The Christian writer C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity posed the question that Jesus Christ had to be one of three things: a lunatic, a liar, or, actually Lord as he claimed to be. Lewis was not the first to frame this conundrum, but he was the one who “popularized” the question. The question cuts to the point of stating who Jesus is. If he is not who he claims to be as Messiah and Lord then he is out of his mind for claiming to be the Son of God or he is a liar and a charlatan who deceived the masses. Surely we agree that Jesus was not insane nor he was he a liar, so, therefore, Jesus is Lord. Well, aren’t we glad that we settled that? If only it was that easy.

The question of who Jesus Christ is for each of us is far more pointed because each of us must offer a personal response. What makes this all the more difficult is that our own personal integrity is tied to our answer. “Who do you say that I am,” Jesus asks the Apostles and Jesus asks each of us. He is not looking for an answer from the Catechism or an answer that you can search for on Google. Jesus demands a personal response from each and every one of us.

Yes, he is Lord. Isn’t that why we call ourselves Christians? Isn’t that why we come to Mass on Sunday, and say our prayers, and wear crosses around our necks, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera? Yes, but is Jesus the Lord of all of my life, not just for one hour on Sunday or Saturday evening or just when I need him or when I feel guilty about something or when its convenient? We, you and I, have to ask ourselves honestly that if we acclaim Jesus to be who he says he is then we, as self-proclaimed Christians, have to reflect that truth in every aspect of who we are. True discipleship is not about giving a portion of ourselves but it is about giving over our total selves: thoughts, actions, words, desires, everything for Christ!

An honest read of the Gospels lets us know that there is no “fine print” with Jesus’s invitation to us to be his disciples. The Gospels are a perfect example of full disclosure and this is demonstrated this Sunday when Jesus not only asks us such a pointed question but then he tells us what those who want to be true disciples must be willing to embrace: the cross. However, that full disclosure is not just about hardship and sacrifice. The Gospels also tell us about the love, the life, the grace, and the mercy that Jesus wants us to know and possess in and through him. Making that personal statement that Jesus is Lord and Messiah means going “all in” for Christ. To offer all to and for Christ can be rather intimidating, but, as the Lord repeatedly says, do not be afraid! The Lord Jesus is with us with his grace to strengthen us and with his mercy for when we fail.

Saint Francis Xavier Seelos once said “no one was ever lost because his sin was too great, but because his trust was too small.” Do we trust in the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Do we trust in his power to change us and make us new? Do we trust in his power to save? Jesus’s question of “who do you say that I am,” presupposes trust if we are to answer the same as Saint Peter. Our total trust and reliance must be in the Lord Jesus. That trust is proven in our willingness to hold nothing back from him. We want to see the world renewed, the Church renewed, and ourselves renewed. This can and will happen, but if not in and through Jesus Christ then in and through whom?

 Father Christopher House is the Rector of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

I must confess. I have not always prayed for someone if I told him or her I would. I have fallen victim to making the phrase, “You are in my prayers,” a sentence void of real emotion or intent. It is like asking the question, “How are you?” Do I always want to know how you are at the time? Then fol lows the mos t common responses of “fine” or “good.” I could have had the worst day, but I still utter a response that does not reflect my true state. Many of us say things to be nice without really thinking about it. At least, I hope I am not the only one.

The truth is that words are meaningless without action. We sometimes make ourselves and others feel better by saying we will do things only to provide no action at all. Offering best wishes to those in real need without any action is worth little. Even if we think we are sincere, true faith without works is dead.

Good stewardship requires us to say what we mean and mean what we say. Stewardship is a way of living. It does ask for sentiments of love. It asks for profound actions of love. We need to offer our gifts, talents, time, and prayers to one another and then follow through. This means we need to be more mindful of what we are saying, more committed to following through, and more accountable for our actions if we fail. If we practice this way of living, not only will we be able to say we are doing the right thing, but our integrity will be intact and we will bear witness to the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

–Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS

 Tracy Welliver works for Liturgical Publications Inc. in Stewardship. He is currently the Director of Parish Community and Engagement for LPI, having previously served for 22 years as Pastoral Associate at Saint Pius X Catholic Church in Greensboro, NC.

The question has been put to me again and again. Ever since the stories of child sex abuse broke out of Boston in 2002 and threw the Catholic Church headlong into an ongoing and painful Lent, people have asked me: “Why are you still a Catholic?”

