Learning One's Faith Is A Continual Process

I know this is obvious to everyone. We evolve in our faith and understanding of our particular church's teaching, if we choose to. As I said in a previous blog, I couldn't figure out why I was so bound and determined to help the homeless in Dallas, or sort clothes for charity, or help feed prisoners / drug addicts at the Salvation Army. Then God woke me up: please give Me something back for all I have done for you. Couldn't have been easier to understand, once I cleared the fog from my head.

When I refer to faith, I am referring to it both ways: one's religion, and the the theological virtue of faith (accepting without seeing, if you will). I recently decided to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, front to back. With a highlighter, so I could accent the important parts (that's to me; the whole thing is important). This book answers almost everything; any question you may have. For example, why the altar is in a certain prominent spot in the church (the altar of sacrifice and the Last Supper table), why iconography is important to the church (since we can not see God, the Father, in this mortal life i.e beholding His face, we have His son to look at, Jesus, so we can "see" God), the various Councils, that explained and prayed on the proper meaning of what was said in the Gospel and Sacred Tradition, how to deal with death, from the perspective of artificial means to keep one alive and what to accept or not, and what heaven looks like. 2,000 years of thought and prayer went into this manuscript, and I willingly accept every word. How could one not?

To some of you, the Catholic Church is not your cup of tea. I have known enough Protestants in my life -- brother Christians -- who were not enamored of it. OK. I heard a quote recently that went something like this: " there are about 100 people who really hate the Catholic Church and about a million people who hate what they .... THINK is the Catholic Church". Perfectly said. Someone asked me if I wanted everyone to be Catholic?, for goodness sake. Well, yeh !!! Not because I don't want them to believe what they do, but I want to give them, out of love, what I have: a place that consistently accepts our flaws and forgives them, and the chance to gather with the Apostle's successors (in a direct line) and share the Eucharist, the actual body of Christ. I know what it does for me and I want everyone to have it. It is life altering.

So, I continue to read the Catechism and continue to learn and have "wow' moments. Can't beat that. It increases my faith, it does not diminish it.

As the economy goes south (and the answer is increased retail sales, everywhere, which will reduce this cataclysm tremendously and get the economy going), I live is fear of losing my job. No one is immune. No one. Jesus said that if God takes care of things that do not reap and sow, and we are His creation, how much more will He take care of us? I want to remove all doubt from my mind, a doubt that kind of lingers back there and distracts me. I want to get rid of it. If this test challenges my faith, then so be it. Faith MUST prevail. How else to purify gold than to put it into the crucible and have it returned stronger and more purified?

I want an increase in my faith. I want to leave it all to God. This is my quest, and it should naturally be all of ours. Don't you agree?

God Bless,
KJPrice