Just Who Is A Lay Catholic?

It is the lay Catholic who lives day in and day out in the secular world.  It is the lay Catholic who has to endure the temptations of this would and still exemplify Christ in his or her life.  It is the lay Catholic who shows the rest of the world just what it means to be Catholic by living life according to Christ’s teachings.

We as lay Catholics are the ones who need to stand up for our faith.  We are the ones who have been called to evangelize (it’s not just a protestant thing).   In these times when it seems that our Church is being attacked from almost every corner; from mainstream media to our own friend’s Facebook feeds.  We need to start speaking up.  The call to speak up is exactly why I have started this blog.  If we are to stand united against the secular world than we need to build each other up in order to inspire others to live the life that Christ intended for the people of his kingdom.

It is my intention to share my experiences of being a lay Catholic.  I’m going to share everything from my favorite books on the faith, to expressing the joys of the Church, to talking about the challenges of everyday life.

I know that standing up for you faith can often put you in a lonely place.  We need to share our experiences in order to show each other that we are not alone; in fact there are tens of thousands like us.

We are faithful to Christ’s Church.  We are faithful to His vicar on Earth.  We are the Catholic laity.

Who Is This Lay Catholic?

As for me; I’m just as normal as can be.  I work, love my family, have hobbies, and love my lord.  I get up in the morning then I drive to work and eventually drive home.

I am a college professor by day and an award winning (just one) motorsports reporter by night.

I am a cradle Catholic, who attended a parochial school.  After college I fell away from the faith.  I never really quit the Church all together, but I certainly didn’t completely agree with the Church or even appreciate what made it different from other Christian denominations.  In graduate school I dated a woman who opposed the Church.  She made me seriously question the faith.

Eventually I was faced with the prospect of remaining Catholic or staying with a woman who I was deeply in love with.  I had to make the decision: stay with her or stay Catholic.  I chose to educate myself on the faith.  I began to digest books on the faith with great speed.  It was then that I realized just what makes the Church so special.  It is needless to say that I once again became a single man.  Even though this difficult experience I believe that I owe her a debt of gratitude.  I am Catholic and loving it!  Without those hard times I would not have found the joy of completely amercing myself in the faith.   I have never regretted the decision and I’ve never looked back.

I’ve been through my ups and down, I’ve felt alone, I’ve felt overjoyed,  I am like you: I am a lay Catholic.