Catholic???

Christ gave to us the gift of His Holy Church, with the keys given to St. Peter, the first Bishop and handed down through the years, right down to our current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.  The Catholic Church is the bride of Christ, and to know Christ, to imitate Him and follow Him, I want to learn all that I can about His bride: the Holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church; and to live according to Her guidance.  This is counter cultural in a society and a generation where moral relativism is a strong current; but as the old saying goes:  Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything. 

Gandhi," ILL BECOME A CHRISTIAN WHEN I MEET ONE.”  I read this quote said by a highly esteemed Islam leader and cant help but cringe.  There are many who call themselves Catholic; who are not.  If anyone has ever referred to you as a “cafeteria Catholic”  I would like to inform you that a cafeteria catholic (one who picks and chooses to participate and agree with the church only when it is pleasing to them) cannot truly call themselves Catholic.  Unfortunately there are many prominent figures in the church who are merely wolves in sheep’s clothing; doing more harm than good and setting an example for no one.  You have to know why you believe what you believe, and actually strive to live it; saying “I believe this because my parents taught me this/that” is by no means a solid foundation.  If and when you begin to question your beliefs, and question you faith, it is a good idea to dig into the mass of knowledge out there to see and find the truth, get your hands on the good old Catechism of The Catholic Church for less than $10 bucks a pop: http://www.amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-Second-U-S/dp/0385508190/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1325528817&sr=8-2 and discover truths about the Church.  I once heard a priest say that the average Catholic’s knowledge is at about a 4^th grade level.  I believe that many fallen away Catholics leave the church without a vast degree of knowledge about the beauty and treasures it contains; but because they are misinformed- you cannot stay in 4^th grade forever.  

Christ is not some distant being watching you from a cloud waiting for you to screw up; nor does He despise you for your drinking habits, sexual orientation, or addictions. He came for us, the sinners, to set us free from the weight of our struggles, with their heavy chains and fill us with wisdom, unsurpassed peace, and strength to trust and follow Him in His love and Mercy.  I will end my first entry with a verse from Matthew Ch. 10:   Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as snakes and yet innocent as doves.