For the Catholics - What do you love about our faith?

[McQuacks]

I've been thinking about this lately, and although I disagree with the Catholic church on quite a few things, there are still some things I love about it.
What are some of the things you love and appreciate in the church?

For me one of them would be the feeling of reverence that the Catholic church has. Sometimes there is nothing more peaceful than being in church and hearing the organ, taking part in communion and kneeling before the cross.
I also love the Catholic church's devotion to life and its sacredness, and the church's desire to uphold the gift of life and its recognition of children as blessings.
I also love being able to celebrate the last supper every mass, taking part in the celebration of Christ's sacrifice for us.
How about you?
-McQ 8-)

 

[thessalonian]

What do I love about Catholicism?

The freedom I feel after a good confession.
The depth and beuaty of the Catholic faith which those outside of it have a hard time understanding.
The liturgy, especially the Mass where I can with other worshippers speak with one voice the praises of God.
The Scriptures and how they intertwine so beautifully with the teachings of the Church.
The historic nature of Catholicism. I can find Catholics in the first, second, fourth, eighth, sixteenth century, and today whose writings I agree completely with and are consistent with Church teachings today.
The unity of faith by which I can go anywhere in the world and walk in to a Church and know exaclty where I am at and participate fully in the worship of Christ.
Most importantly the Eucharist, by which I am fed with the grace of God, giving me food for the journey through the desert of life.
The variety in prayer life. Where I ask the intercession of those on earth but also those in heaven knowing that they are in communion with Christ, I am in communion with Christ and therefore through Christ I am in communion with them. This also gives me a greater bond with Catholic Christians in this life, seeing the broad definition of the family of God.
The seemingly endless depth, mystery, and beauty of the faith at which I am in awe that every day I learn more things about God and his Church. I can never see getting bored with learing my Catholic faith.

I am sure that is not all but it's a start. The Catholic faith is truly beautiful.

Thx for the question

 

[ZeroTX]

I love the liturgy, the unity, the fullness of worship and the fact that I am a part of the original Church founded by Christ through the Apostles and not made up by a money-grubbing charlatan (*cough* Rick Warren *cough*) or a well-meaning person who in his attempt to correct what he saw as Church errors ended up dividing the Church and causing the painful rift that has continued to splinter within Christiantiy for 400 years.

I love walking into a church knowing that I will be among like-minded worshippers praising Christ and receiving of his Body and Blood in the same manner as Catholics throughout the world do every single day... no matter what country or what language. I recently attended mass in Spanish. I don't speak a lick of Spanish. I knew what to do and I was easily able to follow along using my English copy of the missal/lectionary.

I love the Eucharist, receiving the real presence of Christ and believing it to be true because Christ Himself told me to and because every Christian throughout time before the "Reformation" believed it for the same reason (because Christ says so... Good enough reason for me).

I love being fully connected to the Mystical Body of Christ throughout the world... having and knowing that Christians, living and passed on, are there to pray with me and for me to the Lord our God.

I love knowing and experiencing the fullness that comes with the recognition that God has created both the physical and the spiritual and that God uses both of these to pass along His grace and love to us.... through the Eucharist, through the laying of hands, through the waters of baptism, through the annointing of the head. He has created us to worship Him in every way possible.

I love making the Sign of the Cross when I enter the Church or anytime that I want to engage in a physical reminder of Christ's sacrifice and Christ's love for me. I love not having to feel weird about that or feel mindless, pointless, hate that comes out of mainstream protestantism towards Catholics -- even to the point of ridiculing such physical signs.

I love that I was raised Baptist by an ordained Baptist Pastor and that my father baptized me at age 9... and that this baptism is valid and recognized -- the One Baptism -- and that my journey to the Catholic Church was one of welcoming, of richness, fullness, history, truth and tradition that goes back to the Apostles as taught directly by our Lord Jesus Christ.

I love that the Catholic Church compiled and discerned the appropriate texts that are God-breathed and officially made them into our Holy Bible.

I love that the Apostles, along with every other Christian before the Reformation were Catholic. I love that I can link what I believe to the beliefs of the early Church Fathers, whose theology in no way resembles modern protestantism.

I love that early Christian worship is striking in its similarity to the mass, which has evolved naturally along with the expansive growth of Christianity, but has never changed its focus or importance.

I love that truth is not relative, but rather, it is quite objective and in Christianity, that truth comes from Christ, through the Church.

Ever since Easter of 2005.... I love being Catholic

-Michael

 

[thessalonian]

Might I say welcome zeortx? :-D

 

[thessalonian]

I was just thinking this morning, I love that two knew Catholics who know their faith from what I can tell come on this board and I immediately know that I am in theological communion with them. That I agree with EVERYTHING THEY SAY and learn new insights from them that do not conflict with my previous veiws. I have experienced this so many times on the net. People who I have never met and probably never will face to face and we are like minded. And it is not that we are programmed with answers. Their answers have their own personal flare and logic.

Thx for reaffirming this for me ZeroTx and Stfrancesdesales! It's really a cool thing. 8-)

 

[thessalonian]

pointless, hate that comes out of mainstream protestantism towards Catholics -- even to the point of ridiculing such physical signs.

Zero,

I must ask you to try and keep this forum strickly as an explanation of Catholicism and not a comparison of protestantism vs. Catholicism. I know that is hard to do. Further statements in this part of the board as the one above will be edited.

 

[ttg]

I love the penance that the Lord gives me when I sin. It is healing, humbling and cleansing, and I know the Lord cares enough about my salvation to teach me right from wrong. I am literally a better person afterwards.

Twice in the last few months I have blatently commited a certain sin when I knew better. The first time I was given a visit just hours after my sin. Maybe it was a demon, maybe it was a nightmare. Maybe it was an angel warning me. I don't know. But I saw it with my own eyes and felt a dark, forboding and powerful physical presence over my body and I straightened up for about a month.

Then I fell again. This time the punishment took about 48 hours. I was devestated at the severity of it. It is life changing. God doesn't goof around when you disobey him.

I've accepted my punishment and rejoice that God cares enough about my salvation to intervene in my life.

Reconcillation is a sacrament. It is a blessing that is offered to us by the Church and proof that God loves us.