And Then There's Faith...

I read, with shock and dismay, a publically published reflection by a Lutheran pastor I respect. 

Pondering Luther's "by grace alone, by faith alone" theory, she wrote about her early experiences as a Roman Catholic and her revelation that the only true and right path to salvation is following Lutheran doctrine.  Of course, she writes, "you will never find a stronger Lutheran than a former Catholic."

She describes her early Catholic years and the acts she did to earn a "right" relationship with God.  She attended daily Mass, participated in daily prayer, learned the Catechism, said novenas, blessed herself with holy water, and attended confession.  The Lutherans call those things "good works" and she notes that the acts have no impact on salvation.  Because she's now Lutheran she does good works because she wants to, not because she has to.  In fact, her greatest revelation came from a nine-year old friend who said, "Catholics go to church because they have to; Lutherans go because they want to."

Huh?

I have examined Church history for the last twenty-five years; I minored in Theology in college.  Roman Catholics are humanly frail and we fail.  But failure -- even on grand scales like the medieval Inquisition and the more recent sexual abuse by clergy -- does not constitute sufficient justification for discarding a tradition that dates back to the days of Jesus.  If it does, then Luther's own 95 Theses belongs in the same rubbish heap as his work encouraging harassment and hatred of the Jews. 

I am Roman Catholic by choice.  I studied Catholicism and I believe it is universal.  I believe the Catholic Church is the guardian of Truth.  I believe what I say when I pray the Our Father and the Nicene Creed.  I love Mary and the scriptural Rosary.  I love the Mass -- its history, the Liturgy, the mystical actions of the priest.  I love the familiarity of the Mass; no matter where I attend Mass and what language is spoken, I have a sense of being among family. 

I've never attended Mass because I had to go.  I have never dipped my fingers in holy water and blessed myself because I thought I might go to hell if I didn't.  I have never knelt during the Transfiguration for any other reason than humility in the presence of Christ.  I don't do those things to achieve salvation. I do those things because I believe they draw me closer to the Lord and I long for a relationship with the Lord.

I am most thankful for the Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, Marriage, and Reconciliation. 

The Eucharist is our regular opportunity to enter into the Pascal Mystery.  We do what Jesus told us to do:  take and eat; drink this cup.  From the moment we sing the "Holy, Holy" we commemorate the first Palm Sunday and all the events culminating in Easter morning.

In Marriage, a man and a woman enter into a covenant with each other and with God; we are called to love one another like Christ loves the Church.  Two become one when Christ stands in the center.  Since the moment we married, there was no longer an I or a me; there is only us and we.

During Reconciliation I make reparation for the harm I have done to myself and to the entire body of Christ; I don't confess as part of a private motivation for personal salvation, but because I have the opportunity to rest my failing on the altar of the Lord.  The Lord gladly takes it from me and flings my failure as far from me as the east is from the west.

I am Roman Catholic by choice.  I was blessed with salvation on the day I was baptized.  I do good things because I believe we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Don't get me wrong.  I appreciate a thoughtful reflection about faith and where people are in their faith journeys.  Personally, I have never felt the need to denigrate another religious practice to increase my conviction that I belong in the Church.  It makes me sad when others do.