Imagine this, a friend, classmate, or teammate asks you, so why are you Catholic? You have 30 seconds to give an answer. What do you say? Maybe you think because my mom wants me to be, or my family is Catholic, or it kinda makes sense. Maybe you describe how you have seen God work in your life or how you love learning about the saints and receiving Christ in the Eucharist weekly. No matter where you are at with your faith right now, God is calling you to honestly and intentionally have an answer to the fundamental question of why are you Catholic?

Your Hope

In 1 Peter 3:15 we hear, always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a
reason for your hope. When thinking about why we are Catholic we can start with this simple
question, where is my hope? Do you believe things will ultimately be alright? Do you trust that
your suffering matters or that God cares? These personal questions are key to knowing why we hope and trust in Christ as Catholics. They can also reveal to us areas of doubt and fear that we can take to prayer, reflection, and study. Giving a meaningful witness of faith involves knowing our experiences of sufferings, joys, hope, and fears and being able to invite God into them as we share them with those around us.

Your Story

When giving reasons for our hope we can also remember that we don’t need a perfect story or a blissful life. Sometimes the best witness is one of struggle but continued faith when we don’t
have all the answers. St. Pope Paul VI said modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses. In this we are reminded that we can simply give people a glimpse into our lives and our faith. It can involve sharing our struggles with school, self comparison, loneliness and where we find comfort through God in the dark places of our lives. This might mean sharing that maybe we have been Catholic at times, just because our mom said so, but that we have also personally encountered Christ and His Church amidst sin, imperfection, healing, and hope.

Your Pursuit

If you take a look at Scripture, the prophets and disciples didn’t have all the answers. Jesus’
closest friends didn’t see clearly what was about to happen. Still they trusted and followed the
person they knew. They trusted the Lord. Sharing about your ongoing pursuit of Christ and His Church can be life changing for others to hear. We don’t have to pretend to have it all together. Pope Francis has said the Church is not a museum of saints, but a hospital for sinners. In sharing our faith with others, we can share our ongoing journey of healing, sanctification, and learning about the Catholic faith that isn’t done yet.

Your Invitation

Lastly, our best answer to why we are Catholic includes an invitation for others to encounter
Christ. Jesus asked his disciples who do you say that I am? In doing so Jesus invites those He
encounters to follow Him, to ask questions, and think about God, life, and love in a new way.
Our best witness of faith can include asking others what they believe and journeying with them as they explore life’s big questions. We can share how we have encountered God and invite them to explore how God has worked in their lives as well. We can also rely on the Holy Spirit and prayer to know that we don’t have to come up with the words and witnesses of faith on our own, but can trust that God is working through us and our stories. Our witness of faith and our answer to this simple question of why we are Catholic, can become an amazing journey of conversion for those around us that God has put in our lives.

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To schedule an appointment with Adam Cross LMFT #116623 please call (805) 428-3755, email amc.cross7@gmail.com, or visit the contact page at adamcrossmft.wordpress.com/contact