Catholic Identity: The Air I Breathe

Catholic identity implies a natural inclination to give a faith-filled response to people and circumstances. Referencing God in any situation is second-nature, comfortable, authentic, typical. Rooted in a sense of the sacred, the soul relies on Divine Providence and becomes attuned to the history of God’s providential care throughout his/her life experience. Because of the soul’s core belief that he/she was made by God to come “to know, love, and serve God on this earth and to be happy in heaven,” confidence and a sense of well-being emerge. Early on, the young soul senses “Who I am and Whose I am.” Seeking and nurturing a relationship with God becomes a natural progression in a life of faith. Then the teachings of the Catholic Church, Scripture and Tradition tutor the heart and continue to raise the mind and heart to God in age-appropriate ways.

My Catholic Beginnings

As a soon-to-be six-year-old, my sense of being Catholic began. On the first day of grade one, my teacher (Sister St. Rose, IHM), my parents, and my catechism book told me that God made me for a purpose. That purpose was to know, love, and serve God in this world so that I could be happy day-to-day as well as forever in heaven. I believed what I was told by these reputable sources! It set me on the course of “being” Catholic.

Being vs. Doing

“Being” Catholic and “doing” Catholic are separate issues. For me, “being” Catholic means that I appreciate, value, believe and embrace the tenets that are contained in the Apostles Creed. Understanding the concepts grew or deepened in age-appropriate ways, all the while, shaping my world view. Without intentionality on my part, the Creed took root in my soul and established a sense of direction, security, and reason to trust Divine Providence. This faith base led to an ever-deepening appreciation for the many expressions of “being” Catholic: Mass, the Sacraments (especially Holy Eucharist), Adoration and Benediction, Stations of the Cross, devotion to Mary, and the Rosary. I was blessed to be a student in an IHM school where the spirituality of Alphonsus Liguori – Crib, Cross, Eucharist, and Mary – was promoted in affective ways. Alphonsus related the Gospel in ways that touched the emotions or the affective dimension of souls and invited a personal response to Jesus. Consequently, early on, I developed a lively affection for the Nativity narratives, immersion into the Triduum events of Jesus’ life, and a relationship with Mary. Later in life, familiarity with Scripture, praying with the Gospels, and retreat experiences deepened my sense of “being” Catholic.

Catholic Identity Activity

Ideal for use with children and families, this customizable booklet invites reflection and expression of our unique Catholic identity and faith experiences. Download the free booklet with instructions and a corresponding Catholic identity sticker set to affix to completed pages. Add pages focused on prayer, evangelization, learning, and celebrating.

From Purpose to Mission to Passion

The catechism scenario of first grade gave purpose to my life. In second grade, a sense of mission emerged. I was charged with helping a peer learn sufficient catechism responses to permit him to receive his First Holy Communion. The success of that day lit an immediate fire in my soul. I believed that I was responsible for his victory. I loved that feeling so much that I was determined to be a woman religious when I grew up so that I could be a Sacrament catalyst for other children. A sense of vocation—a call from God, for God, to God—swelled through the years. Eventually I became a teaching Sister, mostly of middle school-aged children. Twenty years later, cultural shifts were such that too many children were showing signs of inferiority, inadequacy, and poor self-esteem—qualities that led to life-blocking decisions.

It was at that point that my sense of mission shifted to passion. In prayer I discerned that Jesus wanted me to be proactive by helping parents and teachers to reverse this trend. Doctoral studies honed the skills that I needed. Research with 400 families validated the need for formative support. Follow-up research with 96 families whose child exhibited a “regular” pattern of positive self-esteem yielded information that affirmed the theories of psychologist Erik Erikson, that developing the qualities of security, autonomy, initiative, and industry lead to positive self-esteem and life-giving choices.

My path was set!