Over the course of this summer, in the wake of revelations about former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s criminal abuse of minors and his longstanding sexual exploitation of seminarians, the soulshattering Grand Jury report out of Pennsylvania, and the ugly, repellently partisan sniping among Catholics (both clerical and lay) over the controversial and still-unresolved testimonio of a former papal nuncio to the United States, the question has been asked more frequently and with growing urgency: “Why are you still part of this Church, so beset by ecclesial politics, run by so many feckless leaders, so saturated with a mindset of secrecy as to hide acts of real evil perpetrated against innocence? How do you maintain your faith amid so much darkness?”

Well, when have darkness and light been anything but co-existent? How do we recognize either without the other?

I remain within the Catholic Church because it is a Church that has lived and wrestled within the mystery of the shadowlands ever since an innocent man was arrested, sentenced, and crucified, while the keeper of “the keys” denied him, and his first priests ran away. Through two thousand imperfect years—sometimes glorious, sometimes heinous—the Church has contemplated and manifested the truth that dark and light, innocence and guilt, justice and injustice all move together, back and forth like wind-stirred wheat in a field, churning toward a culmination imaginable yet out of reach.

Yes, in a Church of billions, a number of her clergy have sinned, and gravely—criminally—against too many. If this darkness were her only reality, how could I remain?

But the other reality is one of light—the light that shines through the service of innumerable priests, religious, and layfolk who have faithfully labored in the fields of the Lord and honored his creation, and his creatures, by offering him the best of their energies. I read of the Passionist priest Father Rick Frechette building hospitals in Haiti and burying her dead, and I see light.

I meet Sacred Heart of Jesus Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe and see how her mission to teach one skill has saved the lives of thousands of exploited people touched by evil, and I see light.

Both Father Rick and Sister Rosemary shine with it, as do the Benedictines of Mary, the old-school Benedictine nuns who are building an abbey, one psalm and one song at a time, in order to give worship and praise to God on our behalf—to pray day and night for those of us who cannot or will not pray—for the sake of the whole world.

So do the thousands of volunteers who assist the poor through the St. Vincent de Paul Society or the Knights of Columbus. So do the anonymous people in our parishes, who work the outreach, light the candles, knit the prayer shawls, visit the sick, teach the young, or shovel the walkway after a snowstorm. All of it helps to illumine the dark, brighten the light.

And then, of course, there is the brightness of the Holy Eucharist, the incomparable Bread of Life, supersubstantial and luminescent. To be before it is to know, “Yours is more than mortal beauty; every word you speak is full of grace.”

If the Church is a paradox of light and dark, that is really not so unusual, is it? Consider our nation: we are a “beacon of freedom” but formed by men who owned slaves. We are a nation of demonstrated goodwill and generosity—quick to send aid to others in the face of natural disasters—yet also the only nation that has ever deployed a nuclear weapon of mass destruction.

Consider the darkness and light that resides within ourselves too. I am a woman with very generous instincts, and I try to love everyone, but I am capable of corrosive scorn. Have I been much sinned against? Yes. So have you. Have I sinned against others? Oh, yes. So have you.

Like a pebble cast into a pond, our every action ripples out toward the edges, reaching farther than we intended, touching what we do not even know, for good and for ill. It all either means nothing, or it means everything.

As a Catholic, I believe it means everything.

That doesn’t mean I do not suffer for the sins of my Church; we people in the pews are roiling with feelings of betrayal, shame, revulsion. My stomach aches with it; I am sometimes sleepless and edgy, and wondering what will happen next.

But I will remain, because on the other side of this darkness I see the light that is faith working within me, and many others, specifically due to this crisis. I have dug in my heels for the sake of this Church and her people, so I am also praying more for the victims and for all of us; for the Truth to triumph, for Wisdom to reign. I am fasting more, and being quicker to “offer it up” when pain or anxiety arises. I am “working my faith” in a new and more mindful way than I have in a long time, and I know I am not alone in any of it. I see light in the determined faith of other Catholics.

Having survived sexual abuse in the family and the public schools, I identify deeply with the pain, the sense of powerlessness and abandonment that the victims of some of our priests and leadership have endured. I grieve for them—and for my Church, and for all of the countless good priests and religious who are tarnished by the actions of a depraved minority.

I am saddened beyond words to know that the Church’s sins of commission and omission are casting doubt into the hearts and minds of many, and that some are leaving. They will miss the consolations of the Church in light, out of understandable concern for its shadows.

