Reflection 10: Building Our Marriage on Christ

Being Catholic hasn’t always been easy for me.

Growing up, my mom was rooted in the Catholic faith and really wanted to raise my brother and me in the Church. My dad’s story was different. He grew up Baptist and didn’t have a deep spiritual foundation or strong devotion to his faith, so it wasn’t something that was emphasized much at home.

Because of that, my mom gave us space to figure things out. We were exposed to both Catholicism and the Baptist church. Every summer, my brother and I would go to Vacation Bible School with my aunt at a Baptist church in East Texas. Looking back, I learned a lot there. Scripture memorization was a big focus. They made learning fun with songs and repetition, and honestly, they did a great job helping kids remember the Bible.

As I got older though, I started to notice something. While I appreciated how engaging those programs were, I was also drawn to the depth of Catholicism. The traditions. The history. The why behind what we believe. Over time, I began to understand why the Catholic Church claims to be the one true Church founded by Christ.

Some of the biggest faith conversations I had growing up were with my grandparents in East Texas. When I visited them, I would go to church with them at their Baptist church. My grandma, who I love dearly, would often quiz me about why I was Catholic and what the Church actually taught. She had heard growing up that Catholicism was demonic or unbiblical and didn’t truly follow Christ.

So I had to learn fast.

Those conversations pushed me to understand my faith earlier than most kids my age. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was being forced into a kind of mini apologetics role. I had to explain what I believed and why, even when I didn’t always have the words for it yet.

The conversations usually went in circles. No matter how much I tried to explain Catholic teaching, it always came back to one thing. That I wasn’t saved. That I hadn’t accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I tried over and over to explain that Catholics absolutely believe in salvation through Christ. We believe in following His teachings and His Church. The disagreements usually centered around works and confession. The idea that Catholics think you earn salvation or that you have to confess to a priest instead of directly to God.

Another big point of tension was Mary. Why Catholics “worship” her. I would try to explain that we don’t worship Mary. We ask her to pray for us, just like we ask other people to pray for us. I’d compare it to her church prayer list or asking family members to pray for someone who’s sick. We believe the saints are alive in heaven, still part of the Body of Christ, and able to intercede for us.

Did I convince her? Not really.

But those conversations planted something in me.

They made me realize that while I had grown up Catholic, I didn’t always know how to articulate what the Church actually teaches. I believed it, but I couldn’t always explain it clearly. That didn’t start to change until I got older and began learning more deeply about the faith for myself.

Looking back now, I’m grateful for those hard conversations. They forced me to take ownership of my faith instead of inheriting it passively. They taught me that believing something isn’t always enough. You have to understand it, live it, and be willing to explain it with charity and patience.

That’s something I carry into fatherhood now.

I don’t want my kids to just know what we do as Catholics. I want them to know why. I want our home to be a place where faith is talked about, questioned, and lived out openly. Not perfectly, but intentionally.

Because faith that’s never spoken about rarely survives on its own.

Prayer:
Lord, give us the wisdom to know our faith, the humility to keep learning, and the courage to live it with love. Help us guide our children with patience and truth as we lead them closer to You. Amen.

See you in the Eucharist.