Pictures of mountain-tops, camping sites, yoga poses, and
delicate cappuccinos are some of the images I find on many “Christian” and
“Catholic” instagrams, tumblrs, and blogs. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing
yoga and I have had some awesome insights while climbing mountains (see On Top
of the World). But at the same time, there is something unattainable about
these pictures. They have an essence of cool and collected I am positive I will
never be able to achieve. While these blogs are beautiful, I realize I don’t
necessarily see my own faith in camping trips and coffee runs. The fact is,
faith looks different on all of us.
I am a Catholic and, as it goes with being a student at
Notre Dame, so are many of my friends. Yet for each of my friends, being
Catholic means something completely different. For some of my friends, it means
rosaries and daily mass. For others, it’s Christian worship music and faith
sharing in small groups. For others, it might be hours pouring over theological
texts and reveling in the scholarship behind what we believe. For me, being
Catholic is serving others by teaching catechism and being part of a community
service choir. For me, it’s deep “God talks” with my mom. It’s the thrill of
receiving the Eucharist. It’s giving total trust in God’s plan for the future.
And that is only the beginning.
The word “Catholic” means universal and while so many aspects
of our faith are the same around the world, there are also differences in faith
that come from culture and ethnicity. Here at Notre Dame, it is easy to see
this from our various groups and masses. Voices of Faith and the Rejoice! Mass
bring a refreshing energy and a welcoming community. Cora Primavera and Ballet
Folklorico, akin to the Hispanic tradition, come alive with vibrant music,
language, and spirit. Masses on our campus range from orthodox services to Root
Beer Float Mass. Each of these liturgies is rich in its own way. While we each
might gravitate to masses that fit for us better, they all work to bring us
closer to God.
Our own faith lives work in much the same way. God made each
of us unique and gave us all a purpose. So, it makes sense that we don’t all
have faith lives that look the same. It makes sense that Catholicism looks
difference on all of us. It is healthy to stretch ourselves to try new things
in relation to our faith. It is also healthy to realize what works best for us
and to keep working to get the most we can out of those aspects as well.
There are a lot of
peoplewho prefer to make Catholicism into a series of check boxes. It is easy
to say “If you do this, If you believe this, If you follow this- then you are
Catholic.” But that isn’t realistic. We all have experiences that make us
unique. We all have parts of the faith in which we might struggle and teachings we connect
with more. We have questions and doubts,which are natural and normal to have.
But that doesn’t mean we aren’t valuable members of the church. In fact, our
unique-ness makes the church richer for it.
I recently read an article lamenting “Cafeteria Catholics”
who don’t believe every single teaching of the church and instead “pick and
choose” from the giant dining hall of Catholic teachings. This view is dangerous,
judgmental, and hurtful. It fails to see the uniqueness that each person brings
to the faith. It fails to see the wonderful imperfections we all have. It fails
to understand that we have a God who is always welcoming us and reveling in the
wonder we have become. And in the end, our relationship is always between us
and God.
The Year of Mercy is about throwing the doors wide open and
yelling loudly from the rooftops “All are welcome.” It is about realizing there
is no oneway to live out our faith or one type of person who is Catholic. It is
about reaching out to make members of the church feel more included. It is
about showing that God-like love to everyone who is part of the church. In
fact, the only way we truly fail to be Catholics is when we fail to love. God
is always, always calling us to be the most loving humans we can be. That
should be our only priority when it comes to the members of our church.
One of the most important things I’ve learned about myself
through my faith life at Notre Dame is that you need to live out your faith
life in a way that is authentic to who you are and what you believe. Learning
to be comfortable with the way Catholicism looks on me, imperfections and all, is
one most important journeys I’ve undertaken in my faith. So go out and discover
what that means for you- event if it
means praying on mountaintop doing yoga in a corn field. Whatever it is, setting
your heart aflame with heavenly love is the best place to start.
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