Why be/ stay Catholic?

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laforec

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Hello everyone,

I am doing a workshop soon, and I would like to hear from you your main reasons why someone should be Catholic, or stay Catholic. I know for myself the Eucharist would be one of my main reasons, but I am curious to hear your responses, esp. when you would try to expain it to non-catholics or luke warm catholics like I will be doing…

thanks!!
CHRIS
 
there is no other Truth to believe in, no other Way to follow, no other Life to live
 
Peace be with you!

Well, you guys have said the basic ideas of what I was going to post, so I’ll expand on them a little for the sake of these lukewarm Catholics you’ll be talking to. I think it’s great that you’re doing this, and I realize how hard it may be to talk convincingly to people like that.

Like barsapp pointed out, there can only be one singular Truth. This would be the main point I would stress above all others. By definition of the word, a Truth can be one thing and one thing only. If there is more than one “truth” then it is no longer a truth; it is simply a theory or opinion. These people you’ll be speaking to, while being lukewarm, still believe in God, so they should care about what God wants of them and what His laws are. Only the Catholic Church abides by ALL these laws (as Jocelyn basically said), and have been for 2,000 years. Give them some examples of early Christian writings to show them that the Truth then was the same as the Truth now and make sure they realize that what those early Christians were writing was taught by the Apostles, who had been taught by Jesus himself, so you know it has to be the Truth.

I think you’re definitely right to talk about the Eucharist, but I would save that until after you hammer home that the Catholic Church teaches the Truth. If you can get them to see that the Church was founded by Christ and has stayed true to his teachings and commandments, then I think they will be much more receptive to hearing about the Eucharist and other aspects of the Catholic faith. I say this not because the Eucharist is less important, rather I say this because if they see that the Church is the Truth, they will see that the Eucharist is a privelage that we as Catholics have that other Christians do not.

Hope this helps! Good Luck!

In Christ,
Rand
 
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barsapp:
there is no other Truth to believe in, no other Way to follow, no other Life to live
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Amen !!
 
Because for 2000 years, the Catholic Church has demonstrated that it has consistently been the repository of the true words of Jesus Christ.
 
Hey,

In case you wanted an suggestion from someone that appears to be in your target audience (lapsed/non-Catholic). I’d have to say that TRUTH isn’t very appealling. Because, sorry if this offends you, I think you’re wrong. If I thought you had the fullness of the truth, I’d be Catholic too.

What appeals to me, is when I see a genuinely caring, compassionate, and friendly person talking about what they are passionate about. When I hear that, I want to see what they see, and to feel what they feel.

The reason I left church had very little to do with truth; I left because it lost it’s magic. It became redundant and boring. So if someone were to win me back, it would have to be because they had a spark to them. That they were offering more than a series of rituals and doctrine.

Besides, it’s really hard to prove you are right without saying someone else is wrong, and people hate being told they are wrong. (Did it make you upset when I told you I thought you were wrong? And I was trying to be polite as I possiblely could.)

Anyway, that’s my advice. Show your passion and your love. It will matter way more than any logical reason.
 
Everstruggling has a good point. In my experience it is not the truth, the doctrines, or the Eucharist as a lesson point that attracts, but more your own personal Faith walk and what the Church and the Eucharist has meant for your life and happiness. Talk your feelings and not the bare facts or truths. They are important in the long run but people relate on an emotional feeling level first. People join RCIA to come into the Church. A good group is warm and welcoming and the leaders are enthusiastic about being a part of the Church. Good fellowship along with the teaching is a real draw. At the same time we lose people like Everstruggling because they see the same parish as cold, indifferent, and unwelcoming. If we treated our fellow parishioners with the warm welcoming excitement about the Church that we exhibit to these potential new Catholics, I don;t think they would be so ready to leave.
 
Talk about your own love for the Catholic faith. Your example and love for your faith will shine through everything else.
 
Too hard to settle for just one reason----the Truth; the Eucharist; the Church being the Church that Jesus founded; a bulwark against relativism; on and on.

I think that a lot of lapsed Catholics have absorbed, whether they know it or not, a lot of Protestantism and relativism. They are uncomfortable with the idea of absolute Truth (even going so far as to deny such a thing exists), and, lacking a deep understanding of the Eucharist, put their personal “feelings” in the front seat—if something “feels” good and exciting, it must be true! Religion must be “Oprah-cized” and made interesting and emotionally charged to zap life into dulled, bored souls. So, if they don’t really “feel” that the Eucharist is real (and, trust me, most won’t want to engage in a conversation about why they think it isn’t real because that would require too much effort), then it isn’t as interesting as the Pentecostal minister down the street. It’s then very easy to defend one’s position by pointing to the “empty ritual” and the phrase, “I wasn’t being fed” is delivered. Hey, it’s easier than having to learn one’s own faith, and it’s fun to be caught up in the sizzle----ignoring the steak in the process.

