Why are you Catholic?

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My parents had me baptized as a Catholic as an infant.

I was raised in the Church, and learned to love it…where else would I go? Why would I leave!!!
 
Thanks for your story Malachi, that was really neat. I was raised a Catholic, but I fell away and converted back. 😉

Jesus is teh r0x! Welcome to His Church brotha!

I am Catholic because Jesus asked me to be, and boy does he know what he’s doing!
 
Only the Catholic Church can trace its roots back. I could not see myself NOT joining the Catholic Church once I became aware of this. To me it was disobedient to not belong to the original Church founded by Christ once I discovered the historical truth.
 
I think I’m Catholic because I got tired of arguing about the existence of God. The best arguers on the other side were the Catholics. :hmmm:
 
Mystery.The humility of our shepherds to lead us into Mystery-where we live by Faith.
 
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UnknownCloud:
I am Catholic because Karl Keating came to me in a dream…or was it the Lion King? Anyway, it all seemed profoundly true. 😃
How weird. I had the same dream!

But seriously … By the grace of God, I discovered that the Catholic Church is Christ’s true Church.
 
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Authorkat:
I was Catholic when I was young because my parents raised me in the Catholic faith. I’m a Catholic now because I found reasons for my faith through research and prayer. Everything that was said above applies to me also!
This would have been my response - so ditto.

I want to put a slight twist on this because most seem to be making a comparison to other Christian religions.

Have you ever thought what religion you might be if you were raised in China, or the Middle East? How much does our environment and raising effect our decision. I was raised Catholic and thank God. But truely, If I were from the middle east, or any of us for that matter, I bet we would be Muslim. It’s easy to say, "No way! But truely, do you think you would be any different that the millions over there?

Your thoughts…
 
I really can’t say why I returned to the Catholic church, except that it was God’s Grace calling me back.

Why do I stay? It’s the only Church with the Eucharist and Confession.

Besides, I’ve studied others and many of them seem more like social clubs than churches. As my youngest daughter said about her husband’s church, "It’s like a meeting of the JAC (Spanish initials for Catholic Youth in Action).

John
 
By the grace of God I have been given faith, hope, and love. The Bride of Christ is worthy of my complete surrender and submission.
 
**I’m Catholic because it’s true. I go to Mass daily. Why? Here are 10 excellent reasons to frequent the Mass:
**

**
10. Pray with Power! **St. Bernard (1090-1153) says, “One merits more by devoutly assisting at a Holy Mass than by distributing all of his goods to the poor and traveling all over the world on pilgrimage.” St. Peter Julian Eymard says, “Know, O Christian, that the Mass is the holiest act of Religion. You cannot do anything to glorify God more nor profit your soul more than devoutly assisting at It, and assisting as often as possible.” Our Pope knows this, and encourages frequent communion.

9. Become a Witness! Would you consider yourself a 'witness of hope’? The Pope says that the Eucharist "…enables us to become, for everyone, witnesses of hope (Ecclesia de Eucharistia).”

8. Save the World! “Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with, and **through **His Church (CCC 1069).” Scott Hahn says, "God wills that you and I should play an indispensable role in salvation history (The Lamb’s Supper, 138).” Want to save unborn babies and their Mothers? Receive and adore the Eucharist for them. Our Eucharistic Lord, infinitely powerful, is the key to ending the abortion holocaust, perpetrated by mighty-but not almighty-evil spirits!

**7. Visit Heaven on Earth! ** Mass is a preview, or foretaste, of heaven. John Paul II says that the Mass is “heaven on earth,” and that, “the liturgy we celebrate on earth is a mysterious participation in the heavenly liturgy (Angelus Address, Nov. 3, 1996).” Mary, the saints, the angels, they’re all there at every Mass!

6. Love More Perfectly! “As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins (CCC 1394).” Look to the Saints. They went to Mass often, and were empowered by Jesus in the Eucharist to love others heroically! To learn how to love, go to the source of all love: Jesus.

5. Kick that Sin Habit!* “Holy Communion separates us from sin*…the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins…(CCC 1392)”The Eucharist is the ultimate antidote to the temptations of the World, the Flesh, and Satan.

**4. Rescue Holy Souls! **St. Bonaventure says, “Oh Christian souls, do you wish to prove your true love towards your dead? Do you wish to send them the most precious help and golden key to Heaven? Receive Holy Communion often for the repose of their souls.”They will remember us if we go to Purgatory!

