"I will go peacefully and firmly to the Catholic Church; for if Faith is so important to our salvation, I will seek it where true Faith first begin, seek it among those who received it from God Himself" - St. Elizabeth Anne Seton
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| St.Peter's Square - Vatican City |
Why am I proud to be a Catholic? Well for starters it is the faith that my parents has brought me up in. It is the core of my values and makes me who I am. It helps me to discern from right and wrong. Take it away and you won't get me. You will get someone who is so remote from me.
Here are some reason why I am proud to be called a Catholic?
- ONE HOLY, CATHOLIC, and APOSTOLIC church. It is amazing to be in a church that has a sense of unity. The sense of community. The sense of more that two thousand years of history and faith is just too hard to ignore. Every time I walk into a church, I get a sense of "This is the faith of the Apostle", the faith that is still the same. There is also a sense of the presence of God in the church. It also bring me as a humble sinner, to my Father.
- EUCHARIST. This should technically be no 1. This is like the main reason, I try to attend mass everyday or at least once every week. It is like meeting the Lord face to face and in the flesh (literary). This wonderful sacrament is the crown of the faith. When we receive the Eucharist, we are being one with the Lord, being with Him. We a drawn to the glory and majesty of Jesus. He is not only present but substantially present in the form of His body and blood. Who else can say "Hey I met the Lord in church today and I am in communion with Him!"..
- The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. She is our Mother, the Queen of Heaven, help of Christians, but most of all the Mother of Jesus. She always has a special place in my heart. The way she demonstrate her faith in times of uncertainty and the courage she had. What makes her special is the total trust she had for God (she said yes to Gabriel at an age where most of us are still immature) and the way she always lead people to her son. She is the great intercessory of Christian. She is the model of what a perfect disciple should be. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
- The COMMUNION OF SAINTS. When people ask, how many people are in your church? 50? 1,000? Or 10,000? I can say that my church consists of those who are not only on Earth, but in purgatory and also those in heaven as well. They are our ardent supporter, constantly cheering us on from heaven with prayers and intercessions. I am always amaze at their zeal. Their life is a testament of their faith and their love for Jesus. Reading their stories, I am constantly amaze and it encourages me to stand strong and trust Jesus more. To me, they are our role model, what I should strive for on Earth. From St. Peter, St. Ignatius of Loyola to St Paul Miki.
- A strong and coherent TRUTH. It is truly wonderful that we have one interpretation of the Bible. The original truth taught by Jesus Christ and handed down by the Apostle. It help me to know that what I am being taught in the church is the same as being taught in other Catholic churches. The coherent of the truth ensures that the truth taught by Jesus Christ is not tainted by individual perception of the truth and the trends of the time.
Hence, that is the few of the reason why I can say I am proud to be a Catholic. However, it is a long journey ahead for me, I will not stop till I rest in seeing my Lord Jesus Christ. God bless.
2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
