Just recently, I made the comment that when I was growing up in the Lutheran church, I found that we defined ourselves not for what we believed in, but what we were not—Catholic. Now, I find that the word for the day is, ironically, “Catholic.” I guess it makes sense that this word would appear on the list as the list was compiled by CatholicSistas. I have no doubt that in this context, they mean, “Roman Catholic.” That is what everyone usually means when they say the word, “Catholic.” But, I guess old habits die hard. I am not Catholic. I am, however, as I profess weekly when reciting the creed, part of the catholic church (note the small “c”).
From dictionary.com,
cath·o·lic [kath-uh-lik, kath-lik]
- broad or wide-ranging in tastes, interests, or the like; having sympathies with all; broad-minded;liberal.
- universal in extent; involving all; of interest to all.
- pertaining to the whole Christian body or church.
As a catholic Christian, I cannot help but seeing the church as the body of all those who choose to follow Christ, no matter what their beliefs may be about what that means. Yes, we are a highly dysfunctional family. But through this family, Christ remains alive in this world.
Taking it a step further, as a catholic seeker of God, I cannot help but seeing the entire human race as part of a common quest to find meaning in our lives. We all share a common entry into this world. The world will eventually move on, with each of us nothing more than a memory. In between, we all struggle through to find our place. Yes, we are a highly dysfunctional race, with a much too high level of disparity. But by keeping our common fate in mind, perhaps we can join our hands together to be the living Divine.
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