Michael Brooks
Being a good practicing Catholic involves more than just attending Mass every Sunday. It requires a commitment to living in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church and incorporating your faith into your daily life. Practicing Catholics strive to uphold the sanctity of marriage and the importance of family, while also seeking to grow in their faith through reading the Bible and participating in the sacraments. This includes going to confession regularly and praying the Rosary, which helps to cultivate both human virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance) and theological virtues (faith, hope, charity). Joining a Catholic community or finding Catholic friends can also provide encouragement and support in one's faith journey. Ultimately, being a good practicing Catholic means allowing God to work through you and shape you into a more excellent and holy version of yourself.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Being a Catholic in good standing | Leading a life of faith |
| Fully participating in the worship and life of the Church | Understanding and accepting the teachings of the Church |
| Accepting the authority of the Church's standards of excellence | |
| Cultivating human virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance | |
| Cultivating theological virtues: faith, hope, charity | |
| Keeping the commandments | |
| Upholding the sanctity of marriage | |
| Emphasizing the importance of family | |
| Growing in faith through reading the Bible | |
| Actively participating and living out the sacraments | |
| Going to confession | |
| Praying regularly | |
| Attending Mass every Sunday |
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What You'll Learn
Uphold the sanctity of marriage and the importance of family
Marriage is a sacred sacrament for Catholics. It is a permanent commitment to a personal union, expressed in the free giving and acceptance of each other by a man and a woman. The church's blessing of a marriage sanctifies the marital bond, reflecting the union between God and the believer, as described in the Old Testament (Hosea) and the Letter to the Ephesians (5:31-35). The Catholic Church upholds the sanctity of marriage by recognising the dissolution of non-consummated marriages through solemn religious profession or papal dispensation.
The Fourth Commandment highlights the responsibility that children have towards their parents and gives insight into the role and duty of parents, spouses, and all family relationships. Practically speaking, parents are called to offer spiritual nourishment to their children by teaching them prayers, praying with them, bringing them to church, and helping them prepare for the reception of the Sacraments. Parents are also responsible for teaching their children how to live a moral life through their words and actions, offering emotional and spiritual support, and fostering a deep, personal, and loving relationship with God.
Honouring one's parents is an essential aspect of family life for Catholics. While obedience is part of honouring parents during childhood, children must also grow in respect and learn to show that respect in their words and actions. Parental love is the foundation for healthy interpersonal and social interactions in the future, and the bond between parent and child will significantly impact a child's relationships and outlook as they grow older.
The family is a community that participates in God's Trinitarian essence. Marriage brings forth children, completing the Trinitarian analogy of mother, father, and children. The mutual love of all family members sustains the family unit, even during challenging times.
To uphold the sanctity of marriage and the importance of family as a Catholic, one must recognise the sacred nature of marriage and strive to honour and nurture family relationships, offering spiritual guidance and emotional support to foster a loving bond with God and each other.
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Regularly attend Mass and participate in the sacraments
To be a good practicing Catholic, regular attendance at Mass and participation in the sacraments are essential. This involves more than just attending Mass once a year; it entails actively living according to the teachings of the Catholic Church and incorporating your faith into your daily life.
Attending Mass regularly, typically on Sundays, is a cornerstone of Christian worship. It is a time to gather as a community and commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as he instructed his followers to "Do this in memory of me." Through the Mass, we are reminded of God's unconditional love and our relationship with Him is strengthened.
The sacraments are another vital aspect of Catholic practice. They are not merely rituals but powerful means of encountering God's grace and mercy. For example, the Sacrament of Confession, also known as Reconciliation, offers an opportunity for spiritual healing and a reminder of God's forgiveness. Other sacraments include Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, and Holy Orders, each serving as a channel of God's grace and a way to deepen one's relationship with Him.
By regularly participating in the sacraments and attending Mass, a practicing Catholic nourishes their faith and strengthens their commitment to living according to the teachings of the Church. It is a way to stay connected to the Catholic community and to God, seeking guidance, forgiveness, and grace in one's spiritual journey.
