Why should I be a Catholic?

There are many reasons for being a Catholic and we will answer some of those reasons for you. Many people return to the Catholic Church whether Roman, Russian, Greek, Bulgarian, Brazilian etc because they feel an intense longing for the Eucharist. Mostly it may happen at a wedding, funeral, confirmation or baptism, but we see mostly when people are alone or facing difficulties in life, most people have described it to us as a deep hunger for spiritual nourishment that comes within when the receive the Body and Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.

This hunger for the Eucharist triggers recognition of the presence of Christ in other sacraments, which draws them even more deeply in to the practice of their faith. It is without exception any reason for anyone to be a Catholic.

The Catholic Church offers all union with Jesus Christ in Scripture and in prayer not forgetting in the community of others, in the Eucharist, and other sacraments, it offers full spiritual support in good times and bad, with divine wisdom that is thousands of years old, not forgetting it offers meaning and purpose of life after death. You will know that you are at home and peace when you feel that deep sense of understanding and peace.

Being Catholic just does not end there, many people seek a true sense of belonging, but a community is more than just friendly people, good sermons and activities. A Catholic Christian community is a group of people who gather around the person of Jesus Christ to worship God and live in the light of the Holy Spirit.

Catholics come together at Mass, in the sacraments, and in parish activities to pray, celebrate joys, to mourn loss of loved ones and to provide support with there desire to serve others by adding that extra strength in their daily life’s, not forgetting the importance of recognising of walking with others towards the union with God.

“Will God ever forgive me?”

This is the most often asked question, but we need to look at the need also the need to forgive others. Sometimes people hold on to anger and resentment toward individuals who have hurt them deeply. Maybe it was a family member, friend or even work colleague, it could have even been someone or something in the Church, and our modern culture condones and encourages anger and revenge. But hatred and bitterness are spiritual cancers that eat at the heart of a person. The Catholic Church provides the opportunity to seek God’s help in forgiving others, even though other people may not ask for forgiveness or do not deserve it. The ability to forgive is one of the special characters that we all possess; it is a gift that opens a person’s heart more fully to God’s love and peace.

Some people carry deep spiritual wounds. They struggle with anger at God over bad things-terminal illness, debilitating injury, and broken relationship, mental or emotional problems not forgetting violence against an innocent person which in today’s society we all have seen a 75 % increase. The Catholic Church cannot change any of these situations or explain why they have happened, but there are people in the church who can assist in the spiritual healing and help you to be able to get on with living your life.

The Catholic Church has the fullness of truth and grace. Although the Catholic Church has seen people leave the Catholic Church, they are blessed for a while by the experience of worshipping for a while in another Christian denomination. But the Catholic Church see a larger percentage of people coming back when they realise that Catholicism has the fullness of truth and grace.

The Catholic Church was not founded by a single reformer or historical movement. It is not fragmented by individual interpretation of Scripture. There are thousands of Christian denominations, but only one Catholic Church, which has been guided and protected by the Holy Spirit from generation to generation for some two thousand years.

Thomas Wolfe a famous novel writer once wrote a novel called YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN, Not so with the Catholic Church, No matter how long you have been away, you can always come home. You can start coming to Mass. You can become a part of a parish community. You can enter in to the faith far more deeply than when you left.

Chances are, you’re already feeling a strange inner pull. NO matter what anyone else tells you, the spiritual longing you feel is God trying to draw you back to himself. But God never forces. God only invites. Whether you return to the Catholic Church is a decision that only you can make.

There are many reasons to come back to the Catholic Church for those who have left, While God is at the centre of each person’s decision to return, the circumstances are varied such as;

• Because they hunger for a valid Eucharist.
• Because they want meaning in life.
• Because childhood memories surface.
• Because they made mistakes.
• Because they need to forgive others.
• Because they want to be healed.
• Because the Catholic Church has the fullness of truth and grace.
• Because parents want their children to have a foundation of faith.
• To be part of a faith community.