Have A Little Faith

    Have you ever been questioned about being Catholic? Why do you eat bread and wine? Why do you follow the Pope? Why do you call men father when the Bible says no one shall be called your father? The questions and justification from a few Bible verses come up a ton. And even today we get a lot a gripe about the scandals, well at least here in Philly it is still a pretty frequently asked question that I need to answer daily. The point is that we as Catholics do not always know the perfect words to say or to quote a single verse from Scripture to counter an argument. Firstly, we should take some time and educate ourselves on what we believe if this is the case. Secondly, if you are someone who truly believes and has faith in that God's Church is the Catholic Church, then you have nothing to fear.

    The point that I am getting to today is found in one line that Jesus tells an official in Galilee. The official asks Jesus to heal his dying son and Jesus says to the man, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe." The Catholic Church is based on so much more than knowing certain Bible verses. It is about looking at more than just a few lines at a weekly service. It is about accepting the true teaching of Jesus Christ, the full teaching of Jesus Christ. Being Catholic comes down to the fact that, we will not know everything, we will not understand everything and we will not be able to explain everything, but we have faith that the teachings from Christ that have remained in the Catholic Church for 2000 years are from the mouth of Christ. There is no picking and choosing because you think a rule is better than another one, or that one church is more entertaining than the other.

   Everything in the Catholic Church comes down to the very fact that Jesus came to earth, he lived, he died, he rose from the dead and gave us the Church. The simple answer to these questions is that you have faith. It is to know God in your heart. To not base your prayer experience on any emotions or feelings, but the movements of your heart. There is a beautiful deepness that can be experienced in every Mass as you prepare yourself to hold the King of the Universe in the palm of your hands. If you open that gift the God gives to you everyday when you wake up, Faith and Grace, you will find that the Catholic Church has a beautiful fulfillment of the heart. If you are beginning to question this or are being challenged, about why you must be Baptized or to celebrate Eucharist, or get confirmed, or even Holy Orders, simply give the answer, well Jesus did it. We only do the traditions that were practiced by Jesus and accepted by the heir of Peter in which Christ himself gave Peter the keys to the Church here on earth!

    People, we are called to have faith. That is what it comes down to in our lives. We are told that it is not by faith alone that you get to Heaven but it is the works and faith. Yes help our fellow man, but also partake in the works that Jesus did and does on a daily basis through the Sacraments and through the Traditions of the Church. Let us not become a people who can only know God in our minds and through miracles and signs, but to know God in our hearts through the gift of Faith! So today, let us give everything to God and have a little faith!