Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

“We have seen over the past few decades many Catholics leaving the Church or dropping out of religion entirely.  Some have even joined other churches.  But we have also seen the opposite.  People of no religion, lapsed or inactive Catholics, and members of other Christian churches are “coming home to Rome.”  They are attracted to the Church for a variety of reasons, but the chief reason they convert is the chief reason you should be Catholic: The solid truth of the Catholic faith.

Our separated brethren hold much Christian truth, but not all of it.  We might compare their religion to a stained glass window in which some of the original panes were lost and have been replaced by opaque glass: Something that was present at the beginning is now gone, and something that does not fit has been inserted to fill up the empty space.  The unity of the original window has been marred.  When, centuries ago, they split away from the Catholic Church, the theological ancestors of these Christians eliminated some authentic beliefs and added new ones of their own making.  The forms of Christianity they established are really incomplete Christianity.

Only the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus, and only it has been able to preserve all Christian truth without any error – and great numbers of people are coming to see this.

So what is our job as Catholics in the world today?  Our tasks (job) as a Catholic, no matter what your age, are three:

Know your Catholic faith.  You cannot live your faith if you do not know it, and you cannot share with others what you do not first make your own (CCC429).  Learning your Catholic faith takes some effort, but it is effort well spent because the study is, quite literally, infinitely rewarding.

Live your Catholic faith.  Your Catholic faith is a public thing.  It is not meant to be left behind when you leave home (CCC2472).  But be forewarned: Being a public Catholic involves risk and loss.  You will find some doors closed to you.  You will lose some friends.  You will be considered an outsider.  But, as a consolation, remember our Lord’s words to the persecuted: “Rejoice and be glad, for you reward is great in heaven (Matthew 5:12).

Spread your Catholic faith.  Jesus Christ wants us to bring the whole world into captivity to the truth, and the truth is Jesus himself, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  Spreading the faith is a task not only for bishops, priests, and religious – it is a task for all Catholics (CCC 905).” (Pillar of fire-Pillar of truth, Catholic Answers.)

God Bless,

Fr. David