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Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the question.
My colleague Paul gave a great answer to the first part of your question.
Let me address the second part.
You said:
I'm a Catholic because I wish to belong to the only Church Jesus founded on St. Peter and his successors. Period. All Christians should believe this way.
Some may say, but the Apostle's were never Catholic. The voice of the early Church answers this flimsy rebuttal through St. Pacian of Barcelona:
"But, under the Apostles, you will say, "no one was called a Catholic". Grant this to have been the fact; or suppose it to have been so.
- When heresies, after the Apostles days, arose, and, under divers names, strove to tear and scatter piecemeal the dove of God, and His queen, did not the apostolic people require a peculiar name whereby to distinguish the unity of the people that had not been corrupted, for fear lest the error of a few might tear limb by limb the unstained virgin of God?
- Was it not beseeming that the principal head should be designated by a suitable title?
Suppose I entered, this very day, into a populous city, and found there Marcionites, Apollinarists, Cataphrygians, Novatians, and others of the same sort, all calling themselves Christians.
- By what name should I be able to recognize the congregation of my own people, were it not from its being called Catholic?
Come, tell me, who bestowed so many names on the other peoples! Why have so many cities, so many nations, each their own description? The very man who calls in question the name Catholic, will he be ignorant of the cause of his own name, if I shall inquire its origin? Whence was it delivered to me? Assuredly, that which has stood during so many ages was not borrowed from man.
This name "Catholic" sounds not of Marcion, nor of Apelles, nor of Montanus, nor does it take heretics as its authors. . . . . Christian is my name, but Catholic my surname. That names me, this describes me; by this I am approved; by that designated. And if at last we must give an account of the word Catholic, and express it, from the Greek, by a Latin interpretation, "Catholic" is "everywhere one", or, as the more learned think, obedience in all the commandments of God. . . . Therefore he who is a Catholic, the same is obedient to what is right. He who is obedient, the same is a Christian, and thus the Catholic is a Christian. Wherefore our people, when named Catholic, are separated by this appellation from the heretical name.
St. Pacian of Barcelona, (A.D. c.310-375), bishop of Barcelona, Jerome praises his eloquence, learning, chastity, and holiness of life.
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You said:
It is surely more then you were born into the Catholic Faith.
- A man can change his faith and beliefs, so did you chose this life or did it chose you?
My parents loved me and wanted the best for me so, initially, they chose this faith for me. When I grew up and learned to appreciate the faith I had, I chose this faith. I was born into the faith as a cradle Catholic and, like many visitors to our site, I had terrible CCD catechesis training in my parish when I was a teenager. If not for the grace of God and certain people leading me to the monastic way of life, I would probably be as uncatechized as many visitors to our web site.
The Benedictine monks gave me the love for the Church and the knowledge to know the Church more. When I discovered what Catholic apologetics was all about and implemented it into my life, I found I was a stronger Catholic because:
- I knew more (I developed my own Catholic Apologetics library)
- I could separate Judas behavior within the Church from authentic teachings which have never changed since Jesus' Ascension, and
- my attitude changed drastically from centering conversations on me, to centering them on where the other person was coming from.
- After researching the roots of my Catholic Christian faith and finding they "alone" go back to Our Blessed Lord's Ascension, why would I do something as stupid as leaving?
For reasons of concupiscence?
No way, that's Satan tempting me.
Confession crushes Satan.
Read the early Church fathers, who lived from 100 A.D. to 787 A.D. If I follow them as an example, I should be prepared to die for my Catholic faith, as they did.
You said:
- Do you believe God set a path out for you?
LOL. If you knew the type of life I have had, Yes, it is obvious the Lord has set a path out for me.
I still don't know where it will go or how it will end. All the work I've done on this site has been while I've been unemployed and no AskACatholic volunteer apologist gets any money for their work. For short, for years we have been working for the Church for free.
You said:
- What drew you to this faith?
As I said previously, the love my Benedictine monk-friends gave me for the Church drew me to the faith deeper and deeper along with receiving the Eucharist.
For anyone who is reading this and is not Catholic, try a visit, either to:
- a monastery that is faithful to the Holy See, or
- just visit a Catholic parish and sit in the back, in one of the pews ... You'll enjoy the presence of peace.
Hope this helps,
Mike
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