Being Catholic Matters

“Catholic” is not just one among many acceptable religions, philosophies, or even Christian denominations. To think a person’s church or religious affiliation is unimportant, as long as he is generally “good,” is to overlook stark incompatibilities between the Catholic Church and other religions.

Consider Protestant and other non-Catholic Christians, our well-meaing brothers and sisters in Christ. While through their connection to Catholic Tradition, they have inherited sacramental baptism, possess the apostolic writings (the “New Testament”), and desire to follow our Lord, they have serious deficiencies and obstacles due to their imperfect union with the Church. There are real, practical consequences when one rejects the full deposit of Christian faith.

During Eucharistic adoration I often marvel, “Wow. Right now I am three feet away from my Creator. The one featured in the New Testament and foreshadowed in the Old, the one who preached the Sermon on the Mount, who healed lepers, who forgave the adulterous woman—who forgives me!—I’m looking at Him right here, right now! My Lord and my God!”

I assure my Baptist friends that I don’t worship Mary, despite the high regard in which we as Catholics hold her, even as we offer her our petitions in prayer. I’m careful to differentiate between reverence and worship. In fact, I point out, the Church explicitly condemns the adoration of any person or thing other than God. But I also say (to their shock) that when I’m at Eucharistic adoration, I fully worship the Blessed Sacrament before my eyes! That round, bread-like thing inside the monstrance is actually Jesus Himself!

Here’s the deal: If the Church is wrong about the Real Presence, then we are to be pitied for our primitive, unenlightened, stupid idolatry; we are guilty of worshiping the creation rather than the Creator. If, however, the Church has simply transmitted what Jesus taught her—that the Communion Host actually becomes His body, blood, soul, and divinity—then our Protestant brethren are missing out on a ton of life-giving graces that Jesus offers through the Mass.

Our beliefs have consequences, and we cannot afford to be indifferent toward them. Truth corresponds to reality; therefore, truth really matters.

There are other examples.

Due to sin and distraction and weakness, our prayers can be hindered. But we know that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much,” and we know we have recourse to Mary and the Saints—our family of “prayer warriors.” They will intercede for us. I know some of my prayers have been answered because of saints joining their prayers to mine. But, due to incorrect beliefs, Protestants generally don’t ask for saintly intercessions.

If we don’t believe in prayers for the dead, we’re not going to pray for our deceased loved ones. Consequently, if they are suffering in purgatory, our incorrect belief may delay their entrance into heaven.

Where certain Christian denominations reject baptismal regeneration—the belief that baptism actually restores new life—it’s not uncommon to postpone one’s baptism until his teens or twenties. That’s dangerous behavior based on wrong belief.

Rejection of the Church’s moral teachings (about marriage, contraception, homosexual unions, in vitro fertilization, self-abuse, etc.) leads to untold human suffering, demonstrating the truth of Natural Law.

Examples could be multiplied all day long to illustrate the same point. The dogmas of our Catholic Church are not arbitrary. They are not her “best guesses.” They are not denominational flavors, subject to our spiritual palate’s taste.

No, she is tenacious about her teachings precisely because they are true—because they are the full deposit of faith entrusted to her by Jesus and the apostles.

So be sure to conform yourself daily in mind, body, and will to the teachings of Christ’s Church. By regularly cultivating a Catholic conscience, you will be equipped to share the unabridged gospel with confidence and conviction, with humility and genuine love toward others.

Being truly Catholic matters in real ways. It’s our sure salvation.