Four Pillars of Faith

BULLETIN / by Allison Ramirez

If you’ve been following along with the Fr. Mike Schmitz Catechism in a Year podcast, you would have heard about the four pillars of faith the Catechism is based upon. These four pillars encompass the entirety of the Christian life and are helpful to reflect on as a spiritual inventory of how we are doing and in what places we’d like to grow closer to the Lord and to one another.

A Call to Community

Part one of the Catechism begins with The Profession of Faith, which is the compilation of our Christian beliefs not as individuals but in fellowship with others. Our faith and beliefs are born out of community, and we grow and are formed by the people we surround ourselves with. In the life of faith, family home, parish, and friendships are all crucial in lifting up and walking beside us in the hard and joyful times of life. Invite yourself to consider if you have a community you can call your own? Do you make it a point to connect with others in your faith, volunteer or attend faithful activities to learn and share with others? Do you reach out for support from your community when you’re struggling?

Mass and the Sacraments

When we walk side by side with others, we are invited to the greatest expression of faithful community in the mass and in the experience of the sacraments. Part two of the Catechism encompasses the celebration of the Christian mystery that is worship and liturgy. As we grow in community, we allow ourselves to be nourished by the sacraments which are never experienced alone. Invite yourself to consider whether you make Mass a weekly priority? Do you ever attend daily mass if you are able? Do you love the eucharist? Do you make is a point to attend the sacrament of confession for healing and forgiveness?

Embracing Christ’s Teachings

Strengthened by community and the sacraments, one can begin to tackle the living out of the faith, the moral implications of Christ’s teachings in our lives. Part three of the Catechism is all about the ten commandments. Arguably the hardest part of the faith is understanding and living out the teachings of the church in our day to day lives. Invite yourself to consider whether there are any teachings you struggle to embrace? Do you strive for holiness in your words, thoughts, and actions? Is there a particular area in your life that you’d like to transform from vice into virtue?

The Life of Prayer

Last but not least, one must not neglect the personal relationship we are called to have with Christ. The Church is a home with countless forms of prayer: vocal and meditative prayer, praying with scripture, the Rosary, novenas and litanies, praying with music, and much more What is your favorite way to pray? How often do you pray? How can you personally come know Christ more? Invite yourself to consider how God is calling you in your particular life to glorify him and become a saint.