Growing up Catholic, well, sort of, I was christened, took my “First Holy Communion,” and almost made it into the office with the priest for Reconciliation. Why did I not make it all the way into that office, break down in tears, and then never looked back as a 5th grader? I think something had clicked in my mind and I told myself, why do I need to confess my sins to a person who may or may not tell God about them when I know that I can talk directly to God every day on my own? Don’t I tell Him my sins and ask for forgiveness on my own? (even if it was in a vague way that most grade-schoolers do).
The door shut on Catholicism right there and then. We had been attending a Non-Denominational Church at that point since Catholics highly frown upon divorce. Yes, my parents were divorced, and now re-married to other wonderful Christians. As an adult, I don’t agree with divorce except for very specific circumstances, but those are very few. To be shunned over something such as divorce, considering that a sin is a sin is a sin, did not create a church environment to prosper our faith. This is also a church that has been attended by three generations of my mother’s family.
We never went back to the Catholic Church until my oldest daughter was born. We got a lot of pressure to “Baptize” her in the Catholic Church. We had a hard time going through the class to have this done because I wasn’t Catholic and my husband had not been a practicing Catholic for many years.
We went through the motions, picked out god-parents (only one of the two had to be Catholic), and had the ceremony. Then we found an Evangelical Free Church in our neighborhood to attend. At that church we were further enlightened into what we believed our skeptical selves were questioning all along.
Baptism.
Romans 5:31
Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast
(and by the way, my oldest daughter of 11 years old just spouted off this verse without batting an eye)
Through the death and resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ, we are saved. Being doused in Holy Water does not save us from Hell. Why would a baby, or even a young child, go to Hell? They are born into original sin but they are uneducated at this point. They are innocent. Being christened is not the way to go. A conscience decision to be baptized in faith is what the Bible talks about.
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
I also recall as a child how many times that I my grandmother would pray to Mary, the Mother of God. I recall how many candles she lit at the feet of saints spread throughout the church. I recall her kissing the feet of the child-like sculpture staring at us from her bedroom dresser. As a child, I was slightly scared and more so concerned over why she didn’t say “God” or “Jesus” very often but talked about “Mary” and “Anthony.” She once told me to pray to Saint Anthony to help me find a lost toy. “Grandma, how does a dead man help me find a lost toy among the living?”
I found that toy on my own.
Idols.
Exodus 20: 3-5
3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God
Catholics seem to forget these commandments.
My poor grandma. I do fully believe that she was a lover of God and Jesus. Apparently the Commandments were skipped, at least the first and second, at some point in her church education. I do fully believe that she is among His saints. I fully believe that her salvation was found a long time ago and was disillusioned by tradition. I can’t wait to have a discussion with her some day.
Among His Saints.
What the Catholic teachings say about this topic:
“The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom,41 especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were "put in charge of many things."42 Their intercession is their most exalted service to God's plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world.” Catechism, par. 2683
Ephesians 1:18
I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints
1 Cor 1:2:
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours
All of this would apply to confession as well. There is no intercession needed when in prayer. Praying to a person or asking someone to ask God for your forgiveness and them telling you to pray Ten “Hail Mary”s is absurd.
Jesus, Himself, teaches us to pray directly to the Father:
Matthew 6:6-9
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name
1 Timothy 2:5hallowed be your name
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
People ask for prayer all of the time. I pray for myself, my children and husband, my parents, my in-laws, my friends, my church, my country, and even for people I do not know. I don’t pray because I am the only one they can go through for prayer. I am not one who can tell God that these people need: a, b, and c. They can pray for themselves. I choose to pray for others because of free will and because I want to. We are to lift each other up in prayer.
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
Isaiah 8:19
Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will
With all of that said, here’s my question: When you die, will you go to Heaven or to Hell? If you have broken any of God’s laws, the answer is clear. I know that is where all of us stand. The interceder here is Jesus.
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
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