Remember that simply beginning, putting one’s hand to the plow is nothing. Holy thoughts begin the plowing, and perseverance in virtue finishes it.” (St. Catherine of Siena)
The old Baltimore Catechism was concise in its wording so that the basics of the Catholic faith could be known and understood by children. In the Church today many are suffering from an identity crisis on what it means to be Catholic. For some, the Church is nothing more than another charity organization among many to build a better world here on earth. For others, God is a friendly being who doesn't really care about sin or how one lives as long as they "love" others. Of course, the word "love" has nothing to do with true love which wills the good for another, most importantly in their relation to God.
One of the core teachings which Catholics had to memorize was this question and answer.
Q. 150. Why did God make you?
A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.
This simple one-sentence answer to the reason we are all here seems to have been all but lost. If God created us to love and serve Him does it not require an effort on our part to know Him so that we can understand what is actually pleasing to Him so we can execute His will? Can we serve someone whom we have no idea as to what pleases them? Jesus, the perfect man, since His humanity is united to His divine nature in His person, has given us a perfect means to love and serve Him.
These two means are Divine Revelation and supernatural grace. Jesus has given us His own teaching through Divine Revelation and the means of supernatural grace to understand Divine Revelation and live it out in our lives. These two means are found within the one Church in which Jesus Christ established Himself, the Catholic Church which to this day possesses apostolic succession passed on from Christ to His apostles through every succeeding bishop to our point in time. This is what we call the visible Church.
Due to our fallen nature, it is often a struggle to learn what Christ taught and put it into action with the help of grace. It takes perseverance in study, prayer and the reception of the Sacraments to reach union with God both in this world and the next. All of the hardships that we face in the Church today is due to sin and a lack of zeal for the truths of our faith. It is not enough to just go to Mass once a week and go out and perform some act of charity a couple of times a month. We must have a structured spiritual life that allows us to persevere in prayer and study so that we can know and understand how God is calling us to serve Him in this life.
Within the Church, there are various religious groups that offer a structure for those trying to live an ordered spiritual life. Though most of these groups are for those taking religious vows which separate themselves from the world there are others that are structured for the laity. Many of these are called Third Orders or secular orders. The secular Lay Dominicans, Third Order of the Friars Preachers, also known as the Militia of Jesus Christ, is an association of the faithful living in the world, who, sharing in the religious and apostolic life of the Order of Friars Preachers through the observance of their own Rule approved by the Holy See, strive under the direction of the Order to attain to Christian perfection.
"The Dominican Life is a particular way in which a Catholic Christian seeks union with the Divine Will through Jesus Christ Our Lord." (Dominican Life-Joret) We have four pillars by which we live which allow us to serve God in a unique manner. They are Prayer, Study, Community, and Preaching. We are formed through daily prayer and study, and we meet in community at least once a month. As a result of this spiritual formation, we then gladly preach the gospel for the salvation of souls. We do this in whatever circumstances God places us in by His Divine Providence.
I would encourage those who are reading this article to examine what type of spiritual life you are living, or the lack of it and perhaps explore the Dominican Tertiary chapter in your area. For those who are drawn to prayer and study and love to share their love for God with others, it may be your calling from God!
Matthew J. Bellisario
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