Catholic Faith Refresher Course

LESSON 25

GOOD AND BAD REASONS FOR BECOMING A CATHOLIC

"The prudent man doth all things with counsel." (Prov. 13:16)

DIRECTIONS TO THE STUDENT This is a most important lesson. Do not be deceived by the fact that you come regularly to instructions, that you are interested, that you like the teachings of the Church. You now must evaluate your motives better. You must distinguish between liking the Church and accepting the Church as the only true Church and absolute teacher in faith and morals. This involves di~pproving of your former religion as a false religion. Be fair with yourself and be fair with the Catholic Church. We want you in the Catholic Church, but we want you to come in such a way that you won't leave the Church later on. And we do not want you to be one third Catholic, one third Protestant, and one third indifferentist.

A. THESE REASONS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR JOINING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Priests giving instructions find people trying to enter the Catholic Church for very shallow reasons, such as: I like it My wife is a Catholic, I should be. My child is in Catholic school and wants to be a Catholic. I have no religion. This seems to be a very good religion. Such reasons are not sufficient for taking so big a step. Becoming a Catholic is a privilege of grace, notjustjoining another organization.

B. THE ONLY SUFFICIENT REASON

There is only one sufficient reason for becoming a Catholic: I am convinced that the Catholic Church is the only True Church and that I cannot save my soul outside of the Catholic Church. If your mind is not this, do not become a Catholic at this time. Pray and study more before you make a decision to join the Catholic Church.

C. BECOMING A CATHOLIC IS ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS STEPS OF YOUR LIFE Becoming a Catholic is one of the most serious steps of your life. Before Baptism, in the presence ofJesus Christ in the parish Church, you take a Profession of Faith under oath. In the Profession of Faith you reject all false religious beliefs, and you swear that you believe everything the Catholic Church believes, principally everything you have been taught in this course of instructions. You swear to keep the Catholic faith until the last breath of your life and to strive that those under you shall be taught and shall profess the same Catholic faith.

In the Profession of Faith you place yourself under the authority of the Catholic Church in all matters of religion. You accept the Pope as the true successor ofSt Peter and swear true obedience to Our Holy Father. You bind yourself to all the laws of the Catholic Church, for example, the laws of fast and abstinence, and the law of attendance at Mass on Sunday.

In the Profession of Faith you also bind yourself to Catholic worship, namely that you will worship God only in the way the Catholic Church does and that you reject all false kinds of worship. This means you cannot worship in a Protestant church any more.

D. IF YOU ARE NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED, WAIT If you are not convinced that the Catholic Church is lOOper cent correct and that all other religions are false, do not become a Catholic. If you have not broken off all connections with a Protestant church, do not become a Catholic now. You can become a Catholic later .If you are keeping illicit company, do not join. If you have been careless about Mass attendance since you began these instructions, defer your Baptism for a while or at least tell the priest the whole story why you have thus acted The whole matter of becoming a Catholic or of deferring your entrance into the Church until later can be determined only with the advice and experience of a priest You should see your parish priest at least three or four times during the course of the instructions to discuss your motives and your knowledge of the faith with him.

E. ON THE OTHER HAND

Do not wait for your husband or wife; you can and should be a Catholic without waiting for your partner. Everyone has his own soul to save. If you are convinced that the Catholic Church is the only True Church you commit a serious sin by not joining that Church. Your Protestant mother or father will be judged by God on his or her know ledge of God and religion. You will be judged on your knowledge. Your Protestant parents, if they are in heaven, are praying to God that you will do the right thing for yourself and join the Catholic Church, so that you will have the benefits they did not have while they were on earth.

F. IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE TO PLACE YOURSELF UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Reason tells you to place yourself under God's authority. The Church was made by God. The Church is a kindly mother; she is never tryannical. Every one needs a sure guide to get him to heaven; and this guide is the Catholic Church. The authority in the Church is from Jesus Christ, God Himself.

G. BY BECOMING A CATHOLIC YOU WILL MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY

You will have all the teachings of Christ, not just a few of them as you had before you took these instructions. All of these teachings are given to you by the Church which cannot make an error in teaching you. You have the religion your mother and father, your grandmother and grandfather in the next world want you to have. You have a certain guide to the Bible. There is no more doubt about your Baptism. The Ancient Church puts her seal upon your Baptism. There is no original sin, no personal sin left on your soul. All is washed away with certainty. Your Baptism is recorded in books of the Catholic Church.

You receive the real Christ in Holy Communion and not an imitation of the Body and Blood of Christ. You can have your sins forgiven in Confession if you fall into sin. The bishop will give you Conf1rlnation that gives you strength to be a good Christian and a good Catholic.

Your children will receive the Sacrament of Matrimony that gives them the grace to have a happy marriage. You will get the special Sacrament made by Christ for the dying.

You can always be proud, happy and contented that you have the true faith of Christ and not an imitation. The Catholic Church is the ancient Mother of all of us, and is waiting for those who have been cheated of divine truth to investigate her and come back to the harbor of truth and the unity of faith where there is one fold and one shepherd, one God, one Lord, one faith, one teaching ofChrist. The Catholic Church prays for those who left her and for those who through errors of history and through prejudice and misrepresentation, never knew the True Church.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW From Lessons 23, 24 and 25

1. Why is it important for religion to be free from error?

2. Does it matter to which religion a person belongs?

3. Why?

4. Prove that the Catholic Church cannot teach error.

5. Why is it important that we act as we believe?

6. Why must a Catholic obey all that the Church teaches?

7. Can you save your soul outside the Catholic Church?

8. Why do you want to become a Catholic?

9. What is indifferentism?

ST. JOHN VIANNEY AND THE PROTESTANT

St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, once gave a medal to a Protestant who visited him. The visitor exclaimed, "Dear sir, you have given a medal to one who is a heretic, at least I am a heretic from your point of view. But although we are not of the same religion, I hope we shall both be one day in Heaven."

The holy priest took the gentleman's hand in his own, and giving him a look which seemed to reach to the very depths of his soul, he answered him, "Alas, my friend, we cannot be together in Heaven unless we have begun to live so in this world. Death makes no change in that. As the tree falls, so shall it lie. Jesus Christ has said, He who does not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican, And He said again, There shall be one fold and one shepherd, and He made St. Peter the chief shepherd of His flock."

In a voice full of sweetness, the saint added, "My dear friend, there are not two ways of serving Jesus Christ; there can be only one good way, and that is to serve Him as He Himself wishes to be served."

Saying this, the priest left the visitor. But these words sank deeply into his heart. He renounced the errors in which he was raised and became a fervent Catholic.