At the Heart
What’s at the heart of Catholicism? It’s a big question, and the Catholic Church is pretty darn complicated.
Between the rituals, the rules, the sacraments, the smells, the bells, the doctrines, the teachings, the discipline, the tradition...it goes on and on. It’s a lot to make sense of.
Outsiders (and often Catholics themselves) get caught up in these ‘outward’ signs, and see it as a bit absurd. It’s just a laundry list of Do’s and Don’ts.
But, (and this is a big but), put into context, this list reflects the true beauty of Catholicism.
What are we talking about here? The Church is so much more than just rules and doctrines to follow — at its heart is the greatest Love story ever.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16
We’ve all heard this scripture passage before, and maybe we’re a bit desensitized to it. But, it really is the heart of the faith, and the pretext for all things we do in the Church.
Why’s this passage the crux? Because it reminds us that God is Love. He created us out of Love, for Love. He sent his only Son to die for us, because he Loves us. And, so we can partake in His Glory.
It’s from the perspective of Love that everything else makes sense. There’s a lot to chew on here, but I invite us all to take a deeper look at our lives and really think about if our faith is following the Do’s and Don’ts list, or if it’s joining the greatest love story ever.