What Does My Faith Mean?

I had an interesting experience this week. I got to chatting with an African American woman who was inquiring about the Parish. She had a million questions about the Church, and what we stand for, and what makes “Old Catholics” different from “Roman Catholics”. She began asking specifically, about the “gay thing”. So I explained our philosophy of openness and acceptance to divorced people, LGBTQ people, etc.

She stopped me as I was talking and said;

 “I’m not Catholic, but I was raised Christian. To me this sounds like if I looked at the Klu Klux Klan, and said ‘hmm they don’t want me, maybe I’ll go and join the ‘Old’ Klu Klux Klan.’”

 At first I was completely horrified by her comparison. How could she possibly think that being Catholic and openly gay, was comparable to being African American, and in the Klu Klux Klan? She went on to ask; why not just become something completely different? She couldn’t understand how a form of Catholicism that accepted gays and lesbians could possibly exist, since adversity to that community is so much at the core of what it means to be a Catholic…as she understood Catholicism to be.

 My heart broke. How did we come to this point? How did we manage to find our way to a place where society thinks that in order to be Catholic, we have to have certain negative feelings? In all fairness, I don’t think that her summation of the situation is accurate. I don’t think that the Roman Catholic Church hates anyone, but I do obviously think that the translation of some teachings needs to be evaluated.

 Regardless, we have to ask ourselves, how did we get to this point? How did we get to a point where our Religion is defined (by the external observer at least), by what we hate, and not how we love? When did being a Catholic – or anything else for that matter – become defined not by what we believe, but by what we don’t believe?

To me, being a Catholic means that I believe in the Seven Sacraments, and at their core, the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It means I believe in One God, who is Three Persons. I believe that my God came to Earth in the form of a man; that the Word was made flesh. I believe that He was crucified, died, was buried, and three days later rose triumphantly from the dead. I believe that the Resurrection has made it possible for me to achieve life with Him after death, and that one day He will come again so that I too can share fully in the Resurrection.

 Being a Catholic means that I believe that Mary, my Mother, is in Heaven praying for me every day, and guiding me closer to the heart of Her Divine Son. I believe that through the Sacraments I am united with the Communion of Saints; and I am united with my sisters and brothers who gather together as a family of faith, to share in the Eucharist. I believe that the Community of the Church is here to strengthen me, to support me, and to grow with me as I go through my life’s journey.

 That’s what it means to me to be a Catholic.

This weekend the First Reading opens with the words, “woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture.” These are powerful words to be sure! Our Faith is not meant to divide, to hurt, or to hate…our Faith is meant to love, to strengthen, and to build hope.

Part of the horror of organizations like the Westboro Baptist Church is that they are a “Religion” that is built on hate. If asked what they believe they tell you how their tenants are about all the people who they believe that God “doesn’t like”. They gather not to share the love of Christ, but instead on sidewalks, with protest signs, that blame homosexuals for everything that is wrong with the world. They gather to share in their common hatred, not their common love.

That’s not the Church that I grew up in. At least that’s not the experience of faith that I had in my heart when I was a kid discovering the faith. I had a Parish Priest who was an engaging, dynamic, and happy man. His life was completely and totally defined by joy; joy in his Priesthood, joy in his Church (even though he didn’t always agree with everything), and joy in the love of God that he experienced so wonderfully in the Sacraments.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says;

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. 


 Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” -Matthew 7:15-20 

I would never dare to say that Roman Catholicism (or any other form of Religion) is a “rotten tree” as a whole; however we cannot help but look at this fruit. Whether it’s what the Church “technically” teaches or not; here you have a good and faithful Christian woman, who believes that in order to be Catholic you must be adverse to individuals who identify as LGBT. That’s a problem…that’s a rotten fruit.

