic?”  We hear that a lot and our answer is yes!  Yes we’re Catholic and yes we’re Christian.  Jesus is the center of our lives and our Catholic faith calls us to a personal relationship with Him as well as membership in His Body, the Church.

2. We Love the Bible…..

The Catholic Church is Bible-based! We proclaim Sacred Scripture at daily Mass and even more on Sundays.  The prayers of the Mass and many of our personal prayers use the words of the Bible.  Holy Scripture is incorporated with our lifelong religious education.

3. A lot of good things get done when we work in faith….

Catholics feed more people, clothe more people, shelter more people, educate more people and provide medical care for more people than all religious groups on earth.  It’s not a contest.  We encounter Jesus when we serve with fellow Christians and all people of good will.

4. We don’t always live up to our high calling…..

We’re supposed to be friendly, welcoming and joyful.  But we don’t bat a thousand in those areas.  If you’ve ever visited a Catholic parish and felt unwelcome, please come back.  Through prayer and service to others we try to show the love of Christ in all we do.

5. Although we don’t worship her, we think that the Mother of Jesus - Mary is very special….

When you have a good friend, chances are you know her or his mother and probably appreciate her role in helping your friend be the person that she or he is.  The Person of Jesus has a mom.  In the same way you’d ask a family member to pray for you, we ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for us and all who seek her Son our Lord.

6. Our authority structure helps us offer clear and consistent teaching…..

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would keep his church free from error in her doctrinal and moral teaching.  That’s a tall order, but Jesus keeps His promises and calls the successors to the Apostles – our bishops throughout the world – to teach in His name with authority and love.

7. We believe that one way Jesus keeps His promise to be with us is through the 7 Sacraments…..

We can see, touch, taste and smell as well as hear, God made us that way!  In the Sacraments we personally experience the presence of Jesus in ways that complement our encounter with Him in the Bible.  In word and Sacrament Jesus has a personal relationship with us as our Savior.

8. Our worship is unique in a good way….

God loves us too much to leave us guessing about how He wants to be worshiped.  While Jesus died and rose just once to save us all from sin and death, the Mass allows us to be present for that most pleasing sacrifice, and to please our heavenly Father by our worship.  Prayer services are great.  Talks can inspire.  But the Mass is how we fulfill Jesus’ command to “Do this in memory of me.”

9. We want all people of good will to work with us so that together we can build a civilization of love…..

A person of good will knows that some behaviors are better than others and wants to work with all people not based on opinions about right and wrong but on truly discerning the best courses of action for individuals and communities.  People of good will come in all shapes, sizes, colors and faiths.  We love and respect you.  Let’s work together to know and do God’s will.

10. We would love to have you visit us – and maybe even stay a while…..

“My house is your house!”  This phrase expresses the welcoming, joyful attitude that we aspire to in all our parishes.  Catholic churches are houses of worship where visitors often find a quiet place to pray.  At Mass when the community worships – and it isn’t quiet – booklets at every seat usually explain what to do at various points in the experience, especially when it’s time for Holy Communion.  Please stop by and visit, we’d love to see you.

Is there anything you would add to this list?  Let me know in your comments.

Knowing about our Catholic faith is one thing, experiencing it is another.  To help us to know more about our faith there  are  many  more great resources to be found  on the web which will aid us in our quest to be everyday evangelizers.    We love our faith.  We love Jesus. And as stated on the flyer: "we’re confident that a Catholic life is a beautiful life, and we’d love to have you visit us!"  

These 10  simple points and a visit are a  great place to start!      

Cyndi

My next blog post will be about using a "Lens of Discernment" when navigating the resources and information found on the web.

10 Things We Want You to Know

 About the Catholic Faith**
(Items in parentheses refer to paragraphs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church)

1.  Catholics are Christians! (CCC#83)
   
   
2. Catholics Love the Bible! (CCC#105)
   
   
3. Catholics Serve Others!  (CCC#2444)
   
   
4. Catholics are Joyful! (CCC#2500)
   
   
5. The Blessed Virgin Mary Prays for Us! (CCC#2677)
   
   
6. We Love our Bishops! (CCC#77)
   
   
7. Catholics Celebrate 7 Sacraments! (CCC#1117)
   
   
8. Catholics Go to Mass! (CCC#1324)
   
   
9. Catholics Promote a Culture of Love! (CCC#1912)
   
   
10. Our House is Your House! (CCC#2179)

**Source the Archdiocese of Indianapolis