Why Catholic? (Part 1) & First Day of Christ The King Novena

It's a question I've been asked many times, by friends, family, and fellow Catholics. Nowadays I'm able to explain my reasons a lot better than I could before. I was raised to have a firm belief in the Bible as the word of God, and so I searched for a strong biblical basis for my faith.

The Four Marks of the Church are that it is "one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic," as expressed at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD in the Nicene Creed (Latin), the profession of faith, and repeated at Mass.

*diving in head first*

ONE

In Ephesians 4:5-6, we read that there is "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all." In John 17:20-23, Jesus prays "And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me; That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one: I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me." The unity of the one true Church is based in Jesus' own words. In the age of  thousands of different religions and sects of religions, it is important to find and follow one true church based on Christ's teachings. The Catholic Church was the one and only Christian organization (barring short-lived heretical offshoots) from its first mention of the term "Catholic Church" in a letter in 107 AD from Ignatius of Antioch to the Smyrnaeans, until the East-West Schism beginning in 1053 AD. The ball really got rolling on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany, starting the Protestant reformation. As a Tudor history buff, I would also like to note that Henry VIII of England named himself the Supreme Head of the Church in England, denying papal authority and essentially creating a new church, when Pope Clement VII refused to grant him an annulment from his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, in order to marry Anne Boleyn. All of this opened the door to personal translations of Biblical teachings, leading to the formation of approximately 41,000 different sects of Christianity today.

HOLY

The Wikipedia page for the Four Marks of the Church explains it very well: "The word holy means set apart for a special purpose by and for God. It does not imply that the members of the Church are free from sin, nor that the institution of the Church cannot sin." I love this quote I heard in a homily once: "The Church is not holy because of us; the Church is holy because of Jesus." On that subject, I also love "If we were perfect, we wouldn't need the Church." In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus founds his Church in holiness: "And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." This holiness imparted by Christ is evident in the miracles and the Sacraments. Regarding miracles, I would like to point out that saints are recognized as saints through a process known as canonization, which involves, among other things, proving that the deceased person has performed at least two miracles after their death, showing them to be holy.

CATHOLIC

Here are the last two Marks, which I hit on early in my journey without even realizing it. The word "Catholic" comes from the Greek word "Katholikismos" meaning "according to the whole" or, more usually translated, "universal." Even before beginning my formal study, I looked and saw that the Church was universal. It is in all parts of the world, unchanged. Its teachings and practices are the same regardless of the environment or the people. One thing I loved learning is that due to Catholic churches being all over the Earth, there is always a Mass being celebrated at any given time! In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commands his disciples: "And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." Also, the teachings and ways of the Church make it possible for everyone to receive the blessings and sacraments. It's not EASY to get in a state of grace and stay there, but it's never impossible for anyone.

APOSTOLIC

When I was asked why I wanted to be Catholic, one of my answers was simply, "It has the history." In that, I meant the unbroken line of leaders in the popes and bishops, which is known as Apostolic Succession. The Second Vatican Council teaches that "Bishops have succeeded the apostles, not only because they come after them, but also because they have inherited apostolic power. ... 'To fulfill this apostolic mission, Christ ... promised the Holy Spirit to the apostles...'. [These were] 'enriched by Christ the Lord with a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit ... This spiritual gift has been transmitted down to us by episcopal consecration'." (Wiki) The apostles were the first bishops, not in the modern sense but in the meaning that they were missionaries charged with spreading the new Christian faith (making it universal, with the holiness passed down from Christ — you see how things come together?) These workings by the apostles, the brand-new bishops and messengers of Christ, can be read in the New Testament after the Gospels, and they are still taught today, unchanged. The line of Popes has also been unbroken since Jesus founded his church with Peter, in Matthew 16:18. In short, the "apostolic" part comes from the unbroken line of leaders from the apostles and following the unaltered teachings of the apostles.

My other reasons for choosing to be baptized Catholic will be discussed in the next post. They are at times fascinating and joyful, and at times dark and depressing. But I think discussing the Four Marks of the Church is a good start. I'm really excited to get out my Catechism and all the studying materials I kept from my RCIA classes to help flesh out my posts. I've already shared this blog with a friend who has his own story of faith that I am eager to hear, and I'd love to open up (respectful) discussions with anyone who is interested. (I've moderated comments to avoid spam and disrespectful and offensive responses.)