Additionally, it is beneficial to find a good Catholic community or friends who can provide encouragement and support in one's faith journey. This sense of community was important to Jesus, who gathered his 12 Apostles and sent them out in pairs, recognizing the value of shared faith and companionship.
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Cultivate human virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance
Cultivating the four cardinal virtues is an important part of being a good practicing Catholic. These virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance, and they are derived from Plato's Republic Book IV, 426-435. Aristotle also expounded on them systematically in the Nicomachean Ethics, and they were later recognised by the Stoics and Cicero.
Prudence is the ability to discern the appropriate course of action in a given situation and to choose the right means of achieving it. It is about looking before you leap and guiding your conduct according to your judgment.
Justice is the moral virtue of giving their due to God and your neighbour. It involves respecting the rights of each person and establishing relationships that promote equity and the common good.
Fortitude is the moral virtue that enables one to conquer fear, even the fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It strengthens your resolve to resist temptations and overcome obstacles, helping you to pursue all the other virtues.
Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures your will has mastery over your instincts and keeps your desires within honourable limits.
Together, these four cardinal virtues are considered guiding principles for a virtuous and fulfilling life. They are not the same as the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity (or love).
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Cultivate theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity
Faith, hope, and charity are the three theological virtues that form the foundation of Christian moral activity. They are inspired by the Holy Spirit and allow Christians to act as children of God, bringing them closer to God and giving their moral virtues life.
Faith is the virtue that allows Christians to believe in God and His word, which represents the Absolute Truth. It enables Christians to rely completely on God and carry out His will. This virtue requires a spiritual opening to recognize the manifestation of God in daily life.
Hope, derived from the Latin 'spe', is the confident expectation of the fulfillment of Jesus Christ's promises: the Kingdom of Heaven and Eternal Life. Hope, empowered by faith, gives Christians the commitment to build the Kingdom of God and find meaning in their work. It allows them to endure struggles and persevere in their love for God.
Charity, or love, is the greatest of these three theological virtues. It is the virtue by which Christians love God above all else and their neighbors as themselves for God's sake. According to Saint Paul the Apostle, charity is patient, kind, not proud, not dishonoring to others, not self-seeking, and not easily angered. It always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Charity is the source and goal of Christian practice, binding all other virtues together in perfect harmony.
The practice of these theological virtues is essential for a good Catholic life, as they guide moral behavior and bring one closer to God.
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Keep the commandments
Keeping the commandments is an essential part of being a good, practising Catholic. The moral demands of the Gospel require the cultivation of both human and theological virtues, and keeping the commandments is a part of this.
The theological virtues are faith, hope, and charity. These are infused at baptism and are considered divine virtues. Our efforts to cultivate these virtues are to allow the divine virtue to bear fruit. We become excellent (holy) because we allow God to make us so.
Human virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. These virtues are cultivated through our own efforts, which bear fruit.
To be a practising Catholic, one must strive to incorporate their faith into their everyday life. This includes upholding the sanctity of marriage, the importance of family, and actively participating in the sacraments. A practising Catholic is someone who accepts the teachings of the Church and the moral demands of the Gospel, as articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
In addition to keeping the commandments, a practising Catholic should also have a regular and consistent prayer life, attend Mass and participate in the sacraments regularly, and seek to grow in faith through reading the Bible.
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Frequently asked questions
A practicing Catholic is someone who fully incorporates their faith into their everyday life. This includes upholding the sanctity of marriage, seeking to grow in faith through reading the Bible, and actively participating in sacraments and Mass.
Practicing Catholics should strive to cultivate both human virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) and theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity).
Joining a Catholic community or finding Catholic friends can help encourage you in your faith. It is also beneficial to pray the Rosary, as Mary is the perfect disciple who can help us to know her Son and follow Him faithfully.
Attending Mass every Sunday is a central act of Christian worship, as it involves obeying the words of Jesus Christ: "Do this in memory of me". Going to confession is also important, as it reminds us that we are loved by God despite our sins.
Catholic practice is a complex form of socially-established cooperative human activity, involving identifiable goods and rules that seek to embody standards of excellence. It is important to accept the authority of these standards and allow them to guide one's attitudes, choices, and preferences.
