I will begin with a caveat. What I say here is my argument, my reasoning, and my faith. My reasoning comes out of my training as an English and History major where I had to provide a thesis and support it. Looking at the Bible through the lens of Sola Scriptura would never be logical for me. Sola scriptura isolates the Bible; it takes it out of the context of the thousands of years of history in the Old Testament, and also what is contained in the Acts of the Apostles and mentioned in historical documents by non-Catholics. My faith comes out of the undescribable sense of God and Jesus as both fully human and fully divine. Yet, both are interwoven together for me.
My other caveat is that I am growing in the knowledge of my faith. I will get some things wrong, though I will do my best to adhere to Scripture, Tradition, and the teaching authority of the Church, summed up in the Catechism.
Why I am Catholic
As I mentioned last week, I was baptized Catholic, but not raised in the faith. I came to my Catholic faith as an adult. I think being raised Catholic is absolutely wonderful, and I also think that making the decision as an adult is also valid.
But why Catholicism? After all, there are several different religions in the world, including a multitude of flavors of Protestantism. Was I influenced by my husband’s family? That would certainly be a valid concern initially. Yet, such a concern ignores God reaching out to me through Catholic moments, not Protestant or Jewish moments.
The other part of the decision which I’ve grown into is the absolute rightness of the Catholic church. Logically speaking, historically speaking, there simply isn’t any other answer. I know that my faith can’t be any other way. That the Catholic church is the only way.
There are three reasons why I say this.
When Jesus entered our world both fully human and fully divine, it was as God the Father created it to be. All the parts that needed to be there were there. Most importantly, the persons who needed to be there were there. If you understand to God to be omnipotent, deliberate, and most of all, personal, you will understand that Mary was the person, the only person, who could bear Jesus in her womb. God never contradicts himself.
To come at it a different way, the Trinity is made up of 3 persons. Three distinct persons. Three distinct persons in relationship. So, Mary was the only choice. The only human who would choose God of her free will. This was not happenstance. It was always going to be this way.
The second reason focuses on the Last Supper, a story in Scripture that I circle back to time and again. Thanks to heresies and multiple councils by the universal/catholic church, it is Catholic doctrine to believe that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. We believe He spoke with divine authority in the New Testament. He always spoke with divine authority in the New Testament. As a person who is fully human and fully divine, he would only speak with divine authority.
The New Testament is full of examples of Jesus speaking with divine authority. His ministry starts out with a miracle that could only happen through His divine authority. Please note his mother, Mary, knew his divine authority and knew only He had the ability to change water into wine. Later on, he would take such a miracle a step further by changing wine into His Blood.
The Last Supper is the last meal Jesus and his disciples share before His Crucifixion. As one of the 3 Persons in the Trinity, He knows what will happen. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke share similar statements of divine authority.
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.”
Mark 14:22 – 24
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.
Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.”
Luke 22: 19 – 20
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Matthew 26: 26 – 28
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you,
for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
In all 3 synoptic Gospels, Jesus, speaking with divine authority, says “This is my body. This is my blood.” If one believes that Jesus is one of the 3 Persons of the Trinity speaking with divine authority, then one believes that Jesus’s statements in the New Testament are true. Therefore, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus. There is no other way around what he says. If you believe Jesus, then you believe everything He says. God cannot deny Himself.
The third reason for my commitment to Catholicism is apostolic tradition. If you’ve ever played Whisper down the lane, you know that what the first person said usually changes by the time it reaches the last person in line. Because of apostolic tradition and the mission to preserve the deposit of faith, the Catholic Church has always passed along the deposit of faith first received by Jesus’s apostles and disciples. Paul himself mentions the handing on of faith in 1 Corinthians 11:2 and 2 Thessalonians 2:15. In fact, in the second scriptural reference, Paul talks about this handing on through letter and oral tradition. In a mostly illiterate society, information is passed along orally, and it is always passed along precisely to ensure that the information is not altered.
In Acts 1:21-26, the first apostles chose a disciple to replace Judas. The point is for the new apostle to take over Jesus’ apostolic ministry. In 1 Timothy, Paul writes to Timothy about receiving the office of the bishop through the laying on of hands. He also cautions him in handing on this authority since it was so vital to the mission of the Church which is the spreading of the Good News.
That in a nutshell is why I am Catholic, a rich faith immersed in Scripture and Tradition which is why Catholics call themselves the People of the Living Word.
2 dogs and a house 
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