Why I Wish I Were Catholic

Reason Number 1: Catholics seem to have a strong sense of Christ's call to serve the poor and oppressed. Every city I have lived in (exception Gresham...population 200, we barely had a post office)has had a strong presence of Catholic Social Services. Historically, we look at figures like Dorothy Day, who started the Catholic Workers Movement during the Great Depression, and Mother Teresa, a timeless icon of compassion and sacrifice. In sum, I admire those who have set the bar high for Christians to take care of all of humanity (not just the convenient)--and those who have realized that being Jesus starts with human need more than effective argument.

Reason Number 2: Catholics seem to be more aware of God's desire, ability, and right to choose women for His work. Not only are they aware of it, but they also seem to understand that the role of a woman is not less, nor limited to the home. I recently prayed through the Stations of the Cross and was struck by the references to females (Station 4: Jesus meets His mother. Station 6: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Station 8: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem). I'm not saying their inclusion was meant to glorify one sex over the other; as much as I think the frequency of female reference powerfully contradicts the cultural gender-context of Jesus--as well as that of St. Francis of Assisi. And dare I say challenges us to examine if we expect equally powerful views of women in service to Christ, today.

Reason Number 3: Liturgical Chanting. :)

Reason Number 4: There is a depth of material on spiritual development due to Catholicism's embrace of Christianity's historical roots. For example, I had never heard of Spiritual Direction until my time in seminary. There I began hearing more references to contemplative prayer, discernment, retreats of silence and many other practical disciplines for spiritual growth. Catholics have a rich heritage of writing purely on the art of intimately knowing the Creator (St. Ignatius of Loyala, Henri Nouwen, etc.)