What can you do? Maybe show, by your own personal witness, that you can have the steak and the sizzle too. I have seen it so many times: a lapsed Catholic begins to look into why he thinks what he thinks, and in the process discovers that the Church he left is very exciting. He begins to see the importance and meaning of ritual, of reverence, of tradition—all things he had been thinking as dull and meaningless. A new apologist is born…
 
Laforec:

The major aspirations of the human spirit: the beautiful, noble and true have a permanent home in the Catholic church.

God bless your apostolate with the kids. Don’t forget to pray for each one of them so that the Holy Spirit may give you the grace and insight to communicate with them God’s love.

in XT.
 
For me it is because it is the Church that Jesus founded and it is one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

Also, Jesus knew how much help we would need for our journey on earth, which is why He established the sacraments. The Catholic Church is the only Church with the seven sacraments, meant to help us all along our journey of faith. We receive sacramental grace only from these sacraments.

Also, Jesus knew how important our brothers and sisters in Christ would be for us. The communion of saints is very comforting; to know others have gone through the things we are going through and they understand and to be able to ask for their prayers.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I certainly need all the help I can get!
 
Our Holy Catholic Church:
To know her is to love her!
Even more, to know her is to love Him!

Need I say more?

Notoworthy
 
I cannot imagine leaving the truth because it somehow got “stale and boring”.

I picture somebody walking up to Jesus and saying, “Yes, I know you’re the way, the truth, and the life, but you haven’t been back to earth in 2000 years, a lot of what you say isn’t relevant to my very special, wonderful life, the bible is boring, and church just isn’t exciting. Your offer of salvation–and man, you have to drop that junk if you want ME on board–well, it just isn’t ENOUGH for me. I want to have 24/7 excitement. I want everything to feel good for me all the time. And I don’t particularly want to give up anything for you, or anybody else for that matter, because that wouldn’t benefit ME-ME-ME”.

Frightening, isn’t it?
 
John 6:67-69. To me that sums it up best. Everything else seems to flow from that…the word…the tradition…the Church.
 
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laforec:
I would like to hear from you your main reasons why someone should be Catholic, or stay Catholic.
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An excellent question.

One I’ve been asking myself more and more lately.
 
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AquinasXVI:
Laforec:

The major aspirations of the human spirit: the beautiful, noble and true have a permanent home in the Catholic church.
in XT.
Click to expand...
Very beautifully expressed—thank you.
 
Catholics equate the Church with the Mystical Body of Christ,
and see her as the Bride, and Christ the Bridegroom.

Where Evangelicals have the edge, is that they talk
a lot more about Jesus, and a lot less about “Church.”

I maintain that* that* is where the warmth and enthusiam
of Evangelicals come from - a deep sense of a personal
relationship with Jesus.
  • enthusiam literally means “in God” en theos].
Christ said to Peter: I will build My Church on you.

If church =* ecclesia* = “gathering” “convocation”
“assembly” - then that gathering happens, because
of the relationship.

When Church [experienced as “organization”] is seen
as overshadowing the Person - Jesus - it’s quite human
for people to seek Him elsewhere.

quote: Everstruggling
…friendly person talking about what they are passionate about. When I hear that, I want to see what they see, and to feel what they feel.
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Exactly.

reen12
 
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reen12:
Catholics equate the Church with the Mystical Body of Christ,
and see her as the Bride, and Christ the Bridegroom.
[thru the imagery, supplied by St. Paul.]

Where Evangelicals have the edge, is that they talk
a lot more about Jesus, and a lot less about “Church.”

I maintain that* that* is where their warmth and
enthusiam comes from - a deep sense of a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.

Christ said to Peter: “I will build My Church on you.”
If church =* ecclesia* = “gathering” “convocation”
“assembly” - then the gathering happens, because
of the relationship.

When Church [experienced as “organization”] is seen
as overshadowing the Person - Jesus - it’s quite human
for people to seek Him elsewhere.
Click to expand...
All well and good–we have much to learn (re-learn?) from Evangelicals in that line. Still—to give up the Eucharist, the most intimate union we can have with Our Lord on this side of life, for…fellowship? Enthusiasm? What a sad trade that person has made. My own suspicion is that those Catholics who leave because they don’t “get anything” out of the Mass do not really understand the significance of the Eucharist. That may well be the result of poor catechesis, and perhaps the sloppy example provided by their fellow pew-warmers—whatever the reason, I don’t think a person who believed in the Real Presence would willingly leave it. It’s too bad they don’t try to initiate change themselves, but then a lot of people want to be on the receiving end.
 
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