Can you spare 60 seconds each day for a little spiritual “pep talk”? Join me each day for a “Moment Of Truth with Gary Zimak” as I share some thoughts with you. Together, we’ll continue our journey on the road that will one day lead to ETERNAL LIFE!
apologetics
Why Everyone Should Be Catholic!
Disclaimer: If you’re expecting a long, detailed theological dissertation, let me apologize in advance. Being somewhat of a simple minded person, I’m going to present a basic reason why I believe everyone should be Catholic. On a very broad level, everyone should be Catholic because the Catholic Church contains the fullness of truth. However, since this can be a little abstract, I’m going to offer a reason that is a little easier to grasp.
One of the great things about being a Catholic is our belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Just to make sure that everyone understands me, let me elaborate a bit. In the Eucharist, what looks like a round piece of bread (or a wafer) and what appears to be wine is actually Jesus. You got it, it’s REALLY Him – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity! It’s not a representation, it’s not some sort of spiritual presence, but it is actually Jesus Christ. As a member of the Catholic Church, I get to pray before Him and receive Him every day! If your “fluff meter” is going off, I suggest you back up and read this last paragraph again. I wasn’t speaking figuratively and I wasn’t referring to anything abstract. As a Catholic, I take Jesus at His word (John 6:22-71) and believe that He is fully present in the Eucharist. It’s Him!
This past Saturday night, as I do each week, I visited the local adoration chapel and prayed before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Before doing so, I put out a notice on Facebook asking for prayer requests. As usual, I got a few responses, but most ignored the offer (By the way, don’t tell anyone, but even though many of my Facebook friends ignore the invitation, I pray for them anyway. After all, what kind of friend would I be if I saw Jesus face to face and didn’t put in a good word for them?). Interestingly enough, one person replied with a “thanks, but no thanks” indicating that he’ll talk to Jesus Himself. While that is strongly encouraged and definitely possible, I replied that unless you’re Catholic and believe in the Real Presence, you’re passing up meeting the Lord in person and settling for a “phone call” or “email” instead. As expected, he disagreed and made a comment about tolerance and love. We did agree to pray for each other, but I got the feeling that I should write some more.
As baptized Catholics, we are all called to evangelize (sorry, fellow Catholics, but it’s true!) and that means sharing the “Good News” of our Faith with others. Unfortunately, some people don’t want to hear what we have to say. There’s no getting around this. It happened to the prophets and it even happened to Jesus. As Catholics, we believe that we have the fullness of truth and that our Church was founded by Christ (Matthew 16:18). Why wouldn’t we want to share that truth with others, especially if it gives them a chance to TRULY meet Jesus? Again, no “phone calls”, “letters” or “emails”, I’m talking about a chance to REALLY meet HIM! I would have to be a real jerk to keep that to myself!
My statement that “everyone should be Catholic” doesn’t mean that I think I’m better than anyone or part of an exclusive club. Rather, it means that I’ve found the “pearl of great price” and I want to share it with others. In other words, I’d like to invite everyone to become a member of the Church founded by Christ. In the meantime, if you’re not a Catholic and you don’t want to be, you better believe that I’ll be tolerant of your beliefs. In fact, I’ll be happy to pray for you and ask you to pray for me. We can even discuss the beliefs that we share in common. And when I visit Jesus each week, I’m still going to put in a good word for you.
If you decide that you want to meet the Lord in person, contact your local Catholic parish or send me an email (gary@followingthetruth.com).
The 5 Biggest Mistakes Catholics Make (And How To Avoid Them)
There are many different approaches to living the Catholic Faith. Some people prefer more traditional devotions such as novenas and formal prayer while others choose to speak to Jesus using spontaneous prayer. Some like the Charismatic movement while others pray in silence. As long as your approach is faithful to Church teaching and brings you closer to Christ, it really is a matter of personal choice.
However, over the course of my life as a Cradle Catholic, I’ve discovered 5 big mistakes that will definitely hurt your faith. I have personally made most of these mistakes and the results were not pretty. Instead of getting closer to Christ (and being a good example for others), I ended up heading in the wrong direction. In order to spare you some agony, I present my list of the 5 biggest mistakes Catholics make and how to avoid them.
1. Checking The Box- “What do you mean I’m not a good Catholic? I go to Mass on Sunday!” This was my philosophy for most of my life. I went to Mass every week and thought that I was fulfilling my duties as a Catholic. After all, there are tons of Catholics who don’t even go to Mass! Unfortunately, even though I was physically going to church and saying the prayers, my mind was a thousand miles away.
