The Tenets of My Faith
I was raised in the Catholic Church in East Aurora, New York. I went to Immaculate Conception Parochial School from first through seventh grades.
In second grade, we went to mass every morning at school.
In my early experiences, mass was said in Latin.
We studied our Catechism in school learning about God: who He was, why He made us.
Even before this, the origins of my faith began at home.
Mealtime prayers, bedtime prayers, rosaries, Sunday Mass, church group meetings at our house; God and the Church were an ever present part of our daily lives.
My belief system has grown from this foundation over the course of my lifetime.
~~~
Our religious education was part of the curriculum in grade school, and while we were expected to memorize the answers to a multitude of questions printed in the back of our catechism book, I was never one to just accept anything without questioning.
The nuns at school weren’t particularly happy with my inquisitiveness, so I learned to take my questions home.
My mother was raised Episcopalian but converted to Catholicism so she and my father could marry.
She understood that it wasn’t a lack of faith on my part, but rather a need for things to make a certain kind of sense to me before I embraced them.
My main issue was with the premise that God loved us (so much so that he sacrificed His only Son for our salvation) but that we would be vengefully punished for even a minor infraction of the rules.
When one of the nuns told me that my sister Elizabeth was in Limbo because she wasn’t baptized before she died (she was stillborn) and that she would never get to heaven, I cried.
And when they told me that only Catholics would be allowed into heaven because Catholicism was the one true religion, I couldn’t accept that the God who loved us so much wouldn’t let my friend Nancy into heaven because she wasn’t Catholic. After all, she believed in Him, too.
~~~
As I grew older, I took more note of the world, the turmoil, the contradictory messages and conflicting points of view.
The war was on in Vietnam. There were protests. Shootings. A lot of people died.
I read The Desiderata (By Max Ehrmann © 1927) almost daily and watched movies like Brother Sun, Sister Moon (about St. Francis of Assisi).
We also, through an organization my parents belonged to, had visitors stay at our house from all around the world: Israel, Iran, Japan, Sudan, France, England; the list goes on.
We had exchange students who lived with us for long periods of time.
Other friends and neighbors also opened their homes to people from other countries.
I realized back then that we all had more in common than we had differences. Why couldn’t we all just try to understand and love each other?
Sometime during my high school years, my best friend Marcy gave me a bible for my birthday. Reading the Bible and interpreting it for yourself was somewhat frowned upon for Catholics back then.
The Mass was finally being said in English, but the scriptures that were read at mass seemed to me to be forced and lacked context.
I devoured that bible.
I read it from cover to cover underlining the verses that spoke to my heart.
Then I read it again.
The stirrings of my belief system began to take shape.
~~~
Throughout my college and Navy years, I met a lot of people with wildly divergent backgrounds and ideas.
No matter what religion they claimed though, it seemed to be rooted in love.
My dad always said, “Children, love each other.”
Mother Theresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
The Bible says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8
And also, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12
~~~
From all this I formed of the tenets of my faith, the principles by which I try to live my life:
God is the creator of all things and has loved me since before I was born. I will love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.
We are all God’s children – I will love others as I love myself.
When I feel love towards someone (or even something–trees, the earth, the ocean, a river–I consider pets in the ‘someone’ category), it’s the God in me delighting in the God in the other. This is something that should occur often.
Wherever there is real love of any kind, God is there.
No matter how it looks at the time, love will always triumph over hate.
Taking the time to understand someone else goes a very long way.
God has forgiven me my faults; I should be no less generous.
We have more in common with one another than we have differences.
Good things can come from bad circumstances.
However long I live on this earth, I will never have all the answers.
Violence is not the answer to anything.
Love is not a duty or a responsibility, it’s a joy and a privilege.
It’s my job to share what I believe with others; it’s not my job to tell others what they should believe.
When in doubt, love, love, love–and mean it!
~~~
If you know someone who would enjoy this post, feel free to share it!
Join our community
Subscribe to get our latest content by email.
