I am a Catholic

I think I used to be afraid to say I was Catholic; scared to fully embrace and acknowledge it. It was like if I said it out loud to other people, then it made it true and definite. By taking on the name, I also had to take on everything that it embodied. All the wrongs that the Church has committed and all of the doctrines that I still disagree with. I'm starting to learn that that's not the case. I can be "Catholic" to whatever extent makes me feel comfortable. No person that takes on a term of identity does it in the same way or with the same foci in mind. This also doesn't mean that it's okay to be a nominal Catholic. I should live out what I say I am, why else would I say it. I've lived in fear that other people would judge me by their understanding of what it is to be Catholic. But really, what else can they do? All each of us has is our own understandings of things. Hopefully we are each open enough to allow ourselves to be influenced by those we meet, to let our definitions of "words" be fluid enough to change and evolve, and to not let preconceived notions of distinct collective identities affect how we view each individual person. Therefore, I am Catholic. I'll take on whatever it entails and know that each day is different in how I choose to create myself and my identity.

Welcome to Lent, the time when everyone gets to choose how they want to embrace their Catholicism. I hope that each of you who feel most at peace when you are in a community of Catholic believers, or who just like the idea of this sacrificial season, is able to grow in your faith during the next six weeks. May the Spirit be with you now and always.