And after he said that it was very hard, that priest went on to try some apologetics, explaining how the Holy Catholic Church was the “Church of Mercy handed down from the Apostles.” And there was nothing he said that my Protestant or Orthodox friends couldn’t refute in a moment, because he’s not the best at apologetics, but he convinced me. Because he knew my life was hard, and he was sorry my life was hard, and he said so. And better yet, he was going on and on about the Church of Mercy because he genuinely wanted me to stay in it. He was loving me as best he could, not knowing me from Eve, and treating me like a human being. And being treated like a human being helped me remember what I already knew– the richness of Scripture and Tradition, the examples of my favorite saints, every consolation I’ve had receiving the Eucharist, every truth I’ve discovered when I meditate on the Passion. I knew why I should stay Catholic. But it was somebody loving me that made me call it to mind.
In my church, before we recite the creed, we say “Let us love one another that we may profess the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” I’ve been chewing on that for awhile now. What does that mean?
I think it means that, if you don’t love, then no matter what you speak with your mouth and type in a comment box, you are not professing the Trinity.
Maybe that’s why bullies who abuse people while claiming to defend the Faith make me so angry– because you can’t profess the Trinity when you bully. You must be professing something else.
You can only profess the Trinity if you love.
And you can never love enough– but the more deeply you love, the more you profess the Trinity to people without meaning to or noticing you’re doing it. And with that weight behind your apologetic, you can strengthen bruised reeds and win souls for the Church.
That is what Catholic apologetics is all about, isn’t it?
(image via Pixabay)
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