Catholics are first and foremost Christians. That is, we are disciples of Jesus Christ and fully accept his claim that He is the only Son of God and Savior of humanity. 

 

What is Catholicism?  Catholicism is the absolute wholeness of Christianity.  The Catholic Church is the mystical body of our Saviour Jesus Christ and He gives the members of His Church all of the gifts that God wants us to have in order to live as close to Him as possible and achieve the life we are meant to live when our temporary sojourning on this earth is complete.

 

These gifts are everything the Church puts forth and teaches.  From those given to us by the Holy Spirit, to the Sacraments instituted by Jesus, with the Eucharist as the most holy.  To the celebration of the Mass and the fact that the Church has authority on earth given by God to teach His Word and His Truths through the continuation of Jesus' earthly ministry in the apostolic tradition.  All of these and more are for the purpose of getting and keeping us in God's graces and giving us as much opportunity as possible to actually know and live our lives with Christ, so we can live the life we are meant to after we die. 

 

That, in a very understated and basic, yet completely accurate way; is what Catholicism is. 

 

So...what does it mean to be Catholic?

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Being Catholic can be something that someone puts a minimum amount of effort into in order to be considered "practicing", or it can be lived correctly and thrive as a rewarding, vibrant and necessary centering of Christ in one's life.  A minimal effort of a "practicing Catholic" would be to follow the five basic precepts of the Church.

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One thing that is important to understand is that someone can be a good Christian, but not a good Catholic.  Not living up to being Catholic can simply be chalked up to never or rarely attending the Mass, putting no importance upon the receiving of the Eucharist, not having any sort of prayer life and holding opinions that run counter to the will of God.  Yes....there are many not so good Catholics...many of whom are not even good Christians to start with.  

 

There is however always opportunity for redemption through God, and the gifts of the Catholic Church can not only get one right with Him when received with a contrite and open heart.  They can also help create a lasting foundation to build upon.  The encompassing nature of the Church when it comes to God's gifts, show us the path He wants us to take.  He tells all whom take the time to listen, whether Catholic or not, that salvation is possible for each of us.  It is the job of the Church as the center of Christ's ministry on earth to provide what is needed to help us make straight the path for our journey.

 

Now is a good opportunity to address the similarities between the Catholic Church and the other denominations of Christianity.

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The Similarities

The Holy Trinity
Catholics believe in the Holy Trinity just as all Christians do.  This being that there is one God manifested in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

       

1. The Father, Who Is The Creator

Catholics believe in God, the loving Father, and Creator. We believe that His love is overflowing and limitless.​

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2. The Son, Who Is The Redeemer

Catholics believe that God sent his own beloved Son, Jesus Christ. The Redeemer, our Lord, and Savior, who suffered and died on the cross, rose from the dead to save us from our sins, ascended back into Heaven and gives us the gift of eternal life.

 

3. The Holy Spirit, Who Is The Sanctifier

Catholics believe in the Holy Spirit and the powerful presence that it gives to the church. Provided by the Lord, Jesus Christ, to the Church at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit lets us live a righteous and faithful life. It acts as the comforter, especially in times of our trials.

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Christ’s Teachings
As Christians, Catholics should always strive to follow the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He teaches us to love God above all else and to love others as well. He teaches us to practice forgiveness and mercy, not only to the poor and homeless but to everybody.  To be able to follow God and live a righteous life, Catholics should understand the importance of reading and practicing the teachings in the Holy Bible.

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The Differences

Let's talk about the differences between Catholic Christians and the other denominations of Christianity.  As mentioned earlier, all Catholics are Christians but not all Christians are Catholics. Catholics are members of the Roman Catholic Church or members of the twenty-three much smaller eastern rite churches that are in full communion with the Pope in Rome.  “Christian” refers to anyone who believes in Christ regardless of their religious affiliation.

 

There are five things about the Church that many non-Catholics have a misunderstanding in regard to the faith.  These are the things that set Catholics apart from other Christians, so let's take a brief look at them here.

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• the use of symbolism in expressing our faith (statues, pictures, etc.)

• practicing the Holy Sacraments

• having a standard liturgy

• the belief in the communion of saints

• Purgatory

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Symbolism in Expressing Faith

Think of it like this.  The entire world, meaning every country on earth, cherishes the memory of mere political heroes with statues and that of war heroes with monuments.  There can be no valid objection to honoring saints and righteous women and men who lived their lives for the purpose of serving God.

 

Statues are simply a visual reminder of great saints and heroes of the faith (Hebrews 11), who are more alive than we are (2 Cor 3:18), as is evident by their praying: "O Sovereign Lord ... how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?" (Rev 6:10 - see also Ps 35:17). The saints in heaven were never intended by God to be cut off from the Body of Christ on earth. They are involved in intercession, just as the saints on earth are and they are described as "so great a cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1).

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Sacraments

Catholics worship, praise, and follow God through prayer, the Mass and by living a sacramental life. We believe that the sacraments bring us up close and personal with God. For example, the Holy Eucharist is more than just a symbol of receiving the body and blood of Christ. The consecrated bread and wine are the body and blood of Jesus Christ and a gift to us.  You cannot be closer to Jesus at any point in time outside of receiving Communion while your heart is still beating.

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A Standard Liturgy

The Mass is the central liturgical rite in the Catholic Church.  It is comprised of two main parts, the Liturgy of the Word (Mass of the Catechumens) and the Liturgy of the Eucharist (Mass of the Faithful), where the bread and wine are consecrated and become the Body and Blood of Christ.  As defined by the Church at the Council of Trent, in the Mass, "the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross, is present and offered in an unbloody manner". The Church describes the Mass as the "source and summit of the Christian life".  

 

The Church teaches that the Mass is a sacrifice. It teaches that the sacramental bread and wine, through consecration by an ordained priest, become the sacrificial body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ as the sacrifice on Calvary made truly present once again on the altar. The Catholic Church permits only baptized members in the state of grace (Catholics who are not in a state of mortal sin) to receive Christ in the Eucharist.

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The Communion of Saints

The communion of the saints is something people often misunderstand. Even some Catholics misunderstand the values of believing in the communion of saints. The latter part of the Apostles Creed concisely sums up this belief. But when we say we believe in the communion of saints, that doesn’t mean that we tend to think of them as equal to God and Christ. Saints are only intercessors. They are an instrument for us to be more connected to God and feel His eternal love.  They are also amazing examples of how to live in order to enter heaven.

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Purgatory

Ask yourself this.  Do you believe that an unclean soul that is tarnished with unforgiven sin can be accepted into Heaven?  Our souls reflect who we are.  They reflect how we think about others. They reflect the hurtful actions we've committed against others and God, whether we live in service to others or to just ourselves, whether we progress towards Jesus or never really pay Him much mind.  The soul of someone who holds prejudices, hate of any kind, or anything that runs counter to how God wants us to be cannot live an eternal life of union with our saintly sisters and brothers in a state of grace and happiness in Heaven.    The Catholic Church knows this is not possible.  Only the Father, Son, Saints and Angels are in Heaven.  Purgatory exists to cleanse us and prepare us for eternal life in God's abode.  It is not a punishment, but an opportunity to make up for any lack of preparation during this temporary sojourning.  An opportunity to finish becoming the saint you are meant to work towards being with the life you currently live.

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Here is a well done, creative and "maybe somewhat accurate" depiction of the experience of purgatory for those of us who want to begin to develop an idea of what it could possibly be like.  Always keeping in mind and heart that Heaven is the goal. It is J.R.R. Tolkien's short story, Leaf by Niggle.

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