Those of you who are married, in a relationship, or have close friends realize that speaking to a person once a week doesn’t help to build a close relationship. If you want to get closer to someone, you need to speak with them often. The same principle applies to our relationship with Christ. If all we do is show up for Mass each week, we’re never going to REALLY know Him. This situation becomes even worse when we don’t even pay attention at Mass. If we want to become good friends with Jesus, we must talk to Him (in prayer) frequently. We should listen to Him speak through the Bible and we should encounter Him in the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession as often as we can.
2. “My Faith Is A Personal Matter” - “I can’t impose my personal beliefs on others.” Sometimes known as “religious indifference”, this is rooted in the belief that one religion is as good as the next. People who fall into this trap believe that our religious beliefs are personal and shouldn’t be “forced” on others. While we shouldn’t force our beliefs on others, we should “always be ready to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15) and be willing to “preach the gospel to all nations” (Mk 13:10). Before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus instructed the Apostles:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” (Mt 28:19)
In other words, what one believes really DOES matter! Jesus instructed the Apostles to teach ALL that He commanded, not just some things. Our Lord founded the Catholic Church (Mt 16:18-20) as the vehicle for our salvation. The Church has the fullness of truth and her teachings should be shared with others. As proof of this, St. Paul tells us that “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tm 2:4). It is our job as Catholics to share in this mission and to share the “Good News” with those whom we encounter in our daily lives.
3. The “Do It Yourself” Approach- “I don’t believe in medals and novenas. That’s a bunch of superstition. Saying the rosary is for old people. I speak directly to God!” Does that sound familiar? If you want to ensure that your faith never gets any stronger, the best way to do that is to ignore the Blessed Mother, the intercession of the saints, devotions, approved apparitions, sacramentals (such as the scapular, medals and holy water) and try to do it all by yourself.
The Church gives us sacramentals and devotions to help us get to Heaven. The same can be said for approved (please note that I say “approved”!) apparitions of Our Lady and Our Lord. If we try to do it all by ourselves, we’re going to fail. Why? Because we’re human and that makes us prone to laziness, love of comfort and doing the wrong thing. Not exactly the qualities that will help one attain eternal life! If we avail ourselves of some Divine assistance, however, all things are possible.
For many years I chose to ignore approved Marian apparitions, as I thought they were an unnecessary distraction. I now realize that this wasn’t too bright on my part. If the Church rules that certain appearances of the Blessed Mother are worthy of belief, why would I choose to ignore her message? If I really wanted to get closer to the Lord and be a better Catholic, shouldn’t I listen to her advice? It really makes sense to me now and I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this powerful gift.
Another form of this mistake is forgetting to ask for help. I once told my spiritual director that I was trying to stop worrying and trust God more. I mentioned how hard I was trying, but without much success. He replied, “Did you ask God for help?” I was speechless because I honestly never thought of doing that! Don’t try to become a better person on your own. Ask the saints to intercede for you and ask the Lord for some extra grace. You’ll be amazed at the results!
4. Ignorance Is Bliss - “What I don’t know won’t hurt me”. If we don’t take the time to learn the teachings of the Church, it’s almost certain that we’re going to be going against God’s will. How can we truly obey the Lord’s commandments if we don’t know them? Proponents of this brand of Catholicism go through life practicing contraception, downloading music illegally, missing Mass on Holy Days of Obligation, drinking to excess, etc. The trouble with this approach is that we’re not doing what Jesus wants us to do.
As Catholics, we are blessed to have the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). This book provides an excellent summary of what Catholics believe. Sadly, many Catholics have never looked at this great resource. One of the most eye opening sections involves the explanation of “Thou Shall Not Kill” (CCC 2258 – 2330). Aside from the obvious meaning, the Church expands the commandment to cover respect for the souls of others (avoid setting a bad example that may lead others astray), proper attention to our health (gluttony, excessive use of alcohol or tobacco and even speeding can be grave sins!) and the preservation of peace (be on guard against anger and verbal abuse).
Not only can this mistake cause damage to your spiritual well being, it can even afect your salvation! As Catholics, we are responsible for the education of our conscience. While, objectively speaking, God will not hold us accountable for what we don’t know, we are expected to make an attempt to learn what the Church teaches. According to the Catechism:
This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man “takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.” In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits. (CCC 1791)
5. The ”Either-Or” Fallacy – Either you know the facts and follow the laws of the Catholic Church or you do nice things for people. We can’t deny Communion to anyone because Jesus dined with sinners, not just those who were holy. The Mass MUST be in Latin because that’s the way things were done years ago when Catholics “cared about their faith”. Those who fall into this line of thinking are making the false assumption that in order to be a good Catholic you must either follow the rules OR be a good person. In reality, we must do BOTH!
Throughout His public ministry, Jesus made it clear that we must worship Him with our hearts as well as our lips. In the Sermon on the Mount, He warned against rattling off “empty” prayers:
In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. (Mt 6:7)
Unfortunately, many individuals incorrectly interpret this as a condemnation of formal prayer or, worse yet, as a dismissal of the need for any law or rules. That viewpoint completely ignores the words of Jesus who says just the opposite!
