Saved!

Last winter, my baby cousin Cameron was baptized at my church by one of our deacons. While my family doesn't typically go to church, weddings, funerals and baptisms bring them out in droves. I remember in the parking lot seeing one of the baby's relatives that hadn't been at the ceremony.

"Hey!" my mom called out, glad to see him. "Why weren't you at church?"
"Oh, I'm not a...I'm a Christian," he told us, a little aggressively.

I bristled; this wasn't the first time I had encountered something like this. I was going to let it go, but to my surprise, Mom replied without hesitation, "Yeah, so are Catholics."

For a while after my reversion in 2007, comments like this hurt and confused me. Where did people hear some of the things they would tell me? Why did they think they had the right to tear me down? Last spring, it even happened during a Sociology lecture without me saying a word to invite the criticism. It took some time before I realized that this happens because people don't know what we're really about. Our rituals are ancient and often solemn; we offer respect to Mary, saints, and priests who act as our guides. But are we saved? Do we Catholics have a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus?

The answer is the same one that can be given for any other church or religion: sometimes. Sure, there are many Catholics who practice the faith without believing it, but there are just as many others who do "love the Lord . . . with all their strength" (Mark 12:30).

The primary difference between Catholics and other Christians is that there is usually a concrete moment where a Christian repents and accepts Christ into their life from that point forward. Some believe that nothing you do, no matter how horrendous, can cause you to "lose your salvation." Catholics believe that while we are saved through faith, it is a process that takes our entire lives, and does not occur in an instant. If we sin, we can be separated from God until we turn to Him and confess our sins in the Sacrament of Confession (more on this later). While doing good things cannot save us, neither can faith alone. Our faith is only alive if we live it out. Without works, our faith is dead.

Put simply, our view of salvation looks like this:

[Living faith] + [Obedience to Jesus' teachings] + [God's grace (free mercy and love)] = [Heaven]

I've been saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also in the process of being saved  (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved at the end of my life (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). [Those verses used as references were from Catholic.com, a handy site that explains a lot about the faith.]

It may seem difficult, and honestly, it really can be. But, as my pastor put it once, all good things are worth working for in the end...