Catholic? 

By Rita Murdock

    What is Catholic? Why do we need the Church?  The Church helps us to reach heaven; it is our roadmap. Each of us is unique and can choose freely to be (or not to be) the image of our Creator.  However, we must become as Christ to attain heaven. The alternative is Hell.

   We have limitations and our good God has given us the Church, His Church. Pope Benedict XVI has said, “the Word of God cannot be understood separate from or outside the Church”. God is the creator and this is His world; we are His people.  Therefore it is important to be faithful to the teaching authority, the Magisterium, of the Church whose mission it is to transmit the Gospel message in its entirety. In this Year of the Priest we should pray constantly for our priests. A “priest has a heavy responsibility to ensure that his conduct appears irreproachable in the eyes of the faithful, closely following Christ".

      Jesus has called us to be Catholic and given us priests through His Church to assist us. God knows we are weak yet constantly invites us to say yes. We have the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist, food for the way, and Confession, to pick us up, yet God never obligates or forces. He invites and assists and calls us to be witness of our own life. Our vocation is to know Christ as living members of the Church and true disciples and missionaries of Christ in all things. We are Catholic. We need  the Catholic Church!