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 5:17-19)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15)
In order to live our Catholic Faith, we first need to understand the rules. Once we understand the rules and expectations of being a Catholic, we have to live them. The “either-or” fallacy just doesn’t “cut it”. In order to be a good Catholic, we must do both!
So there you have it …My list of the 5 biggest mistakes that Catholics make and how to avoid them. What do you think? Agree? disagree? Did I miss any? Let me know…
Now It Makes Sense!
Over the past several days, I’ve been discussing how the Bible can be used to support the argument that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church established by Christ. We started our journey by looking at the fact that God wants everyone to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth. In my last post, I examined Jesus’ instruction that we must eat His Body and drink His Blood in order to acheive eternal life. This command greatly confused His disciples and caused many of them to scatter. It wasn’t until the Last Supper that it all became clear.
Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you (Lk 22:19-20).
Now the words about eating His Body make sense and thankfully it has nothing to do with cannibalism! Our Lord didn’t say that “this REPRESENTS my Body” or “this SYMBOLIZES my Body”. He said, “This IS my Body”. Is there a church that believes that Our Lord’s Body can actually exist under the appearance of bread and that follows His command to “do this in memory of me”? This sounds like the Catholic Mass…and, come to think of it, the Catholic Church fits all of the other scriptural requirements, but it can’t really be “the Church”, can it?
Although some folks literally “stand on their head” to explain away all of the Bible passages that support Catholic doctrine, the evidence is clear. If you are Catholic, you can take comfort in the fact that our beliefs are totally in harmony with the Bible. If you are not Catholic, I invite you to compare the teachings of your church to God’s Word contained in Scripture. Look at the passages we discussed, meditate upon them and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to “the truth”. A careful and honest study of Scripture has brought many people into the Catholic Church. If you would like to learn more about becoming Catholic, please contact your local Catholic parish or email me.
The Most Important Words Jesus NEVER Said
Ordinarily, when we look at the public ministry of Jesus, we focus on His words. His parables, commands and sayings provide us with the guidelines needed to live good Christian lives. In one case, however, what Jesus didn’t say is of equal or greater importance than what He did say. Over the past few days, I’ve been looking at some Scripture passages supporting the Catholic Church as the one, true Church. Today, let’s look at the Lord’s Bread of Life discourse, where He gave an astonishing teaching, using a combination of words and silence.
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him (Jn 6:53-66).
Jesus said that eating His flesh and drinking His blood is necessary in order to have eternal life. This created quite a stir among His disciples, as evidenced by their comment about it being a “hard saying”. Throughout the ages, many who don’t believe in the Catholic teaching of the Real Presence, have argued that Jesus wasn’t speaking literally. They feel that He was just speaking figuratively. If that’s the case, why are His words difficult to accept? They are difficult to accept because everyone standing there that day knew that Jesus was speaking literally and really meant what He said. It didn’t make sense to them. How could they eat His Body and drink His Blood? As further proof that Jesus really meant what He said, Scripture tells us that many of His disciples walked away, returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him!
If Jesus was only speaking figuratively, wouldn’t it make sense for Him to call them back and clear up the misunderstanding? Instead, He said…
NOTHING!
Why? Because He meant exactly what He said previously.
Next: The “difficult” words of Jesus suddenly make sense as He celebrates the Last Supper (Luke 22:19-20).
How Can A Person Be Born Again?
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit(Jn 3:1-5).
In yesterday’s segment of our Biblical journey to the one, true Church, we looked at the Great Commission, when Jesus directed the Apostles to make disciples of all the nations through baptism and teaching. I discussed the fact that we’re now looking for a Church that baptizes its members. While many churches fall into that category, it is often treated as a symbolic act and not deemed necessary for salvation. Looking at the discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus, however, makes it very difficult to draw that conclusion. Based on our evidence so far, it really appears that the Church established by Christ will view baptism as a requirement for salvation.
How did the first Christians feel about this? When we look at the writings of the early Church Fathers, we see much support for the necessity of baptism:
“Without baptism, salvation is attainable by none.” (Tertullian)
“If any man does not receive baptism, he does not have salvation.” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem)
“[According to] apostolic tradition . . . the churches of Christ hold inherently that without baptism and participation at the table of the Lord it is impossible for any man to attain either to the kingdom of God or to salvation and life eternal. This is the witness of Scripture too” (St. Augustine)
So far, the Catholic Church is very much in the running and her position will grow stronger as we look at the next few passages. In my next post, we’ll discuss one of Jesus’ most difficult teachings which is also one of His greatest gifts.
Tomorrow: The Bread of Life Discourse (John 6:48-66)
The Great Commission And The Importance Of Baptism
Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18-20).
