... because it is a gift that I have received from my family.
... because it is where I find the means to become a better person: the Word of God, the Holy Eucharist, the sacrament of Reconciliation, teachings and guidelines about many life issues.
... because of the great good it does throughout the world through its institutions: education, human promotion, health.
... because of the women and men, both living and dead, who have given meaning to their lives by giving it for others.
... because of the company of my fellow pilgrims, my brothers and sisters whose good examples inspire and encourage me; and whose weakness remind me of human frailty and God's boundless mercy.
The Catholic Church is not perfect. And how can it be since it is a truly human, in as much as it is a divine, institution. The Catholic Church is made up of people, scarred, flawed people, all on a journey of finding meaning in their lives.
I hurt when my Church is hurt by scandals and incoherence. I hurt when I see that, at times, what we use as criteria of our choices are not the criteria of the Gospel. I hurt when the Church is attacked, often unfairly, by forces outside it. But I hurt more when it is weakened by the pride of its members.
I believe in the Catholic Church because it is where I can truly have a personal encounter with God in varied and ordinary ways. And that is what truly matters. The norms, the rituals, the programmes are not ends in themselves; rather, they help me encounter the true God, not a God whom I have created for myself.
And this is another reason why I love the Catholic Church. It saves me from creating a God according to my own terms. It saves me from the danger of worshipping myself.
And lastly, I love the Catholic Church because Jesus Christ willed it. He founded it. If only for this, it is worth loving.