In 1998 I initiated the ministry of IHM Formative Support for Parents and Teachers. Adult practices that foster the formation-education of children are the primary focus of this ministry. I speak internationally to a variety of audiences, from diocesan-wide conferences to national religious education gatherings as well as retreats and days of in-service to the educational community and parent organizations. My style of public speaking blends Catholic spirituality, psychology, and wisdom gathered from parents, teachers and students. Though the ministry is delivered predominately to Catholic school or parish audiences, the work is applicable to parents and teachers everywhere. In that sense, the ministry of Formative Support is universal in its need and appeal. The word catholic means universal!

My Models of Catholicism

In my understanding, a “disciple” of Jesus is a person who hears God’s word, understands what it means, and puts it into action. When the seed of God’s word roots in a disciple’s soul, it “produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:23). The Catholic practices that I mentioned earlier fertilize the soil of the soul. Growth follows. But the growth is never limited to the person. Always, authentic Catholic identity overflows into action for others.

My peculiar expression of evangelization is the ministry of formative support. I have a passion to educate parents and teachers to form children to come to know God and to know who God made them to be. Said more poetically, I want to equip adults to guide children to know who they are and whose they are! Therefore, when you ask who my models are for being this version of Catholic, I have a two-fold response: (1) historical characters who had a formative influence on my vision and drive and (2) a contemporary evangelizer.

Father Louis Florent Gillet, founder of the IHM Sisters, had the attitude, “If I can’t find sisters, I’ll make sisters.” Fulfilling the mission was never in question! He proactively and creatively “planned his work and worked his plan.” Similarly, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen used TV to bring the Gospel into the home. Pope John Paul II seemed to be everywhere, particularly touching youth with the message, “Do not be afraid. Go out into the deep.” Pope Francis hammers home the message of mercy, accompaniment, and going out to the marginalized. They are my models from afar. My close-to-home model is Bill Huebsch. Google describes Bill as “an author, theologian, former director of religious education, farmer, and long-time Catholic publishing professional. He is founder of PastoralPlanning.com and past president of Twenty-Third Publications . . .” I define him as a man who continually meets a “new faith-frontier” and designs a way to infiltrate it with the Gospel.

Catholic Resources

We cannot give what we do not have. Therefore, a prerequisite for passing on the faith to others is to open oneself to vehicles that most likely will foster an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus.

What resources might I suggest? For me, daily Mass, Eucharistic Holy Hour, and praying with the Gospel of the day is core. Additionally, my drive to and from ministry is often punctuated by an inspirational app. For example, my heart is frequently tutored by “Pray-As-You- Go,” the daily prayers offered by the Jesuits of the United Kingdom; or by the daily Gospel-reflection of Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire); or by “Amen,” a reading of and reflection on the daily Gospel offered by the Augustine Institute. Other resources that have contributed to shaping my soul include devotionals like “Give us This Day,” “Magnificat,” and the virtual-devotional, “Sacred Space” that offers daily prayer, reflections, and readings by the Jesuits of Ireland.

Earlier in this conversation I shared that the Congregational prayer-devotions of IHM Sisters is rooted in the Redemptorist spirituality of Saint Alphonsus Liguori. In affective ways, Alphonsian spirituality integrates four pillars—Crib, Cross, Eucharist, and Mary—into prayer practices and it seeks to recognize Divine Providence in the ordinary affairs of daily living.

Having been born 200 years after Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Alphonsus’ prayer life was influenced by Ignatian spirituality. To folks who desire to deepen their relationship with God, I advise that they pursue spiritual direction and retreat experiences with Ignatian-trained directors. Various retreat centers provide these services. Virtual sources offer on-line retreats, prayer experiences, spiritual direction, and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, for example: www.ignatianspirituality.com, www.ignatianretreats.org, and Creighton Online Retreat.

In Summary

This article is the sixth in a series on Catholic identity. Visit the Sadlier Religion Blog to read previous and upcoming guest posts written by individuals who serve the Church in many ways. Each author will reflect on what Catholic identity means to them personally in their life and work.