Although we now know that Jesus founded a Church and that this Church is the guardian of truth, we still don’t know the identity of that Church. With thousands of Christian churches to choose from, where do we begin? Fortunately, by looking at some more clues we can narrow down our list of choices.
In today’s passage, known as the Great Commission, Jesus instructs the Apostles to carry on His work of making disciples. The Lord is clear when He lists the way that this should be done:
1. Through baptism.
2. By teaching the future disciples to observe all that Jesus has commanded.
Jesus’ mention of baptism as a requirement for discipleship is an important clue when trying to find the one, true Church. In fact, in Saint Mark’s version of the Great Commission, he adds emphasis to the importance of baptism with the words, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk 16:16). While many Christian churches baptize their members, not all of them consider baptism to be a sacrament and necessary for salvation. Our list of potential churches has just gotten A LOT smaller!
Tomorrow: Jesus confirms that baptism is necessary for salvation (John 3:1-5)
Jesus Founded A Church
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:18-19).
As we approach the halfway point in our journey to finding the one, true Church, let’s look at some of Jesus’ most famous and important words. In our last segment, we looked at the fact that the Church is the ultimate guardian of truth. Today, we see that Jesus founded this Church under the leadership of a specific individual. Saint Peter, the head of the Apostles, is entrusted with the “keys to the kingdom” and is given the power to make authoritative decisions on earth that will be upheld in Heaven. Recognized as the first pope, Peter led the early Christian Church with the same Christ-given authority as Pope Benedict XVI does today. When we analyze Jesus’ words to St. Peter, it becomes apparent that we’ve just eliminated a number of churches, as they just don’t hold up when compared to the Bible!
In the next stop on our trip, we’ll look at the “Great Commission”, when Jesus instructed the Apostles to “make disciples of all nations”, through baptism and authoritative teaching. It will give us an another critical clue and bring us closer to discovering the TRUE Church!
Tomorrow: The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)
Knowing God’s Truth
This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth (1 Tm 2:3-4)
As we begin our journey in search of the one, true Church, let’s take a look at some comforting news. God wants EVERYONE to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. Before you say, “tell me something I don’t know!”, let’s take a minute to unpack the wealth of revelation in Saint Paul’s ”simple” statement.
God wants us to be saved - This is GREAT news! Although it may seem a little obvious, it’s something that should make us very happy. Additionally, if God wants us to be saved then He will make it possible for us to achieve our salvation. While this can only be done through the merits of Jesus Christ, we still need to do our part by pursuing and obeying the “truth”.
There is ONE truth - Since the truth represents reality, it is impossible to have multiple, conflicting truths. St. Paul’s statement to Timothy affirms that there exists a single truth.
God wants us to KNOW the truth - If God wants us to know the truth than there must be a way for us to do so. An unattainable truth is not something that the Lord would dangle before us. However, while it is comforting to realize that knowledge of the truth is attainable, how is it achieved?
The Need To Evangelize - Easily missed in St. Paul’s statement is the fact that God wants EVERYONE to be saved, not just Christians. Uh-oh, that means that once we figure out the truth, we have to share it with others! That statement puts an end to the “one religion is as good as another” and the “I can’t impose my personal beliefs on others” line of thinking, but it’s a duty that must be taken seriously. Once we find the truth that will lead to our salvation, why would we want to keep it to ourselves?
Now that we’ve learned that there is a truth and that God wants us to understand it, where do we go from here?
Tomorrow: 1 Timothy 3:15
What Is Truth (And How Can We Find It)?
I don’t normally make it a habit to quote Pontius Pilate, but his cynical quote really fits this topic. “What is truth?” is a question that every Christian should ask himself, as its pursuit should be our main mission in life. In the dictionary, truth is defined as “conformity with fact or reality”. When it comes to faith, the Modern Catholic Dictionary (Fr. John Hardon, 1999, Eternal Life Press), defines revealed truth as “disclosure by God of Himself and His Will to the human race”. While that answers the question of “what is truth?”, it still doesn’t tell how to discover the truth.
I recently wrote an article for Catholic Lane entitled, “A Biblical Roadmap To The One, True Church“, in which I presented 10 Scripture passages which take us from Point “A” (There is ONE absolute truth) to Point “B” (the Catholic Church contains the fullness of that truth). Over the next several days, I’ll be discussing each of these passages in detail.
If you’re Catholic, you should be familiar with these passages as they provide a strong validation for our beliefs. If you’re not Catholic, I recommend that you use them as a standard by which to measure your own church. As I state in the article, it is my belief that only the Catholic Church fits all of these Biblical requirements.
I hope you’ll join me as we search for the truth in order that we can echo the words of David, “Teach me, LORD, your way that I may walk in your truth (Ps 86:11)!
Tomorrow: 1 Timothy 2:3-4
