Jesus Christ Is The Truth

"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me" (John 14:6)

I have written before of my reversion to Catholicism during my first year of college. While it is a story I love to tell, it is incomplete, and in many ways, still being written. The Catechism tells us “The first work of the Holy Spirit is conversion. Moved by grace, man turns towards God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high.”(CCC#1989)  This conversion is not an event that happens once, but an ongoing process of sanctification. We are, in the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, “wayfarers” wandering towards our eternal home.

When I was in high school, I always wanted to know the truth about life- specifically, the big questions. When I was in high school, I became interested in the origins of the universe. There is a reason my confirmation saint was almost St. Albert the Great, patron of scientists. I looked for the truth anywhere I could find it. Yet in every ideology, philosophy, and thinker I encountered left me desiring more. Eventually, I ended up back in the faith of my childhood, Roman Catholicism. develop answers to truly fundamental questions. I come to know Jesus Christ as the truth. Not my truth, or what was best for me, but the objective truth, which every heart was made to encounter. I took great solace in the teachings of the Church, which helped me understand God’s purpose for me. The Church answered all my questions with beautiful clarity, and then posed questions I had not considered, and answered those too. It was a truly bewildering experience.

Defending truth and orthodoxy are vital to giving witness to Christ. This is not a recommendation, or a call extended to a privileged few, but a command to all. Jesus tells us that “if you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Later in the New Testament, we are told to “hold firm to the traditions you were taught by us.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). As Catholics, it is our obligation to the God we serve to proclaim the Gospel and the teachings of the Church to the world.  Defending the truth and remaining obedient to the teachings of the Magisterium are not optional. The 2nd Vatican Council tells us “The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.” To oppose the infallible teachings of the Church is to oppose Christ himself. In a world that seems often contradictory, it is deeply important that we speak the truth with clarity and love. 

That said, speaking the truth alone is not the fullness of Christian life. God wants us to be in communion with him. To be in a deep relationship with anyone requires vulnerability, emotion, and dedication. As we are called to love God above all else, this relationship should take special precedent in our lives. In this area, I find myself sorely in need of growth. In my younger years, I had a deeply mistaken perception of God as being a distant force, legislating from above in accordance with moral truth. God is not just a professor, charged with teaching us the truth. He is a Father, who loves us deeply, as his sons and daughters. This love should inspire, in the words of our Holy Father, a “revolution of tenderness”. All of us, at our core, were made to be in communion with God. In the words of St. Augustine, “our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” Please pray for me on my journey towards Christ.

Yours In Christ,

Kyle