Finally, I see light in the crucifix. There, on the wood of the cross, we encounter Jesus, son of Mary, who knew shame, betrayal, abandonment, scorn, jeering, ridicule, unimaginable pain and sorrow, and submitted to them in order to draw us into a consoling embrace that says, “I know what you are feeling; I know what you are thinking. You tortured ones, you shamed ones, you innocent ones, you slandered ones; I am the One who knows, and we are actually all in this together, and quite outside of time.”

The darkness within my Church is real, and it has too often gone unaddressed. That absolutely must change.

I will do my part, because I want my Church to shine. But I understand that everything, from our institutions to our innermost beings, are now seen only as through a glass, darkly. Arms outstretched, listening for the Word and its echoing liturgy, I make my way forward, in bright hope.

 Elizabeth Scalia is a Benedictine Oblate and author of several books including the award-winning Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life (Ave Maria Press) and Little Sins Mean a Lot (OSV). Her work can be found on the Word on Fire Blog and is used with permission.

We are excited to announce a series of faith formation programs at the Cathedral this fall! Please bring a friend and join us for any or all of these formative programs. All are welcome and we will do our best to provide light hospitality. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Price at [email protected].

Book Study
Facilitated by parishioner Mary Francis and open to all, the book study group will choose a book on saints, spirituality, prayer, Church teaching, or something else to read and discuss. Bring your book suggestions and a snack to share if you like.
Cathedral School Hall, Wednesdays beginning September 19, 6:30-8:00pm

Bible Study
With men and women of Cathedral parish on the first and third Tuesday of the month beginning on September 18. Facilitated by parishioner Larry Travis.
Cathedral parish library, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays beginning September 18, 6:15-7:45pm

Catholicism Series
Bishop Robert Barron journeys around the world and deep into faith to teach us what Catholics believe and why. This video and discussion program uses the spiritual and artistic treasures of the Faith to illuminate the key teachings of the Church. Facilitated by  Vicki Compton.
School Hall, Tuesday mornings
September 18-November 20, 10:00-11:30am

The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters
Join Father House for a DVD presentation by Bishop Robert Barron followed by discussion. This series will explore the mystery of the Triune God as understood in the Church’s Tradition and taught by such individuals as St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Pope Benedict XVI.
Cathedral Atrium, Tuesdays September 25th and October 2nd & 9th, 7:00pm

Festival Choir Concert
Choirs from throughout the diocese will come together for a musical celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Cathedral.
Cathedral, Saturday, October 13, 7:00pm

Priest, Prophet, and King
The three-fold ministry in which all of the baptized share comes from Jesus himself as Priest, Prophet, and King. Father House will present this DVD series by Bishop Robert Barron that explores who Jesus Christ is as God-made-man and Savior of the world.
Cathedral Atrium, Tuesdays October 23rd, 30th, & November 6th, 7:00pm

The Last Things
As the Church year comes to an end and the faithful are reminded to turn their attention to the Second Coming of Christ, Father Stock will explore the concept of the Four Last Things as taught by the Church: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
Cathedral Atrium, Mondays November 19th & 26th, 7:00pm

The other day I came across this comment on Catholic social media: “We often think saintliness is the product of the right circumstances. If only we had more time, we would pray. If only there were no annoying people, we could love others. If only nothing bad ever happened, we might be thankful and patient. But holiness isn’t a matter of perfect circumstances. They don’t exist. Holiness is what we do with imperfect circumstances.”

The problem of evil, inside and outside of the Church, is nothing new. The problem is that we become complacent in the struggle. Like a war that drags on and on, there are times when there are lulls in the fighting and the danger of being caught off guard becomes very real. We may be tempted at times to look for the lulls, to desire a misunderstood notion of peace, namely a lack of hostility or struggle, but for the Christian, this can never be the case.

In Matthew’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus states: from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force (Matthew 11:12). Evil is at work in the world and it seeks to do two things. First, it seeks to prevent souls from coming to Christ and entering into his kingdom, or, second, it seeks to separate those souls from Christ who have already chosen him and life in the kingdom. Each of us individually is called to respond to the problem of evil. We need to answer the call to holiness. We need to answer the call to become saints.

Now that sounds like a tall order, but it isn’t. Let’s take a moment and look at the big “S” saints, those who have been formally canonized by the Church. Why were they canonized? It was not because they were miracle workers (God works the miracles) or because of the pious legends associated with them, but rather because of the quality of their lives. For those who did not suffer martyrdom, before the Church ever looks at purported miracles, it first looks into the life of a candidate for what is termed heroic virtue. This type of virtue is not to be confused with perfection. Heroic virtue is the result of an imperfect soul living this life in cooperation with the grace of God. It is living defiantly for Christ in the face of evil and the temptation to be absorbed by self-interest.

