September 2004
Do you know WHY you believe?
Knowing Why we believe is as important as knowing What we believe.
A couple of years ago, at approximately the same time, unknown to each other, a young uncle of mine as well as a business associate who had become a friend left the Catholic Church. Knowing my 'zeal' for the Lord, they both took it upon themselves to convert me & 'save' me from the Catholic Church.
Both of them were highly intellectual and used extensive Scriptures (that many Protestants use to explain their understanding on various doctrines) & it got pretty intense at times. I most often felt like a fool - not really knowing why I 'believed' in the things I supposedly believed in.
For a while I played a game - They would ask me questions after which I would stall for time. In this time, I would go to my (then) prayer group leader, a really blessed & holy man, Mervyn Luis. Then I would take Mervyn's answers to them - and they would present me with more questions. Then the circle would start again.
Mercifully, Mervyn was always unfazed by the questions I gave him. I remember he would always have this "Not that again!" look on his face, mixed with an enthusiasm to start answering my questions before I had completed asking them - which really calmed me more than I could imagine.
After a while of playing this silly game, I decided enough was enough. If I called myself a believing Catholic, surely I ought to know for myself what the Catholic Church teaches! I procured a copy of 'Beginning Apologetics 1' which was the first of a 9-Book Series by Jim Burnham and Father Frank Chacon.
Apologetics, for those who do not know, does not mean making an apology but rather giving a defense of what one really believes in. It is a scriptural, based on 1 Pet 3:15 which says, "Always be ready to give a defense of what you believe in". Today a lot of material is freely available on the internet ( though you must always check credentials of sites offering Christian material, especially in cases like this ). Please feel free to contact me for more information.
I feel that many Catholics who've left the Church have done so simply because they did not know the Church's teachings on many topics. This is why they probably believed the arguments of our Protestant brothers.
To the defense of our Protestant brothers, I feel that most Protestants who confront Catholics are doing so in good faith - they really believe what they're telling us & they really care about our Salvation.
While we should praise God that they care enough & are enthused enough to share their faith with us, let us not be so clueless about our faith that we believe anything & everything they tell us about it. You can learn about the Catholic Church best & most truly, through the Catholic Church, which we believe to be the true Church founded & headed by Jesus Himself.
I encourage you to study up on your faith. To know WHY you believe the things you say you believe in. To study your faith, so that your foundation will be strong & that no wind or storm can blow you away. I encourage you to ask the Lord to fill you with wisdom & to lead you to the Truth.
Through our blessed Mother's intercession in this her birth month, I wish you all & your families, hearts filled with the Lord Holy Spirit and minds filled with His Wisdom.
September 2004
