What does it mean to be a Devout Catholic?

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What a coincidence. Right after I had posted my answer at this thread I heard the “pling” that told me that there was a mail in my mailbox. It was from Amazon with a recomondation of the book “Here. Now. A Catholic Guide to the Good Life” by Amy Welborn.

From the Editorial Review:

“There’s a voice that will always tell you the truth. The voice that belongs to the One who created you. The voice that belongs to the One who loves you the most deeply and who wants nothing but the absolute best for you. The voice that belongs to the One who knows where your personal path to true peace and happiness lies”.
 
To intelligently agree with and accept the doctrines of the Catholic religion, have faith in the findings of the magisterium, practice your Catholicism openly, and subltely convert others into the Catholic line of thinking without violence or coercion. To lead by quiet example.
 
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Pug:
I flunk. I’ve never had a crucifix on the wall in my home.
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Pug, I only put one up a couple of years ago… and I’m 45 years old.

And all the other items I mention, were only added over the years…it’s been a long, slow, at times, stunted, spiritual growth to be sure.

But I heard a quote today on the news that only a quarter of the “Catholics” in the US attend mass regularly on Sunday. Many associates of mine that profess to be Catholic make no use of these most basic of spiritual “supplements” to aid in their “growth”. They are what I call “cultural Catholics”, or, “in name only”. By our example, we need to try and bring them around to be “card carrying Catholics”.

I’m hoping all this great coverage John Paul’s death has brought to Catholicism, will spark a deeper interest in their “faith”. Amazing how John Paul is still a positive & powerful force in our world.

May His peace be with you…
 
Devout obedience to Christ through the teachings of the Church, communal and personal prayer life, and heartfelt charity lived daily as best as possible.
 
I don’t know if you can quantify it.

For me, somebody who’s devout is trying as hard as they can to integrate Jesus and his teachings into his or her life. That doesn’t mean constant prayer or daily Mass attendance or a crucifix on the wall, although none of these things are bad. It certainly does not mean literal adherence to an unyielding set of rules.

The closest I can get is the idea that you take that question of “What would Jesus do?” and answer it all the time. For me, at least, it doesn’t require withdrawal from the world, far from it.

We are supposed to live in the world and (most of us, anyway) not hide from it. For me, that means that being devout extends to how you raise your kids, do your job, interact with the people around you, shop for groceries, hang glide, or whatever. It is not something you put on and take off. It is not what you do; it is what you are, and what you become.

I do not think there are “degrees of devoutness.” I doubt God keeps score on stuff like that. I think that each person has to find his or her own way of living in harmony with Jesus’s teachings, whether that way is in a cloistered monastery or a circus.
 
I put other. I know many Catholics that go to Mass every week and pray. Yet they support Gay Marriage and abortion.

I think to be a Devout Catholic - you must always strive to live a Catholic life - have total faith in the Catholic teachings and be not afraid to share the Catholic faith with others should the situation come up to do so.

The Holy Eucharist is key as is frequent confession to be a Devout Catholic. But you must obey and have faith in our beloved Church and her teachings as well.
 
I never even thought of getting a crucifix, but I got one as a gift recently and will have it blessed and put on a wall.

I don’t think you have to wear your Catholicism on a wall or around your neck, but living according to Church teachings, (meaning weekly mass, regular confession, and regular prayer) and being as charitable as your means allows is a bare minimum.

I think to be a devout Catholic you have to live your faith every day as if it will be your last. So if it is, you won’t be surprised.
 
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wcknight:
I never even thought of getting a crucifix, but I got one as a gift recently and will have it blessed and put on a wall.

I don’t think you have to wear your Catholicism on a wall or around your neck, but living according to Church teachings, (meaning weekly mass, regular confession, and regular prayer) and being as charitable as your means allows is a bare minimum.
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It makes it much easier to live your faith daily with many reminders. Examples would be crucifixes in every room of your house, religious icons, pictures and statues.
 
I am hesitant to call anyone living, especially myself, devout. It seems to be wrong to pin devotion to how often one attends mass, though I must admit that daily communicants definitely have a better opportunity to be closer to Jesus.

I think that it was Pascal who wrote that there are two kinds of people: sinners who think they are saints and saints who know that they are sinners. So, I think the best way to know if a person is devout is to spend time with them and get to know them. Do they look at you in the eyes when they speak to you sincerely? Are they meek and humble of heart? Do they beat their breasts and confess their sins? Those are all external signs of a devoted life to Jesus.
 
I know that just putting up crucifixes and icons on walls doesn’t make you a better Catholic, but when I visit my parents and see that every room has at least one visible sign of their faith, it is beautiful.

Yikes! I don’t have any iconographic art in my house - gotta go! 😃
 
well, i have heard kerry and kennedy both say they were devout catholics, so if that is devout, there sure are a lot of saints walking
around now a days.
i personaly think bush is a better catholic than they are, and he’s not catholic.
 
another thought
going to mass on sunday and calling yourself devout, is like saying you believe in God. satan believes in God, look where it got him.
devout is going to have to be a lot more Catholic than that.
 
first and foremost it means humility and her daughter, obedience.
 
being a catholic christian 24/7. every time you awake, start praying. love your neighbor as yourself. do good to those that hurt you.
 
I think this poll is a little skewed towards certain acts of piety, and has nothing to do with being a devout Catholic, or devout anything for that matter. More Mass, more Confession, more this, more that…Living by the letter of the Law and not the Spirit of the Law. (read: Pharisees)

A devout Catholic is one who lives in Christ, and Christ in them, and nothing more. The rest, as they say, are details. Pious acts are fine, if we live this way. Otherwise, they’re just a “measuring stick” we use to outperform our neighbors, and really are no measure of how “devout” or “good” we are. It’s the intangibles, the things we can’t measure (love, compassion, etc) that matter.
 
I just wanted to say thanks to the many wonderful answers you all have posted here.

As you can see, I put up this post back in March. I had returned to the Church just weeks earlier after having been away for almost 20 years. I wondered at the time - what do I do? Who am I supposed to be now? How do I live out the faith that our merciful God saw fit to grant to me?

I understand that the Catholic Church provides a multitude of ways for us to devote our lives to our God. I have learned about the Church more in the last six months that I can remember learning as a child! So yes, mhansen, you are right - at the time I had no idea what it meant to be a devout Catholic. I had heard the term through my teens and twenties and thought only nuns and priests and the little old lady who sat up front every day at mass were devout people. Perhaps I should start a new thread about devout-living, because what I really want to know is how do people live devout and holy lives when we fill so many roles and our lives are just so busy?

I think I’ll start that thread!
 
If i may be so bold as to take a hit to the catholic church, i believe this is It’s greatest shortcoming.
Understand, i’m not trying to start a fight, or destroy the Catholic church, but instead to shine light on something that hurts.

The idea that so many parisheners think that devout is only for priests and Nuns and that little old lady in the front row. The fact that so many have taken “attend mass every sunday” as their only vow, and have settled for fifty cents of a million dollar God. I think forums like this are an incredible credit to the Catholic religion, that there are so many who have seen that there is more to God than on sundays. Unfortunately, i believe there are far too many who don’t know the fullness of God.
Again, i don’t call this out as an attack on the church, but rather as a rallying call. A call to arms if you will. Go out, and Wake up the spiritually asleep of your church.
I will begin praying for the revival and awakening of your sleeping members. Perhaps a new Pope can provide a new spark and hope.
 
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