(Biblical quotes are from the Douay-Rheims 1899 translation of the Bible from BibleGateway.com. I have an odd fondness for thee, thy, and thou!)

Also, today is the first day of the Christ the King Novena, courtesy of Pray More Novenas! You can have the frequent novenas delivered right to your email inbox. Please pray with me, if you are so inclined:

Christ, our Savior and our King, renew in me allegiance to Your Kingship.

I pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things.

O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in my life and in the life of the world. Christ, my King, please answer these petitions if they be in accordance with Your Holy Will…

[Mention your intentions here]

As I reflect on Your second, glorious coming and the judgement of all mankind, I beg You to show me mercy and give me the grace to become a great saint. I pray that not only will I spend eternity with You but that You may use me – a sinner – to bring others into Your Kingdom for Your glory.

Christ the King, Your Kingdom come!

Amen.

Two more wonderful direct-to-email daily resources are Loyola Press's 3-Minute Retreats and from The Society of the Little Flower, devoted to St. Therese of Lisieux, the daily scripture and prayer, and the daily reflection from Father Bob, a meaningful and thought-provoking quote from the saint. The Catholic Memes page on Facebook is a really hilarious dose of faith as well! Catholic.org is a fantastic general resource and so is EWTN.com.

So the point of this blog is to show how I am navigating through religious and secular aspects of my life. Well, this part breaks my heart. I am pretty much restricted to internet resources for the time being.  Due to financial issues and problems finding reliable roommates, I had to move in with my Dad for a while. He is a Jehovah's Witness and doesn't approve of me going to Mass. Due to my respect for him and my gratitude for him letting me live there while I get back on my feet, I don't go (even though I'm an adult). But I do receive the above email resources, I try to stay up on my prayer life and learning via the internet. I carry my rosary in my purse at all times, and I have prayer books, apps, and other religious resources on my tablet and laptop. It's very depressing not to get that weekly dose of grace and uplifting fellowship. I really enjoy the Mass and want to get back to it and get more involved in the church.  My books and RCIA materials are in storage, but I'll find a way to have them on hand to aid me as well.

AND of course I have this blog to keep me going! I really look forward to continuing and sharing progress on my journey and being inspired to read, research, and learn more to write about.  I enjoyed researching today's entry on the Four Marks.  It was honestly a little exhausting so I'm looking forward to my next, more personal post.  I'd also like to share that the background image is my favorite image of St. Mary Magdalene, painted by Carlo Crivelli, an Italian Renaissance painter (1430?-1495).

"O my God, You have surpassed all my expectations."
~ St. Therese, The Little Flower

In the Beginning

"He will Himself come down, and, taking you in His arms, will carry you to His Kingdom never again to leave Him."

~ St. Therese, the Little Flower

My journey of faith has gone from Jehovah's Witness, born and raised, to Roman Catholic, baptized and discerning a religious vocation, with a few twists and turns along the way. I've thought about and attempted prayer journaling, but seeing that my passion is to help others, whether in a vocation or not, I've decided to share my journey through this blog, as it has come to this point and as I progress.

I chose the name A Journey Through the Gray Areas for my blog because my main dilemma is to choose between the religious life and the secular life. Navigating the gray area between the two is difficult at best. I enjoy my faith and want to grow in it and work in it, but I've led a very secular life, which is very hard to separate from.

The goal of this blog is to share my experiences and goals not only to hash through my own thoughts and feelings and hopefully come to a healthy decision but also for readers who may be interested in learning about someone else's journey of faith, or be doubtful and need encouragement, or be willing to encourage me in my inevitable times of uncertainty.

For now, I'll share a few quick stats about myself:

I was born October 1, 1987 and so I count St. Therese of Lisieux among my patron saints.

I was baptized at Historic St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Bloomington, IL, USA on March 30, 2013.

I chose Mary Magdalene as my patroness for her penitence, her devotion to Jesus Christ, and the honor she was given to be the first person to see the risen Christ. I wear red every Easter, her signature color, and was baptized in a red dress, in her honor.

I also feel very close to the Blessed Virgin, as I've seen her in dreams, which I will recount at some point.

I have a lot of progress I'd like to make.  As I half-joke with friends, "I said I was Catholic; I never said I was good at it!"

As always, I keep the entire world in my prayers.