On Being Catholic

I was brought up believing that there were certain practices you had to practice to be worthy of God's acceptance--penance, special prayers, daily Mass, confession, etc.  Unfortunately, I never really understand what all of this meant but rather just knew I had to do it.  One of the problems the Catholic Church faces is that it does not do a good job of educating the young into the "whys" of what we do within the faith.  Further, we aren't really brought up in a church that is "fun" for young people either.  For example, I know churches that have rock bands, roller skating parks, and mega game nights within their compound for the younger members to be able to have fellowship and be "saved" over a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. 

Most Catholics I know don't really appreciate their faith until they become older.  Many of us search for something else...something that we can understand.  Many of us turn away from it all because it's too daunting.  Too many rules.  Too many things to remember.  Not enough time.  Not fun enough.  And so it goes. 

For me, as I began to really experience life and understand the complexities of love and loss, of life and death, of faith and religion, of prayer and worship, of literal translations of the Bible to the grace of life and learning, I started to understand what no Sunday school could teach me and that no threat from family or priests could impact upon me.  That is, that I found great comfort in many of the rituals and traditions of the Catholic Church.  The comfort of a rosary in my hand as I recited the Lord's Prayer or the reading of a Missal for reflection or the receiving of a prayer card or the adoration of the Eucharist. 

As I began to recognize the comfort of it all, I also began to realize why we, as Catholics, did these things that appear trivial to others.  And as I learned and grew in my understanding, so I grew in my faith.  These difficulties did not make me less Catholic, less Christian, or more importantly, less accepted by God.  They were the cross I had to bear.  Not for acceptance, but for further growth and understanding.

Whether you are Catholic or not, before you are quick to judge another person's faith background, customs, traditions, take a moment to learn about them and understand the reasons behind them.  You will grow in your knowledge of world religions and you may just grow in your own faith (whatever it may be) in doing so.  Along the way, we might all just learn to appreciate each other that much more while growing closer to God.