Catholicism HAS to be from God--No Human Could Have Invented It

It is hard to let go of what you think you know.

There is no real reason to study Catholicism as a Protestant, so why spend the time  attempting to see things through a Catholic perspective? It is a lot of trouble and time and nothing Catholics say ever really makes sense to most Protestants--at first anyway. Most Protestants are thrown a few pope's quotes, or do some cursory study, maybe even look at a couple of pages of the Catechism or know a priest and that is enough to convince them Catholicism is wrong. Why bother?

Well, for me, I just say.... because once you understand Catholicism, it will stretch your mind, your senses, your understanding of scripture to the point of exquisite exhaustion. You will see the supernatural, perhaps not in miracles of healing or fireballs from the sky, but in scripture and history. Catholicism is the best kept secret of all times, especially from Catholics, for rarely do I meet a Catholic who has studied their religion and jumped into its depths of theology. And the ocean of its theology is scary and deep, in fact bottomless.

Protestantism is wonderful. It is simple and sweet and secure. That is nothing like Catholicism. Catholicism is like that feeling you are being watched in the dead of night and a sudden fluttering sounds in the corner and a slight bluish wisp of a feather glistens in the moonlight. Then the next morning, there is a five foot white and blue luminescent feather found in the corner--and it is not from any known earthly creature. It is like a long, arduous hot journey and you find a cave. You walk in and you hear the rushing sound of water only to discover at your feet there is a pool of rubies and emeralds directly beneath the flowing stream. It's like a trip into outer space. Catholicism is brilliantly scholarly and tremblingly mysterious. It is frightening and yet comforting. It merges the matter of the earth, the black dirty dirty you can squeeze with your hands with the dancing of angels. It reaches my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength. It pushes me and it feeds me.

It makes me want to cover my head and fall at the feet of Jesus not looking up for fear that the goodness and mercy I see in His eyes will consume me. He is so much bigger and stranger than before. At the same time, now I know that I am in Him and He is in me. I am His Bride and He is my King. Terrifying, tremendous. Unearthly, magnificent.

There is nothing like Catholicism. But it is not easy and you will die if you understand it, die to yourself and to your selfishness. You will die and your pride will be torn from you. But you will rise again by the touch of His hand and the glory you will see will make even silence a prayer to Him.