{Three Reasons} Second Edition

Linking up with Micaela for my one of my favorite things:  3 Reasons I Love Catholicism. 

I love this link-up because it's such a reaffirming and positive thing to take a few moments to really reflect on why I love my faith.

Because I do.  Sometimes it seems like I'm spending so much time in the role of defender, I forget to be a giddy proclaimer of the joy, truth and beauty of the Church.  It's like a love affair when you're in the trenches of every day life, sometimes you have to step back and take that breather to remember why you're so madly in love :)

{1}

Heritage

 

 My faith has been passed down in my family.  My father and mother frequently attended daily mass as we were growing up and I spent from the age of 2 to present day singing on occasion with my father at mass or holy hours.  Dad is a deacon in the Catholic Church.  

Being a motley mix of cultures, the Catholicism is the real culture of my family.  In April 2004, my father officiated my wedding.  In July 2005 and July 2012, he baptized Little Bean and Sweet Pea, respectively.  In May 2013, another precious moment of passing on the faith was when my father got to distribute Little Bean's First Holy Communion.  Handing down the faith, what a beautiful thing.

{2}

Tradition

Just think about the Mass.  I've attended in different languages and still known what was going on....maybe the homily was a little less meaningful, but really, you can attend Mass in any corner of the world and be celebrating a tradition that has been passed down through the ages.  

The Sign of the Cross, the Rosary, so many prayers that we have passed down over time.  There's such a richness in our tradition.  

The vestments, the candles, the incense....the ceremony of it all.  So beautiful, so universal.  Such a heritage we have to carry on.

(3)

Catechism

Got a question?  Don't know what the Church's teachings are?  You can look it up!  Es claro!  It is what it is.  You can know exactly what we profess.  How amazing to have a manual all broken down by section and subject that lays it all out.  In knowing the teachings, we can profess our faith so much more profoundly because we know EXACTLY what we're signed up for.....and that's a beautiful thing.