I've been snatching moments with G.K. Chesterton's The Well and the Shallows, which opens with a chapter on "The Six Things That Would Have Made Me Catholic Had I Not Already Been One."
His examples include the Lambeth Conference and the Spanish Civil War. A little dated. So, I got to thinking and came up with my own list. There's a book to be written here, but in no particular order, I present:
The 10 Things That Would Have Made Me Catholic Had I Not Already Been One
1. Humanae Vitae and the defense of sacramental marriage. Seriously. This Church is either totally crazed or it's the only true Church.
2. St. Gianna Beretta Molla. Again, a Church that honors a woman who died for her unborn child in 1962 is either messed up or has something special.
3. Ecumenism done well. Read Touchstone or check out the Manhattan Project or read about the pope's approach to the Orthodox Churches.
4. The Arab Spring. Not so springy as the Solidarity movement.
5. Of Gods and Men. You have got to watch this film.
6. Amanda Marcotte. Just read Jennifer Fulwiler--forget the content, just note her language and manner of engaging. Then compare her style to Marcotte's vulgarity. Then back to Fulwiler's response. I'd rather be Catholic.
7. The iPod "Confession App" controversy. There are some things (e.g., God) that just can't be replaced.
8. The loss of religious freedom in the West. Just trace that history: Luther to today.
10. John Paul II's contrition.
11. Oh... and that inscrutable factor: the grace of God.
Again, I don't have the time to defend or fully explain these. But they're what come to mind when I wonder: why am I still here?
What would you add or subtract? What makes you Catholic?
6 comments:
I *love* this post. I just finished that particular Chesterton essay a month or so ago and asked myself this same question.
I became Catholic three years ago but many things I've discovered since then would have pushed me in even earlier if I had known them:
The Church's interpretive authority, the lives of the saints, the brilliance (and charity!) of her thinkers, and the overwhelming insistence on life issues. And not even just against abortion, euthanasia, and the other big ones but the whole gamut of issues addressed by Catholic social teaching.
I LOVE that you have St. Gianna on your list! She would be at the top of mine too. I wear her medal nearly every day and have a great devotion to her.
I would need to think this over, but your list is one I agree with fully.
Beauty. What beauty has poured forth from our Church since she was born on Pentecost!! She revels in it, she rejoices in it, she sings it: and she knows when to silence it and wait in darkness. Of Beauty she is not afraid nor ashamed, she is audaciously beautiful, and the myriad bits of mediocrity and falseness that we produce within her are simply dust that will be blown away.
Late to the party, but darnit, I've missed your blog since I've been sans internet. I think the thing that would have made me Catholic if I wasn't already was the beautiful freedom to be fully themselves I've seen in holy Catholics. That, plus the true love, not just philanthropy shown to the poor. No one does it better :)
"Of God's and Men" was SUCH a good film!
Love your blog Mrs. Ahern!
-Angela Lane (your favorite ex-student lol)
I would have to go with the Eucharist. :)
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