The Saints have not been declared so by any unique merit of their own, but because they allowed the grace of God to be living and effective in them, by living ordinary lives in extraordinary ways, many times in adversity. The same graces that were offered to them are offered to each of us. Like the saints, we have to want the grace of God, to cooperate with it, and, at times to seek that grace out. If we are simply waiting for the perfection of times and circumstances, then we are going to have to wait until the Lord’s return when he will make all things new. We cannot wish dark times away. We are called to act, to be light that scatters the darkness. The world needs our witness. The world needs us to be striving to become saints.

In the great novel The Fellowship of the Ring, part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien, an unlikely character named Frodo is given a tremendous and unenviable task of having to destroy a ring associated with a great and evil power. To destroy the ring will take great effort and sacrifice on his part. He laments this task to his friend and guide named Gandalf.

Frodo states: “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.” Gandalf replies: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil.”

God’s grace is present in the world and he wants that grace to be manifested and working in our lives each day. When we want that too, then evil is pushed back, darkness recedes, and the Kingdom is advanced. Times are not perfect, life is challenging, but the Kingdom is worth fighting for. Answer the call to become a saint, not waiting until heaven, but striving for it here and now.

Father Christopher House is the Rector of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

Many of you may have witnessed quite a setup on Wednesday evenings after you come out of daily Mass. We have the linens out, pitchers of cool refreshments, a team busily working to set out quite a spread of food, and usually me struggling to get technology perfect. If you were to stay for the Alpha session you would witness even more hospitality. This program has introduced many to the loving and welcoming embrace of Jesus Christ through open discussion and dialogue. We have had Catholics, non-Catholics, searchers and seekers of all different walks of life. Particularly, we have served guests that others, like in the Second Reading this week, may have shut out. This is radical hospitality, and there is a case to be made for why Cathedral should be the epicenter of radical hospitality.

At many parishes, Alpha consists primarily of a crowd of parishioners. What has been surprising at Cathedral is that while we do serve many parishioners, some of the most engaged participants have been those whom we have never met before. I won’t say names, but at least two tables I have led have provided me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and to witness exactly what the Second Reading is calling us to do this week. James 2: 1-5 is short and to the point. How are we to consider ourselves intentional disciples if we only surround ourselves with what is comfortable or known? How many times did Jesus perform miracles to outsiders, lay hands on the “unclean,” or provide ministry to the outcasts? The answer: All. The. Time. This is radical hospitality, not the typical donuts after Mass or the fancy entryway and kiosk. While both are nice, neither are radical.

Cathedral is just the place to be radical. We share Communion each week with about 50% guests in our pews. We serve the community at large as they ring the doorbell at the church offices looking for help. We answer calls of searchers and seekers who don’t know how they got here, but who know something is calling them to Jesus. We are a hotspot for radical hospitality. Where do we begin? Well, start today in the pews. Notice anyone unfamiliar around you? Reach out a hand and say “Hello,” or send over a friendly smile. Ultimately, radical hospitality starts with each of us—so why not start now?

Katie Price is the Coordinator for Stewardship at the Cathedral. She can be contacted by calling the Parish Offices or emailing her directly at [email protected].

When Father House introduced me to the parish, he mentioned that one of my responsibilities is to help the parish implement the goals of the recent synod. This is a responsibility I gratefully embrace. Despite my great love for the Missions and the privilege it was to serve as diocesan mission director for over 15 years, helping to build a community of fervent and intentional disciples is the ministry I have been longing to do for the past several years. And honestly, the Cathedral parish is the place I most want to do this. I am excited about the unique mix of parishioners and visitors that makes up this community. Because we have so many visitors with us, especially at daily and weekend Masses, we have a special opportunity for evangelization and hospitality. The Cathedral has always been known for excellent Liturgy, and we are going to make sure it continues to be all that it can be to provide people with a transcendent experience of God in the midst of a welcoming community.

This week we will begin a series of formation opportunities for all liturgical ministers. This is not happening because ministers are not doing a great job already. Rather, the parish has a responsibility to continue to form all members, especially those who participate in liturgical ministries. This is also an opportunity for new people to volunteer and deepen their own discipleship by serving the parish in a new way. Finally, the parish will be adopting a software system to schedule liturgical ministers. The software will allow ministers to select the dates and times they are available to create a balanced and conflict-free schedule across multiple ministries. The formation sessions will include information on the new software system which all ministers will need to be able to access. All current ushers, greeters, lectors and ministers of holy communion who would like to continue to volunteer are encouraged to attend. Additional ministers, men and women of all ages, are needed and welcome! All formation/training sessions will be held in the school hall at 10:00am and in the atrium at 7:00pm on their scheduled dates.

