The Mystery of Catholicism

    The wonderful and beautiful thing about our Catholic Faith is precisely due to its being Catholic. I am not just referring to its being physically present around the world, but even mysteriously more so how it brings out the best in and absorbs to its advantage the qualities and  nature of each culture. During its first centuries, the Church baptized the Arab culture and received in return the great teachings on the mysteries of Christ and the Trinity. After receiving the Spanish in its bosom, it got from them the mystical theology on prayer and union with God. Bringing the German nation into its fold, saw the laying down of the foundations of scientific thought and principles. The participation of the Anglo-Saxon countries gave to the world the framework of good government (taken from centuries of monastic traditions and experiences). The presence of Italy in the Church enriched the world with sound philosophical thinking and ideas, as also the ideals and simplicity of the Evangelical life and purity. When the French sat in her pews, the emotions flooded the universal heart of our Catholic Church and gave her warm, deep feelings and sentiments in her prayer life, liturgy and devotions.

    I could go on and on and on. Every nation is precious and important to the Church and none are considered to be useless or without value. If any leave or abandon her, all suffer (like a dismembered or severed part of one's body). We greatly feel the loss of those peoples and their particular quality that would have enriched us all. So now who knows what secret marvels that God is reserving for us all through the new nations that someday will enter the Church? Who knows, maybe China or Korea might be the place for the new sexual revolution and might be the ones to understand and manifest to the world these things. No other religion is able to act like a yeast in the dough and ferment the cultural values and qualities of countries around the world as the Catholic Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, does and will always do. It is the perfect bride of her bridegroom, the Son of God. To attack or criticize any particular quality of the Catholic Church is really to deny and reject the specific contribution made by a certain ethnic group or race within her fold. That is why she is the first to defend all her beautiful, harmonious and noble Christian traditions.

Anthony Mellace