Let’s be honest with ourselves, this general atmosphere of distaste for homosexuality, is not something that only this one individual woman has misunderstood. There is a general attitude in society, even within certain Churches, that is extremely negative toward the LGBT community. As I have said elsewhere in this blog, if there weren’t such an attitude, then there would be no scandal whatsoever in a celibate, Roman Catholic Priest, being openly gay…check the fruit. The chasm between being Gay and being Catholic is a battle on both sides. I have often wondered is it more difficult to be Catholic, and "come out" as Gay...or to be Gay, and "come out" as Catholic? 


What is the call then to us, who live our daily lives according to whatever faith tradition we identify with? What is the lesson to be learned? I think it’s simple really: We are called to live what we believe, not what we don’t believe. 


Living a life that is focused on what we believe will make us people of conviction, love, and acceptance. Living life that is focused on assaulting that which we do not believe, will make us people of anger, bitterness, and resentment. Look at the world that we live in; it’s all violence, hatred, anger, pain, and suffering every time we turn on the news. Shouldn't we live a faith that is defined by values of hope and joy? There’s an old Church tune called, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love”…that’s certainly how I want the world to recognize that I’m a Christian; by my capacity to love, not my capacity to hate.

Gave Proof Through The Night...

The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday – bar none, but it hasn’t achieved that place in my life without earning it.

 My dad’s birthday is the fifth, and my best friend’s birthday is the third. We usually had a family cookout somewhere near the day, and did the whole fireworks thing. My best friend would have his Birthday Party every year, and the Fourth of July burned itself into my memory as a time of celebration.

In the summer after my first year of Seminary, Father Bert Richman - my Pastor, inspiration, and very dear friend - was called home to the God who made him. He closed his eyes to this world, on July 3, the same day as that friend’s birthday (who was also good friends with Fr. Bert). For me, in that moment, the Fourth of July stopped being a cause to celebrate.

The next year, life began to take it’s course. My Seminary journey became more intense, and along the way I made friends with someone new, who introduced me to the world of the Fourth of July…Bristol style. He allowed me a glimpse each year on July 3rd and 4th into a world of nonstop cookouts, the Parade, Fireworks, and the town of Bristol (which during the Fourth is a whole different world) in a whole new light. The Fourth of July had again become a testimony to celebration!

After leaving Seminary I found myself once again growing further and further away from the world I knew. That individual who had “re-invented the Fourth” for me, and I, found ourselves living in two very different worlds…worlds that were so different they were unable to meld. That parting of ways was difficult for me, and the Fourth of July became empty again. It returned to being a reminder of things like; loss, resentment, and regret.

Today I look at life in general through a different lens, and as a result I can’t help but feel once again a deep love for the Fourth, but now it means something entirely different.  Every year I go and watch the fireworks, and it makes me feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I think about all the things about the Fourth that I have loved through the years, and all the people that made it so special. Although those things and people have come and gone they have contributed to who I am today. Maybe that’s why we as Americans relate so well to the Fourth of July. It’s the epitome of American optimism.

The Star Spangled Banner tells the story of the American Flag flying proud the day after a long battle. We can certainly relate to that…many times life feels like a battle. We do the best we can with what we have. We try to pay the bills, keep our friends and loved ones satisfied, meet the expectations that are upon us, and all the while try to improve ourselves in life’s ongoing “self improvement project.” We try to keep our head above water, and when Summer comes we grasp at the opportunity to embrace a well deserved rest. We deserve it because in so many ways we too can proudly say; “the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night, but the flag was still there.” That’s one of the many reasons the Flag is so meaningful a symbol; because we too somehow make it through all the nights, the battles, the bombs and the rockets with “red glare”.

Living this “American Dream” is stressful, and challenging. Our founding fathers established for us a Nation to thrive and grow bathed in freedom and liberty. This Fourth of July, let’s not only celebrate the freedom, but also the thriving and the growing! Let’s give thanks to the Lord for all the challenges we’ve survived, because they have contributed to who we are today…and prepared us for whatever else may come! After all, America isn’t just the land of the free, it’s also the home of the brave!!

God Bless America!