3. Prove your love! In a love relationship**,** we must spend time with the beloved.** “**Because Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with the worship of adoration. ‘To visit the Blessed Sacrament is . . . a proof of gratitude, an expression of love, and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord’ (Paul VI, *MF *66) (CCC 1418).” Our Pope says, “Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love.”

**2. Get Fed! ** “The Lord addresses an invitation to us, urging us to receive him in the sacrament of the Eucharist: "Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you (CCC 1384).” We feed or bodies daily, should we not feed our souls as often?

**1. Abide in Jesus! ** “The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus (CCC 1391).” Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever; . . . he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life and . . . abides in Me, and I in him (*Jn *6:51, 54, 56).”
 
Nate Harburg, awesome post! I printed it out for my husband, who will eat that up!

I am Catholic partly b/c I was raised as such. I did church-shop once upon a time in a rather casual, informal way. I saw immediately that if I was to remain a Christian, I could only be Catholic. The alternatives were, for lack of a better word, empty.

When I am discussing Catholicism w/ a protestant (or any non-Catholic), I try selling them on teh following (again, for lack of a better term – selling makes me sound like a used car salesman!):
  1. The authority of the Church
  2. How sensible it is to have the heirarchy as it is now
  3. A body to interpret Scripture, just as the US Gov’t interprets the Consititution
  4. The Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist
  5. The lack of logic in Sola Fide and Sola Scriptura
  6. The fact that any argument you have against the faith and moral teachings of the Church has a strong and convincing Catholic response
  7. The gates of hell have not prevailed against her, which is pretty amazing considering the last 2000 years of history
  8. The lives of the saints attest to a deeper spiritual potential in the Church than anywhere else.
  9. Catholics seem to be bigger gamblers. In what other Christian religion do some women answer a call to devote their lives to prayer, sacrificing all for an impoverished lifestyle in community with other women? Just one example of how some Catholics play for higher stakes.
  10. We recognize ourselves as spiritual semites and our Jewish heritage is evident in our liturgy. We haven’t forgotten that Jesus was Jewish. How cool is that?
I could go on and on, but will stop at such a nice, round number.

The one thing that I love but don’t necessarily try to sell is MASS. I think the above support that the Mass is like stepping into heaven. I’m just not sure that if I took a protestant friend to my parish, they would be able to look beyond the bland preaching and mediocre music to “get it.” Does that make sense?

~kari
 
I like this thread.

I’m Catholic because God wouldn’t let me leave.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you God.

BTW: Mass as Heaven on Earth - I just read Scott Hahn’s book, “The Lamb’s Supper” - great book on the Mass and Revelation.
 
Malachi4U -

Welcome home! I’m a convert too! I’ll pray for your wife and all your family. It is hard losing friends and family. I look to all I’ve gained for comfort. And who knows? I offer up the suffering they have caused over this for their conversion! Now, that’s getting the last laugh, isn’t it? 👍

Peace and all good,

Thomas2
 
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ConvertFromSBC:
Only the Catholic Church can trace its roots back. I could not see myself NOT joining the Catholic Church once I became aware of this. To me it was disobedient to not belong to the original Church founded by Christ once I discovered the historical truth.
:rolleyes: This is hog wash! I don’t beleive the catholic church is any such thing!
 
Short answer: the Eucharist.

Long answer: It’s the complete puzzle. It’s backed by history, early Church Fathers, it’s encompassing the living in this life and in the next (communion of saints), and has the answers!
Adding on: studying and studying (and studying), keep leading me back to the Catholic faith.
 
I was raised Catholic, but I’m so thankful for being catholic, number one for the great gift of the sacraments (especially the Eucharist) and for the fact that it is the only thing on earth with the fullness of truth. The truth really does set you free!
 
Because only Cathlicism has the fullness of Truth, including but certainly not limited to the Eucharist, the Mass, true Biblical authority, priests descended from the Apostles, saints as intercessors, etc etc etc. I converted as a young adult by the grace of the Holy Spirit, who first drew me in through the Church’s deep scholarship combined with her acceptance of mystery and paradox, and then hooked me forever through the glory of prayer during Eucharistic Adoration.

It also doesn’t hurt that Catholics throughout history have been the main ones who have run hospitals, schools, and retreat centers to improve the world and save souls. Faith and works, 👍 hand in hand.
 
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Peg:
I read Paul Key’s book Ninty-Five Reasons for Becoming or Remaining Catholic . How many reasons can we come up with? Please just list the reason. We can make explanations on other threads. Thanks
I would list them…but Dave Armstrong has done it for me.

ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ103.HTM
 
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