I’m not here to convince you that Catholicism is cool, but rather to assert that rituals set us free to enter into healthy relationships. I’ll cover rigidity today and continue with relationships in the next post!
The rituals of our Catholic faith, the fixed set of words and actions carried out the same way every time, realize the literal presence of God on earth. Primarily we see this in the Sacraments (with specific matter, form, and procedure) which make Christ truly present so that when the Father looks down upon those who receive them, He does not merely see us. He gazes upon us with the same loving delight as He does upon Jesus.
Let that sink in. The rituals we carry out in our Catholic faith make us worthy to receive the same identity blessing as did Our Lord Jesus. Though we are sinners, God does not define us by our sins, and then gives us the means so we may receive the same love which Jesus, the spotless perfect Son, receives.
God freely gives us the gift of salvation– but to receive it we must conform ourselves to the way in which God Himself dictated we receive it. These “rules” are not to enslave us, but provide us the exact roadmap to find true freedom.
In my own free spirit, I’ve struggled with this dimension of faith. I don’t like to be confined nor conform. Yet I’ve realize my resistance to ritual arose from places of mistrust of the Father. These wounds, born out of broken relationships throughout my life, made it hard for me to trust that I could submit and not be taken advantage of.
Through time spent with God, He’s shown me rigidity does not point to a heartless deity, who delights in making us follow arbitrary steps. Rather a loving Father who sets our feet on a firm foundation, so we may receive the particular providence He has for each of us to be fully realized in our true identity.
In a changing world, our rituals are the enduring backbone that connects us to our families, histories, and heritages. Active submission allows me to embrace these rituals, bringing freedom to my broken heart. More later.
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