Living the Catholic Faith Conference

I return to work today after having attended the Living the Catholic Faith Conference. There were many deeply inspiring talks given. Particularly, I enjoyed Deacon Alex Jones who wrote the book No Price to High. He was deeply moving and truly brought to the fore our need for Catholics to understand their faith more fully. As a Pentecostal preacher he had sought to offer worship in the way in which the Apostles themselves would have offered worship to Christ our Lord. As he began to search through the earliest Christian accounts found in the Church Fathers such as St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Justin Martyr, and as well in writing such as the Didache he began to realize that two things had been maintained from the time of the Apostles: Apostolicity and Perpetuity. The Catholic Church had been established by the Apostles and everyone of the early Church Fathers went through great lengths to show that they were in a line of apostolic succession.

Moreover, as Pentecostal Pastor Alex Jones began to look at the scriptures he truly began to see what Jesus meant in Matthew Chapter 16 "...I build my church upon this Rock and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it." The Catholic Church finds its roots directly from Jesus Christ establishing it on St. Peter. Every other denominational Church was started by a man or woman who protested the authority of the Church.

The Catholic Church now seeks to reestablish the unity which Jesus prayed for in the 15th Chapter of St. John's Gospel. It is interesting to note that it is the Catholic Church who makes the greatest efforts in this reconciliation. We Catholics must therefore know our faith to continue this mission of uniting the denominalized Churches. We are the "nomination," you might say, not a "de-nomination."

For this reason, we must make an effort, as adults especially, to engage our faith intellectually and in prayer. Many of our separated brethren are so misled and informed regarding what we actually believe in the Catholic Church. However, if one can come to understand the wisdom found in every doctrine of the Catholic Church, one will encounter and see Jesus Christ more clearly during this life.

What was most inspiring about Alex Jones - Pentecostal Pastor become Catholic who has become a Deacon - is what he tells us. There is "no price too high" to follow Jesus with your whole heart, even if it means overcoming your prejudices and presumptions about the Glory of the Catholic Church, the glorious Bride of Christ!