Confirmation years were tough to say the least. My parents had separated and then divorced. My mother listed her religion as Buddhist, although I think she cherry picked what she believed from multiple religions. The intellectual side of my brain was warring with the creative genius side of my brain, which resulted with me being one of the “weird kids". The church became a sanctuary where I could escape a strained home life, as well as the slings and arrows hurled by my normal peers.
On confirmation day we went from being children of God to adult members of the church. Mid-week school and vacation bible school became memories of our youth. We were now expected to actively participate in the adult service and were no longer allowed in the children’s classes. I missed the intimate instruction and really didn’t care for the service. My church life plummeted faster than a rock thrown down a well. Now an adult, church attendance was left up to me and I chose not to darken the doorstep of any church for a good eight years.
I stopped going to church, but I never lost my faith. Later in his life, my uncle became more and more of a Lutheran lay minister. It was even possible that he was being called to be a pastor. He asked me why I became Catholic.
The simplest answer is I was called to the Catholic faith by the Holy Spirit. My life was put on a path to intersect the life of the Church. The Holy Spirit softened my stubborn mind and hard heart enough to hear his truth. The more complicated answer is that I came to believe that what the Catholic Church teaches is true. I ultimately came to this conclusion –
If what the Catholic Church teaches is true, then no other religion in the world will suffice. If what the Catholic Church teaches is not true, then no other Christian religion will suffice and the only right religion would be Orthodox Judaism. Seeing I believe Jesus is the promised messiah and is the salvation and redemption of the world, Orthodox Judaism is ruled out.
If what the Catholic Church teaches is not true, no other Christian faith will suffice because all Christian denominations got their foundation from Catholicism and the faith’s founder changed the teaching of the Church that he disagreed with. It is just a fact that Jesus started the catholic Church. Luther started his church 1500 years later, replacing Catholic teaching with his own opinion. Did I want to be part of the Church that Jesus created or a church a man who disagreed with Jesus created? That cemented my choice and I sought to be part of the Church Jesus created.
When a protestant becomes Catholic, they lose nothing and gain everything. They gain more bible, more sacraments, sacred tradition that the Church believed from the very beginning, and they come into the Church that holds the authority of Jesus through apostolic succession. They gain a mother who loves them and intercedes with her son on their behalf, they gain a family in heaven in the communion of the saints, but most importantly they gain the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in his real presence in the Eucharist.
When a Catholic leaves the Church and joins a protestant church they lose all of these things. They are not simply walking away from a man-made institution but they are walking away from Jesus himself. That is not only a lot to lose, it is a loss of everything that truly matters.
As I said above – if what the Catholic Church teaches is true, then all of these things are also true. If what she teaches is true, then the teachings on the Eucharist are also true. The truth of the Eucharist is the only reason to become Catholic, stay Catholic, or return to the Catholic Church.
Martin Luther disagreed with these teachings, teachings that the Church has believed since its beginning. He substituted his opinion in place of Church teaching and lead people away from the Church Jesus created to one of his own making. This wasn’t the first time the Church faced that problem.
“Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
“Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved.”
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders
about this question.The apostles and elders, in agreement with the whole church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:“The apostles and the elders, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’” – Acts 15: 1-2, 22-29
In this account we see supposed Christian brothers imposing their opinion in place of Church teaching. “You must be circumcised to be saved.” This was not brought to the people by the authority of the Church, but by followers who believed their opinion overruled the Church.
This question was put to the magisterium of the Church who ruled that circumcision was no longer required. This is a clear demonstration that Christ’s authority to govern the Church resided with the Disciples to whom he had given it. This authority resides today solely in the successors of those men, namely the Pope and his bishops.
Like the bothers who were demanding circumcision, Luther rejected the authority of the Church and taught his opinion in place of established Church teaching. He believed the authority of Jesus resided in every person and that every person could come to the truth on their own, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, the Holy Spirit is not the only spirit who inspires and guides and this had led to tens of thousands of denominations of Christians that no longer have the fullness of truth and the tools Jesus gave us to live a holy life.
I am Catholic today because the Holy Spirit revealed the truth of the Catholic faith to me. He could only do this when I opened myself to hear him. I had to step outside my stubborn mind and hard heart. I had to set my opinion aside and listen to what he had to say. That was the hardest thing to do and is still a struggle today. What I recognize now is that when my opinion differs from official Church teaching, I am not just disagreeing with a man-made institution, but I am disagreeing with Jesus himself. It is up to me to figure out where I am wrong.
Faith is a personal journey and we all do not walk the same road. Just because my road is right for me it doesn’t mean it is right for you. I do think many are on the wrong road and do not know it. Maybe not so much the wrong road, but one that is not as good as it can be. The Catholic Church has the fullness of faith; a buffet table of goodness. If you’re more an ala carte kind of person there is nothing wrong with that. The only thing that matters is that we love and serve the same Jesus.
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