Over the past year or so several members of my family have decided to leave the Catholic church. They have found other churches they feel are bringing them closer to God. Though I am happy that they are growing in their faith, I personally do not understand how they feel closer to God outside the Catholic church than they did within it. My children have also asked me why our family members are no longer Catholic. This has sparked many conversations between my children and I about the many gifts and blessings that our Catholic faith gives us. Below is the list of the top reasons I have chosen to stick with my Catholic Faith (and why I hope and pray my children do as well):
1. I love Jesus- and this is the church He started. Though He had 12 apostles, he didn't choose to start 12 different churches. Though He had hundreds of followers, He didn't feel the need for hundreds of churches. He started His one, holy and apostolic church on the "rock" of Peter, the 1st pope, and promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Despite A LOT of effort, they haven't! (Matthew 16:18)
2. The Communion of Saints- if you believe in heaven then you must acknowledge the saints, right? And what kind of saints would they be if we could not turn to them for their intercessory prayers?
3. Our Priests and the Pope- ordained by God to work in persona Christi, they shepherd us, their flock, without the stress of being pulled in one direction by a family and in another by their church. They have truly dedicated their whole lives and their whole selves to serving God, and us.
4. The Sacraments- you want to "SEE" God? The sacraments are outward signs of His grace at work in the world. Go to Mass and open your eyes- He's all around you!
and especially....
5. The Eucharist- I can feel the presence of Jesus as soon as I walk into a Catholic church, any Catholic church. I can feel that He is there, making the space holy and sacred. There is only one Church that can give us the physical presence of Jesus. And we, as the Catholic faithful, are unbelievably blessed to actually be able to receive His body, blood, soul, and divinity in the form of the Eucharist into our own humble bodies. (John 6)
I could go on but, need I say more?
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