I love being Catholic! I love that our heros are Mother Teresa and St. Francis. I love that we are called to live our faith in service to others. I love reconciliation and the Eucharist. I love that every moment of every day, someone is praying for me.

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I like being Catholic because my faith officially sanctions critical (as opposed to literal) interpretation of the Bible.

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I like being Catholic for one reason: Communion. Nothing is more cleansing and humbling than the words "Lord, I am not worthy to recieve you but only say the words and I shall be healed." Nothing is as profound as knowing that you are always forgiven for your sins and that Christ is always ready to recieve us and be our spiritual leader. Every time you recieve Communion you are being nourished and forgiven. Every week I can get strength from knowing that christ made the ultimate sacrifice for me and all I have to do is ask for help and I will be heard.

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I'm not so sure I "like" being Catholic. Being Catholic is not what I'd call a "likeable" experience. For me, it is more compelling than it is likeable. I am irresistably drawn to it--called to it--in spite of its various "shortcomings."

For instance, I have, for many years, felt called to priesthood, but--being a woman--this path is not presently open to me in the Roman Catholic tradition. I experience this "prohibition" as a deep injustice, and yet, here I am--wedded in some inexplicable way to the Church.

Converting to some other variant of Christianity does not feel like an option. I'm a Catholic, and for me, this sense, or feeling, arises from my deep belief in the Transubstantiation...This mystery, which lies at the heart of the Catholic faith, is what holds me. It is what keeps me faithful, not so much to Rome, but to God's truth revealed in the sacraments.

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I love being Catholic because of the 7 Sacraments in their fullness which Christ established and entrusted to his bride, the Church. These Sacraments prove to me that God exists and that he became one with us in the person of Jesus Christ and that this same God loves me unconditionally.

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I love being Catholic because I truly believe that The Church is Jesus' mission fulfilled. The tradition and history of Catholicism goes back to the Apostles, so I feel that this is the real Source of Christ. Beyond that, I love the mystery of the sacraments and liturgy. I adore the Holy Mother. I feel a very deep and personal connection to the Trinity that I have only found within the confines of Catholicism. During the Eucharistic prayer I have been so deeply touched by His suffering and sacrifice I have been moved to tears. I have wandered from the Church throughout my life, but whenever I have prayed for spiritual guidance I am been brought back to the Mother Church. I feel as if Our Holy Mother has a distinct interest in my spiritual growth and directs me to her Son through Catholism.

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