Carol,
Sister in Christ, I love this writing. I grew up in the Southern Baptist Faith and was at church every time the doors were open. I attended Sunday School and one of my teachers was Miss Underwood, who was probably one of the most Godly Christian women ever to walk the Earth. I don’t know if you know what bible sword drills are but it was a way for you to learn where every book in the bible is located. It was a game. We stood up, bible in hand at our left side. Miss Underwood would shout out a book of the bible, chapter and verse. Immediately each child lifted the bible quickly to turn the pages to find said book, Chapter and verse. Of course you were the winner if you found it first. We took part in many sword drills. Thank you Miss Underwood! I know my books in the bible. I also attended Sunday night Training Union, vacation bible school in the summer, church camps, church trips, youth choir, played hand bells, attended Wednesday night supper at the church and a midweek church service. We also attended every revival or anything or event held at the church. My granddaddy was a Baptist Preacher and the Georgia Baptist Mission Association President for over 60 years. So yes, I was as deeply rooted Baptist as you were a Catholic. I accepted Jesus into my heart at 9 years of age and was baptised (Baptist totally dunk completely under water). I don’t know a lot about the Catholic faith except through friends and what I have read on my own. Truthfully I was so deeply rooted in the Baptist faith as a child, it was not until college and adulthood that I began to learn about other denominations. Each of course have their own beliefs and doctrines and sometimes each religion and denomination think they are the “correct one to follow”. What I have learned is that the simple truth is that GOD IS LOVE, JESUS IS LOVE, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS LOVE. God loved us so much that he gave his only son in death to save all of us from our sins. If we ask forgiveness and ask Jesus to live in heart and soul, I believe we are children of God. But we have to carry that on in love for one another, love for the stranger, love for our neighbors, love for our enemies. We may all believe different things and understand the bible and interpret it in different ways, but we are all children of God and are loved by God if we just belief and have faith. I strayed away from my faith for a long time but eventually found my way back and have become a student of the Bible. I love it so much. My grandmother and my mother were students of the bible and could quote scripture better than most preachers. I had never read the bible through and last year my sister and I had made a pact and read the bible through together with a chronological bible our mother had given each of us several years ago. It was one of the greatest accomplishments in my life. I learned so much and relearned so many lessons from childhood and my teenage years. I don’t pretend to understand it all but how fascinating the entire bible is. I have always been afraid of the Old Testament. Guess what? I love it and the history of the old Testament. I have started this year rereading and really studying the old testament. I look up maps online to see the biblical locations and where those are today. It is just fascinating and I truly love it. My mother was a singer and had a beautiful voice and I love the old hymns. There are two that come to mind. One is I Love to Tell the Story. The first verse is I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, Of Jesus and his love, I love to tell the story because I know tis true; It satisfies my longings As nothing else can do. The chorus is as follows: I love to tell the story, Twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love. The other song is one of my all time favorites. Love Lifted Me. The first verse is about lifting your own soul out of sin, the third verse is about souls in danger. It makes me think of what the world is going through now with this Coronavirus. Souls are in danger but God’s love will lift us up and I know in time this virus will pass. We just have to believe in God’s everlasting love for us. The words to the first verse of the song are: I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within sinking to rise no more; But the master of the sea heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, Now safe am I. The third verse is Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves; He will lift you by his love Out of the angry waves; He’s the Master of the sea, Billows his will obey; He your Savior wants to be, Be saved today. Chorus is Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me! That is what is is all about! Love. I don’t understand when events like this virus, or natural disasters happen, or why people get sick with cancer, why children die young? I have so many questions why. We are not suppose to question God, but we are human and we do. I have learned to accept and always have remembered that love is the key to everything in life. Is times of trouble, the best of people always come out. I wish that is times of prosperity people would remember to always love. Thank you Carol Horton for a reminder about love and the need to love our neighbors and friends everyday and especially right now. I love you Carol Horton. Thank you again! God bless you my friend. Sorry this was so long but it just flowed through my fingers. Take care my friend.
Susan, this is awesome! I have my grandbabies today and it’s feeding time for Nora, so I’ll be responding to this later this evening…Didn’t want to just leave you hanging! With much love…c
Just when I think this post isn’t speaking to anyone, you write something beautiful and eloquent and inspiring! I’m blown away!
I always find it so interesting how parallel our lives have been even though our circumstances were quite different and we grew up 1000+ miles from each other.
We did not do anything similar to Bible Sword Drills, I don’t think I ever opened a bible (except the huge family Bible we had just to look at the pictures when I was a kid) until the 8th grade when our Catechism teacher gave us copies of The Good News Bibles to read. We actually had discussions about what we read and she attempted to answer our questions as honestly as she could. She didn’t last long.
I’m not sure if my memory is correct, but it seemed to me that she was in unapproved territory and that’s why she was replaced. Again, I don’t know this to be a fact, but I felt we were discouraged from thinking for ourselves.
I did, however, join the folk group that played at one mass each week (I played guitar!) and continued to play while in college. The Catholic church was right across the street from the school I went to. I’d have to say my favorite hymn was not an oldie, but it was a goodie: Make Me a Channel of Your Peace (the Prayer of St. Francis). I never heard of the hymns you mentioned, but I’m sure they’re beautiful!
I totally agree that it all boils down to LOVE. Not pompous love, not showy love, not hollow love. LOVE. The love that shows concern for another’s welfare. The love that puts someone else’s need before your own. The love that humbly serves. The love that we have been shown by our Father simply passed on to one another.
I love that your mom was such a good student of the Bible and I love that you and your sister are studying the Bible together! What a great family tradition…
Thank you so much for your beautiful comment, for sharing a huge part of your life with us. It wasn’t too long, it was just right!
I love you Susan Manry. You’re a beautiful human being and I’m proud to call you friend!
Thank you so much for your kind words Carol. Yes ma’am, I thought years ago we had similar paths with parents who loved us, great family times together, church even though Southern Baptist and the Catholic faith are different and being taught to try and be good humans, to help others, to love the less fortunate, to love unconditional. I so enjoy your writings. Keep it up. Music by the way, to me is the universal language of love! My first love was the song Jesus Loves Me! I do know from some earlier studies and my mama being a singer that Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian hymns are quite liturgical for the most part. So are a lot of the Baptist hymns but then you get into some of the gospel and southern gospel songs. The rhythm to those will get you tapping a foot and even clapping sometimes. You should check out some southern gospel. If you have time and just want to hear to most magnificent, spirit filled, passionate piano player, You Tube Kim Collingsworth. She and her family are a southern gospel singing group and are very talented but her abibility to play the piano and tickle the ivories is a God given talent like no other. Check her out. The one I know you will know is from Handel’s Messiah, The Hallelujah Chorus. She is fantastic and I believe will fill your soul and spirit and give you a smile during these times we are living in at the moment. Check her out. There are multiple you tube performances of her out there. Want to talk about love. Her piano playing is love. Thank you again for your writings. I can’t wait for your next writing. You are a brilliant writer Carol.
Love, Susan
I thank you for your kind words as well. I love music too and I am looking forward to listening to Kim this weekend when I have a little free time! Thanks for the tip! Stay safe my friend! Love you…c