We can look back to the times of Jesus and we can see that the apostles, who were witnesses to His miracles, were unfaithful. Now imagine, how many of the billion Catholics are putting the Word of God in practice in their daily lives? I’ll leave that to you as homework. We can see that in our parishes that are so full of people during Mass that there are people standing because there is no more room in the pews. It’s a good problem because we are all united in God’s name to listen to the Word and partake in the sacrament of the Eucarist. All these people have been baptised in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by a priest of the Catholic church, but have the followed the teachings of Jesus?
You, Catholic, I have a few questions for you. Are you a Catholic of custom or conviction? Think it over well. Do you go to Mass to hear the Word and take the body and the blood of Jesus, or just heat up the pews? When you leave Mass, what have you learned? Are you leaving with your heart full of peace and love, or are you the same? When you confess your sins, are you truly regretful? (Luke 18:9-14) When the collection comes, do you give a dollar or 10% of your earnings? (Malachi 3:8-12) Difficult to hear, but it’s the truth.
It’s sad but many Catholics go to Mass every Sunday and leave unchanged. They have memorized the Creed and the Our Father, but they don’t believe them. They know when to stand and when to sit, but they don’t know why. These are the Catholics of custom. I know that many hispanic Catholics come from far away places and they haven’t been educated in their faith. They only know what their parents have taught them, who have followed by customs as well. It’s not their fault, nor their parents. This has happened for generations, but there is hope. We can change.
There is a lack of education in the church. There are people ready and willing to help, but you have to make an effort. You have to take the initiative in order to better your life with a true faith in Christ. The majority of parishes offer Bible study classes. (I recommend the Institute of Biblical Formation) Our faith is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and we should be informed about His life and His history. The Bible is full of wonderful teachings, but if we don’t know how to interpret the Word, it doesn’t really help us.
A Catholic with conviction is a true follower of Christ. A Catholic with conviction shares the message of Jesus and the Word of God with his brothers. A Catholic with conviction is strong in is his faith and he has it in the church that Christ founded 2000 years ago. A Catholic with conviction has direct communication with God through prayer. A Catholic with conviction helps the church to prosper and better itself everyday. A Catholic with conviction is called by God to do His will.
Photo of “Saint Peter’s Square” by François Milan
