The Teachings of the Catholic Church

For anyone who has had, in the past, or currently, has doubts or unanswered questions about our Wonderful Catholic Faith or finds the Teachings of the Church challenging, the Apostle, Saint Thomas, is most definitely for us! Often popularly known as Doubting Thomas, he is a likely intercessor for those who find themselves unsure in any way about the Beliefs, Teachings and Practices of the Church. His declaration that he would not believe in Christ’s Resurrection unless he could see and touch his Risen Lord, followed by his later heartfelt and, probably, shamefaced cry of “My Lord and my God”, on seeing Christ, should give us more hope that our own questionings are well understood by God Who, as the psalmist says, knows us intimately!
 
Our Lord, Himself, of course, is ever patient and, through His Church, wishes to enlighten us if we will but turn to Him. Standing in His place, our Priests are near at hand and ever-ready to help; together with their Seminary Formation and the Grace of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, they generally have a wealth of Pastoral experience and, while they cannot simply make doubts and fears disappear, they will surely be able to point us, should we be willing, in the right direction.
 
It can be very instructive to read of those who have lapsed from the Faith, perhaps due to ignorance or misunderstanding of the Teachings of the Church (maybe having been influenced by the warped or distorted views of those who reject and oppose the Church) and, later in life, have found help in returning, often filled with a desire to bring others back to share their joy. There are also the conversion stories of those who have come into the Church from other Faiths. The sacrifice that may be asked of converts is clearly portrayed in Joseph Fadelle’s book, The Price to Pay, chronicling his conversion from Islam. Whether one is strong in Faith or not, such literature is a useful way of deepening one’s own Faith and Commitment, helping us to more clearly understand our own Faith. With The Holy Father’s call for Evangelisation comes a call to deepen one’s personal Faith and, of course, to be aware of how vital is one's example in  living it which can say more than words alone ever could. Ignatius Press (www.ignatius.com) is one source of faithful Catholic literature to help us on our way.