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As a worshiping community we are all called to actively participate in our liturgies through song, prayer, silence, and ritual movements. Service in one of the Liturgical (Mass) ministries listed below is an excellent way to serve God and His people. Please prayerfully consider joining one of these ministries.

Ministers of Hospitality
Ministers of Hospitality provide a welcoming atmosphere and service to the needs of all who enter the Cathedral. They serve at weekend and special occasion Masses. Men and women, singles, couples, and families are needed! A minister of hospitality needs a warm smile and pleasant disposition, and the ability to work as a team player.

Greeters
Greeters are posted at the doors of the Church to provide a first welcome to all who enter. Ushers also welcome parishioners and visitors to the Cathedral. They provide assistance in seating, collect and take up the gifts, direct the communion procession, hand out bulletins, and generally attend to the needs and questions of the congregation. Formation session Monday, Sept. 24, 10:00am and 7:00pm.

Lectors
Lectors proclaim the Word of the Lord to the assembly at Mass and other liturgies. If you have a love for God’s word and the willingness to learn to proclaim it effectively, please consider volunteering for this ministry. Lectors must be confirmed Catholics, 16 years or older. Formation session Thursday, Sept. 13, 10:00am and 7:00pm.

Extraordinary Ministers
Extraordinary Minister s of Holy Communion assist with the distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ during Mass. No experience is necessary. Participation is open to fully initiated (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), practicing Catholics. Formation session Monday, Sept. 17, 10:00am and 7:00pm.

Spiritual and practical formation is provided for all Liturgical ministers, including how to manage their schedule using a new parish software system. Formation sessions will be repeated in October. We hope you will join us!

Vicki Compton is the new Coordinator of Faith Formation and Mission at the Cathedral. She can be contacted for more information by calling the Parish Offices or reaching out via email at [email protected].

We are excited to announce a series of faith formation programs at the Cathedral this fall! Please bring a friend and join us for any or all of these formative programs. All are welcome and we will do our best to provide light hospitality. If you have any questions, please contact KatiePrice at [email protected].

Book Study
Facilitated by parishioner Mary Francis and open to all, the book study group will choose a book on saints, spirituality, prayer, Church teaching, or something else to read and discuss. Bring your book suggestions and a snack to share if you like.
Cathedral School Hall, Wednesdays beginning September 19, 6:30-8:00pm

Bible Study
With men and women of Cathedral parish on the first and third Tuesday of the month beginning on September 18. Facilitated by parishioner Larry Travis.
Cathedral parish library, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays beginning September 18, 6:15-7:45pm

Catholicism Series
Bishop Robert Barron journeys around the world and deep into faith to teach us what Catholics believe and why. This video and discussion program uses the spiritual and artistic treasures of the Faith to illuminate the key teachings of the Church. Facilitated by Vicki Compton.
School Hall, Tuesday mornings September 18-November 20, 10:00-11:30am

The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters
Join Father House for a DVD presentation by Bishop Robert Barron followed by discussion. This series will explore the mystery of the Triune God as understood in the Church’s Tradition and taught by such individuals as St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Pope Benedict XVI.
Cathedral Atrium, Tuesdays September 25th and October 2nd & 9th, 7:00pm

Festival Choir Concert
Choirs from throughout the diocese will come together for a musical celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Cathedral.
Cathedral, Saturday, October 13, 7:00pm

Priest, Prophet, and King
The three-fold ministry in which all of the baptized share comes from Jesus himself as Priest, Prophet, and King. Father House will present this DVD series by Bishop Robert Barron that explores who Jesus Christ is as God-made-man and Savior of the world.
Cathedral Atrium, Tuesdays October 23rd, 30th, & November 6th, 7:00pm

The Last Things
As the Church year comes to an end and the faithful are reminded to turn their attention to the Second Coming of Christ, Father Stock will explore the concept of the Four Last Things as taught by the Church: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
Cathedral Atrium, Mondays November 19th & 26th, 7:00pm

I love watching replays of great sports highlights. Sometimes you see something so extraordinary that you tell others they have to see it to believe it. The one-handed catch, the in-the-park home run, and the photo finish are all examples of these types of moments. They are amazing feats that boggle the mind.

I wonder how many people in biblical times saw Jesus perform miracles and told others they wouldn’t have believed it unless they saw it with their own eyes. Of course, we believe the stories of his miracles, and we didn’t see them in person. We do believe them, don’t we?

There is no television program that features replays of the actual miracles Jesus performed 2,000 years ago. However, there are miracles every day for the world to see. Many of those come about by allowing God to work through us. People are waiting to be healed and fed, and mountains are waiting to be moved. There might not be a replay for these miracles either. However, people will be amazed by the power of God. Jesus said we could do these things if we had faith. Blessed are those who believe but who have not seen. Furthermore, blessed are those who perform great works with God so that others may see.

–Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS

When my wife and I put our house on the market, by the grace of God we had three showings in less than a week. It occurred to me that when people I have never met come into my home, I often wonder what goes through their mind as they enter and take the inevitable tour. It’s probably quite obvious that we are a family with many children as there is a bunk bed and a single bed surrounded by toy boxes full of weaponry and basketballs in one room and a crib accompanied by a play kitchen and pink, frilly dolls in another. However, another aspect that simply can’t escape the inquisitor is that this home is also one where religion is a deeply rooted aspect of the family dynamic. Specifically, a Catholic dynamic.

I remember one day when I was finishing a quick run, and as I was about thirty meters away from my home, I noticed a nice man in a suit carrying a book and a few materials. It was obvious to me that he was either a Mormon or a Jehovah’s Witness, and my delight in the possibility of a discussion made my adrenaline kick back in after a two-mile jog. However, just before he was going to knock on the door I saw him peer over to a plaque that my family has on the front of the house. This plaque has the images of the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart along with the words, “May the Blessed Mother and Christ our Lord protect this house from harm.” After gazing over to the picture in detail he neglected to knock and started walking to his car. As I jogged into the driveway, he noticed me and we had a decently short conversation about the importance of faith, but the man wasn’t that interested in talking. I don’t know whether it was the picture that scared him off or he simply felt the need to leave, but one thing is for sure: that man knew where I stood before we even had a discussion.

As the individuals receiving a walk-through of my home took a look around, they might have noticed much of the same type of art, statues, and the holy water font by the front door. And if they took a quick gander into any of my four bookshelves stacked full, the same impression might have been produced. I wonder how much of an effect this might have had. Are these people Christian? If so, where do they worship? Are they secularists? If so, I wonder what their synopsis of my home decoration was. Did they think that some quack lives here, some religious fanatic with crucifixes in every room who must be out of his mind? Or did they respect the fact that this home is inhabited by a family with priorities? Either way, I hope that they came away knowing that in these walls for the past four years has lived a family who has dedicated their lives to something higher than themselves, and that in this home Jesus Christ is Lord.

Blessed John Henry Newman, an evangelistic game-changer, taught extensively on the concept of “Real Assent” versus “Notional Assent.” Real Assent is based on an experience of the senses which draws man to recognize a higher good. For example, a beautiful church or seeing the good sisters helping the poor in Calcutta would cause an instinctive rise of an emotional response to the beauty of the situation and a desire to strive for its Source. Notional Assent is much more of an educational standpoint, convincing a person of truth through the reasonable and recognizable facets of humanity’s relationship with the divine. And as Newman stated in his Grammar of Assent: “Real apprehension (assent), then, may be pronounced stronger than notional, because things, which are its objects, are confessedly more impressive and affective than notions, which are the objects of notional. Experiences and their images strike and occupy the mind, as abstractions and their combinations do not.”

It is in this boundary, that of Real Assent, in which I think families ought to see their homes. When a person visits your home, whether or not he shares the same faith, could they recognize that you are indeed a Catholic Christian? And in your dealings with them do you treat them in such a manner that those pictures, statues, and regalia ring true? The domestic church is undeniably a place where God dwells.

Now, I am not saying that we ought to fill our homes with a ridiculous amount of overpowering images which would cause the average person to squeak in fear. Rather, what I am hinting at is that in today’s culture the average American person doesn’t really get to experience the beauty of the Catholic faith’s tradition in the arts and the senses, unless they are willing to step into the doors of a church or visit the beauty that is Europe or the borders of the old Byzantine Empire. In the public square they won’t see any of it. In many of our separated brethren’s churches they will not see it. Perhaps their only opportunity up to this point in their lives to see such works is in the home of their “Catholic friend.” We shouldn’t disappoint. Take pride in your Catholic heritage and be willing to put it on full display.

 Jared Zimmerer is a Catholic author, speaker, blogger, husband and father of 6 and the Director of the Word on Fire Institute. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary.