Sharing God's Life Together
Being Catholic in the Bible Belt

Bishop John J. Leibrecht

Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The Church encourages Catholics to be aware of the religious beliefs of others and to respect both the beliefs and the people who hold them. The Church teaches us to celebrate faith in the one God wherever we find it. Many important elements of faith "can exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church," Vatican Council II stated (Decree on Ecumenism, #3).

Catholics are also taught to appreciate and celebrate the unique blessing we have in our own Catholic faith -- its two thousand years of history since Jesus Christ's coming to this earth, its many sources of growth in the spiritual life, its teaching with authority, its unity.

It is out of a deep appreciation of the faith in God, which I experience in many of our non-Catholic neighbors -- often in exemplary ways -- that I write to you. You share that appreciation, I know. My purpose in this letter is to help all of us in the Catholic community to rejoice in the wonderful blessing we find in our Catholic faith.

You know, as well as I, we live in a part of the United States that is often called the "Bible Belt." In this region there is an immense emphasis on religion and on the relationship that human beings have with God. There is a strong focus on salvation ("Have you been saved?") and on the Bible. At times, we find a focus on certain Catholic beliefs, such as devotion to Mary, with which some other Christians disagree.

I write this letter because the religious language we hear in this region can be confusing to a Catholic and, sometimes, even frightening or irritating. We need to be familiar with the questions and the issues others raise about our faith. I would like to share with you some basic Catholic thinking related to the kinds of questions and issues we encounter among our neighbors. I hope I can help alleviate some of the confusion and some of the uneasiness people may feel when discussing religion.

For many reasons, lay Catholics in the United States have not been extensively involved in approaching others to speak about faith in Jesus Christ. We do not go around our towns or neighborhoods evangelizing others, and we really do not expect others to come around to evangelize us. Because of that, Catholics are not particularly accustomed to conversations about religion and about our own salvation. When someone approaches us with questions about salvation, many of us tend to become uneasy. For example, some of us may have been asked whether or not we are saved. When that question is asked, it is not asked as a neutral question; there is an urgency to it. There can be a suggestion within the question that, indeed, we may not be saved.

People who ask, "Have you been saved?" have something very specific in mind. You are being asked whether or not you have ever had an experience of God so strongly entering your life that you hand your life over to him. You are not being asked whether you live a moral life or whether you have developed good habits over the years. The question refers to one, single experience which has taken place in a specific moment of your life -- in a moment when God confronted you and you surrendered to him. This experience is sometimes called "being born again."

I sincerely hope that every Catholic has had one, or many, unusually powerful experiences of Christ and the presence of God in life. I have had several. Such experiences are blessings. Catholics do not believe, however, that such a single experience is what makes salvation. For us, the focus of salvation is not basically on God entering our lives. It is on our entering into the life of God. Permit me to explain.

When I was born, I was born into a human life with the qualities and traits necessary to live a human life. When I was born a second time, in baptism, I was born into a divine life with the qualities and traits necessary to live that divine life given to me.

Catholics believe that, in baptism, we are given a share in the life of God. That is what salvation ("being saved") means. Salvation is a participation in the life of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that this sharing in the life of Christ begins with baptism. It only begins then. It is not completed in that moment.

Suppose, for example, someone has been born with all of the talents necessary to be a great pianist. Suppose, further, that the person never chooses to learn music or practice the piano. In the end, it would be as though those talents had never existed. The inner talent for music and the piano must grow and mature. Growth and maturity take time and practice.

The same thing can be said of our share in the divine life which we were given in baptism. With it we receive the qualities and traits necessary to learn to live in accord with the life of Christ, which is within us. It takes time and development, however.

Because Catholics emphasize that development or "practice" is necessary, we are sometimes accused of believing that people can earn salvation; it is our own achievement. We do not believe that. We believe that, as a gift, God gives us a share in his divine life. Catholics speak about "growth in holiness." Developing, with the grace of God, the qualities and traits of the divine life within us is what we mean by this. If we do not grow and develop in the life of God, we are like the person who never develops the musical talents present from birth. Catholics have peak religious experiences in life, but "being saved" is not such a singular, peak experience. It is a life-long process of growing in the gifts God gives us.

While I am discussing salvation, I want to mention "sin." Catholics accept the fact of sin -- both original sin and personal sin. We believe sin entered the world through disobedience, and that the unwillingness of human beings to live according to the will of God is the cause of the continuing presence of evil in the world. We do not believe, however, that the world itself is evil.

When God made the world and everything in it, "it was good," as the Bible states. God's love for the world continued even after sin had entered it. We pray in Eucharistic Prayer IV: "Even when we disobeyed you and lost your friendship you did not abandon us to the power of death but helped us to seek and find you...Father, you so loved the world that in the fullness of time you sent your only son to be our Savior." We believe that in the Incarnation, in which the second person of the Holy Trinity became a human being, all creation was re-made in goodness. In the second century, St. Irenaeus stated that clearly and forcefully: "Christ became what we are, in order that he might make us what he is."

For Catholics, it is difficult to talk about salvation without talking about the Church. Many different things can come into a person's mind when the word "Church" is used. For some people it can be the memory of a parish church where they grew up. For others "Church" might mean the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome or some other impressive building. Or, the word "Church" might bring to mind the picture of a group of bishops making decisions which will affect all of us.

For Catholics, "Church" means more than buildings and authority figures. The Second Vatican Council gave much attention to the meaning of "Church." The Council emphasized the Church as people, the people of God. This understanding of the Church as people is as old as the Church itself. Parishioners gather in a church, but they are the Church present in a particular place. I emphasize this because it is important in any discussion of "church" not simply to think the discussion is about buildings, priests, bishops, or popes, but about all of us. We are the Church.

A familiar understanding of "Church," and one we are likely to hear in our area among our non-Catholic neighbors, is that the Church is a fellowship in the Spirit. This means that when we see a gathering of people who call themselves "Church," we see a group of people who believe that, because they are gathered in the name of the Lord, he fulfills his promise: "Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mt. 18:20). As Catholics, we agree that the Lord is present with those gathered in his name. We think, however, that focusing our understanding of Church on that one idea severely limits the richness of the presence of Christ in both the Church and in the world.

Our Catholic belief about the Church flows from our belief about the effects of baptism. We believe when a person is baptized, a personal journey of salvation begins. This journey is not a solitary or individual one. The baptized person is given a share in the life of Christ. Just as Christ was visible in the past on this earth, so now there is a visible body of Christ on earth -- the Church. We are the visible parts of the way Christ chooses to be visible to today's world, namely, through the Church. There is only one Christ. Because he shares his life with us, we share his life with millions and millions of other people with whom he also shares his life. This sharing brings us into a unity with one another beyond human imagining.

The Church is a community. Because the word "community" is used to describe many things, it can be easily misunderstood. Neighborhoods or towns are sometimes called communities; some groups of priests, brothers, or sisters are called religious communities. Community can be defined as a group of people who are held together by their affection for one another. It can also be defined as a group of people who gather together for the sake of some common purpose or goal.

When we say that the Church is a community, we mean a great deal more than these definitions offer. We cannot say we are held together by bonds of personal affection because we will never know, or even see, the vast majority of those with whom we share Christ's life. Nor do we gather ourselves together simply for a common purpose. It is God who gathers us for the purpose of saving us. As members of the body of Christ, we are a community of life -- receiving life and giving life.

Belonging to the community of the body of Christ brings with it the blessing of salvation as we mature in God's will and God's ways. It also brings the responsibility of caring for other members of the community. To have no concern for those with whom we share divine life would be senseless.

Certainly, we cannot know the details of the lives of hundreds of millions of people; therefore, it is not possible to be directly concerned with each of them. We do, however, have the obligation of praying for them. We have, as well, the obligation of doing what we can to help them when we are made aware of material and other needs they might have.

As we become more aware of the details of the lives of those with whom we share community, our responsibilities become more specific. The fact that we share life with people should draw us to want to know them better. In the parish community, this is especially possible. Parish communities should provide opportunities for their members to know one another better, to encourage one another more, and to do what is helpful for both the members of the parish community and the wider community of Christ's body.

As God the Father sent his Son to reveal to the world the Father's love through the Son's works of healing, teaching, and reconciling, so the community of the body of Christ, the Church, is called to continue that work in the world. Where there is hunger, sickness, and human misery, the Church -- the body of Christ -- is called to bring healing. Where there is ignorance of the love and care of the Father, the Church -- the body of Christ -- is called to bring teaching. Where there is division, hatred, and bitterness, the Church -- the body of Christ -- is called to bring reconciliation.

Any consideration for the Church as community, and its call to bring reconciliation to the world, should include reference to the sacrament of Penance. Because we share the life of Christ with one another and therefore cannot be anything but a community, everything we do -- whether sinful or holy -- has an effect on the entire body of Christ. Sin is not only something between the individual sinner and God, as some would have us believe. Sin has a communal dimension.

When a sinner expresses sorrow and the intention to deal with sin in life, and when that person brings his or her sinfulness to a priest, it is not simply one person talking to another. Catholics believe that one member of the body of Christ is asking forgiveness from the entire body for the wrong which has been done. The priest is the representative of the body of Christ and he offers forgiveness in the name of the body.

The sacrament of Penance is a wonderful reminder of who we are in Christ. Together, as Church, we are in a holy relationship both with God and with others. Centuries ago Tertullian said, "One Christian is no Christian."

A striking difference between Catholics and some other Christians in this region is the way in which we pray when we come together in a church. One way for me to describe that difference is to say that many other Christians are people of the Word alone. Catholics are people of Word and Sacrament.

The largest part of many Christian worship services consists of explanation -- explanation of a scripture text and explanation of the way in which that text is applicable to daily life. The service itself helps individuals deepen their knowledge of the Bible, thereby putting them in closer touch with God. Also, the service usually includes hymns and prayers of praise, thanksgiving, and petition.

Catholics also have readings from the Scriptures and explanations of those readings, but through the readings and the explanations, we are helped to become more aware of God's revelation to the world. We are helped to become more aware of ways in which we can respond to that revelation. This part of our Liturgy has similarities to other Christian worship services. The "Liturgy of the Word" at Mass, however, acts as an invitation to something which is different from many other Christian services, the second part of Mass, called the "Liturgy of the Eucharist."

Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is truly present both in the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Remember, earlier in this letter I said that Baptism gives us a share in God's own life. That gift flows from the redemptive work of Jesus. Because we each share in that one Life, we are one in Christ.

Jesus eternally offers himself as a gift of praise to the Father. In the Eucharist, he is made present -- praising the Father. Because we are members of his body, we, with him, offer ourselves as gifts and sacrifices of praise to the Father. As Jesus said "Your will be done" to the Father and showed he meant it to the fullest by giving his life on the cross, so we, during Mass, as fully as we can in the various circumstances of our lives, say to the Father: "Your will be done."

Because Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist and because we are members of his body, we are also present to one another in a very special way in the Eucharist. I can't imagine anything more awesome or marvelous than the Mass. The Second Vatican Council taught that "every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest, and of his body the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others" (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, #7). Furthermore, Vatican II declared that "the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the fountain from which all her power flows" (#10).

Every time Mass is celebrated a wondrous marvel occurs. Because of the Lord's presence in his Word, and because his body and his blood give us the spiritual strength to live his Word, we are drawn more fully into the life of God.

Earlier in this letter, I said that salvation is about life. The Church is about life. The Eucharist and all the sacraments of our Catholic Church are truly blessings of our faith. They continually lead us to a more intimate participation in the life of God.

The structure of our Catholic Church does not resemble other churches in our region. We have a pope and others do not. We have a bishop; most other churches do not. We have a number of ceremonies that emphasize the role of the bishop in the Church. This emphasis is seen clearly when the bishop ordains priests. In this ceremony it is easy to be conscious of the fact that if there were no bishop, Catholicism would not be able to continue. This fact alone says we are different from other churches.

One of the principal differences is the way in which we understand authority in the Church. Some of the symbols of authority in the Church, such as the bishop's chair in the Cathedral or his crozier (staff), are developments within the Church's history. Authority itself, however, is not just a product of history; it is part of the Church from the beginning. The exercise of authority flows from the mission of the Church in the world.

The Church continues the saving work of Jesus Christ. One large part of that mission is to insure the transmission and interpretation of God's revelation from generation to generation. Under the guiding light of the spirit of truth, revelation is faithfully preserved and taught. We believe Jesus' promise to be with the Church until the end of time is a promise that the Church -- in essential matters -- will never teach things that will not lead to salvation.

With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within the Church, authority in the Church guards God's revelation and its interpretation. Everyone knows the Bible did not simply fall out of the sky one day, to be found by whomever might pick it up. The New Testament, in effect, is part of the teaching of the Church about the work of Jesus in the world. Exercising its authority, the Church decided which books would be included in the New Testament. Some early Christian writings were excluded from the Bible because they did not come about through the special inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Without the guarantee of authority in the Church guided by the Spirit, Christians would not have adequate guidance about the interpretation and understanding of Scripture. Without an authority to unite the members of the Church, to listen to the voice of the Spirit within the community, and to express what the Spirit within the community has said, followers of Jesus would not have sufficient guidance in making the decisions which have to be made in life. Often enough, history has shown that in the absence of authority under the Spirit, there is dissension and division within Christianity.

Catholics believe in the Holy Spirit. Each Sunday when we recite the Profession of Faith (Creed), we express that belief. We remember from our reading of the New Testament that Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to the apostles and disciples -- the Church. We believe Jesus kept his promise.

We believe Jesus -- in his life, death, and resurrection -- initiated the Church. We believe that the Holy Spirit enlivens the Church, the body of Christ. Christ redeemed us and established his body; he breathes life into it through his Spirit. This is similar to God's forming of Adam, in the Genesis story, and then breathing the breath of life into him.

We believe we are the temple of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church. Because we are the Church, members of the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us. Because we, the Church, are the temple of the Holy Spirit, each one of us, as a member of the Church, is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

An understanding of the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Church, and our relationship to the Spirit through the Church, is very important. We believe that the Holy Spirit guides the whole Church and keeps it faithful to the revelation of Jesus; and that, within the Church, the Spirit keeps faithful to that revelation. That relationship of the Spirit to the believing community, for instance, prompted the apostles gathered in Jerusalem to discuss the conditions under which Gentiles could be admitted to the Church (cf. Act 15:1-35). Some leaders were teaching that the Gentiles who entered the Church were subject to the Jewish law. There is no reason to think that those promoting such a teaching were anything but good people, who were following their individual consciences. However, their teaching had to be brought to the community in order to be judged by the Spirit dwelling within the community. Guided by the Spirit, the community then judged that Gentiles entering the Church were not subject to Jewish law.

There are many indications in the New Testament that Jesus wanted his message to be preached to all people. There is, however, no indication in the Gospels that Jewish law should be dispensed. As a matter of fact, the opposite is more likely. In Matthew's Gospel, we read that Jesus told his disciples: "I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished" (Mt. 5:18). A literal reading of the text of the Gospel would lead one to conclude that Gentiles are obliged to all the requirements of Jewish law. The Church, under the guidance of the Spirit, eliminated the requirements of Jewish law for Gentile Christians. That may not seem to be much to us now, but it was an immense step for the apostles to take. The author of the Acts of the Apostles indicates that he is fully aware of the immensity of this step. He says that the decision was made with the help of the Holy Spirit. "It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and ourselves..." (Acts 15:28).

I have been emphasizing the relationship of the Holy Spirit with the whole Church. I also want to emphasize that the Catholic Church has always believed the Holy Spirit dwells individually in each baptized person. We believe the Holy Spirit is the giver of special gifts to individuals within the Christian community.

The Holy Spirit gives different kinds of gifts to different individuals. In the New Testament, the most noticeable or striking of these gifts is called a "charism." A charism is a gift which is given to someone -- not for the sake of the one receiving the gift -- but for the sake of others. In others words, a charism is a gift which makes the receiver a servant of others.

Paul talks about two kinds of charisms. The first had to do with offices or roles within the Church, such as apostle, prophet, teacher, or pastor. The second kind of charism is that which witnesses to the community that God is present and working within it. This can be relatively ordinary such as preaching and instructing, or it can be extraordinary such as the power to heal, to work miracles, or to speak in tongues. Catholics believe that these gifts, when they are given, are given for the service of the Church. Saint Paul indicates that the use of charismatic power is subject to the authority of the Church and, in his first letter to the Corinthians, he gives a detailed list of rules and regulations for its use (1 Cor. 12-14).

Catholics also believe that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to individuals for their own sake -- for their own growth in holiness. These are what have traditionally been called "the gifts of the Holy Spirit." Highlighted in the sacrament of Confirmation, which we receive, I'm sure that you remember learning them -- Wisdom, Understanding, Right Judgment, Counsel, Knowledge, Reverence, and Wonder and Awe in God's presence. These gifts help us to be open to the working of God in our lives and, therefore, they increase God's presence and power in our lives. They foster holiness in us.

Many people in this region, both Catholic and non-Catholic, have a great devotion to the Holy Spirit. A difference existing between Catholics and some other Christians is the way in which we understand the relationship between ourselves and the Holy Spirit. Traditionally, Catholics have seen the Holy Spirit coming to us through the Church. We hope that, in the future, beliefs about the Holy Spirit can be a source of greater unity among Christians. I pray that our Catholic faith in the Holy Spirit will lead us always to a care, a concern, and a love for all of God's people.

People like to be sure about things. The desire for certainty is a powerful one; each one of us feels it. That desire grows stronger as life becomes more complicated and difficult to understand. The struggle for understanding is so overwhelming at times that it becomes tempting to grasp and hold on to whatever offers certainty and stability. For many people, especially in this region, that assurance may come from the Bible.

Sometimes, Catholics are accused of not taking the Bible seriously or of not even believing in the Bible. For most Catholics that accusation is painful because we know in our hearts that we treasure and honor the Word of God. It is not always easy, though, for us to explain our Catholic belief to others. I will try to help.

Catholics believe that God has chosen to reveal himself to the world. The fullness of that revelation is in a person, Jesus Christ. We also believe God reveals himself to us in the written word.

If the Bible is understood as the literal words of God, our choices about many things are made almost infinitely easier. As one bumper sticker declares: "God said it. I believe it--and that's that." If the Bible truly were the exact and literal words of God, the search for certainty would be over. But such is not the case.

The four gospels can serve as an example of how Catholics approach God's written word. The most important thing to understand, perhaps, is that the gospels were not written so that there would be a historical record of everything that Jesus said and did. John's gospel concludes, "There is much else that Jesus did; if it were written down in detail I do not suppose the world itself would hold all the books that could be written" (Jn 21:25).

Jesus said and did many things. He was seen and heard by his disciples. After the resurrection, the apostles and disciples began to preach about Jesus. In that preaching they told some stories about Jesus and used some of the things he said. The stories were told so that people's faith in Christ would be strengthened, so they would understand him more clearly. The apostles and disciples were not as concerned about historical details as about the faith of the followers of Jesus.

Approximately fifty years after the Lord's resurrection--in a world where there was no electronic media, where a journey of just a few hundred miles might take days; where most people believed in many gods (and the Jewish people steadfastly believed in only one); where Greek was the most commonly used language--the gospels were written so that they could continue to support the faith of Christians. They were not designed as history books but as supports and encouragements of faith in Jesus. The authors of the gospels could not imagine a world like the one in which we live today. Likewise, it is not always easy for us to understand the world in which they lived.

Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit inspired and guided the writers of scripture as a means of continued support for the faith of God's people. Scripture teaches the "truth which God wanted put into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation" (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, #11). We know that the authors of Sacred Scripture were people of their own times, writing for their own times. Consequently, to apply all scripture literally to our own times runs the risk of misunderstanding it.

We believe "all Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproving, for correcting, for instruction in justice" (2 Tim. 3:16). We believe God speaks in scripture through human beings. This means that anyone who wants to understand scripture must search out what the author really intended to say and take into consideration the time, place, and circumstances of the writing. The gospels (and all the Bible) are revelations of God to us. They have been written by human beings through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Also, Catholics believe that the Spirit of God lives in the Church. Therefore, we believe that God, through the Spirit in the Church, continues to reveal himself. The word we use for this is "tradition." Tradition does not mean "custom," it means all that has been handed down to us by the apostles--along with the written word--and its development within the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The early Christians believed and practiced many things because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Some of those things were written down and some were not. Both the written and unwritten tradition have been handed down to us. From the earliest times, the Church struggled to understand and to express its belief as clearly as possible. As the years and centuries passed, the Church, the community of the body of Christ enlivened by the Holy Spirit, expressed in writing truths passed on verbally--truths and practices which had been only implicit in the beliefs of the early Church. Catholicism commits itself to the faith of the first century. But Catholicism does not limit itself to the insights of the first century. Through the continuing and ever-present guidance of the Holy Spirit, the understanding of our faith and its expression have grown within the community of believers across the centuries.

Some of what Catholics believe about the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, for instance, flows from the written tradition of the Church. In the New Testament's Letter of James, we find: "Any one of you who is ill should send for the elders of the Church, and they must anoint the sick person with oil in the name of the Lord and offer prayers" (Jm. 5:14). Anointings were done in various ways in the early Church. The earliest written statement we have from a pope about the Anointing of the Sick as a sacrament is from Innocent I in the early fifth century. Over the years, theologians developed a deeper understanding of the Anointing of the Sick as a sacrament. In the sixteenth century, the Council of Trent offered official teaching about the sacrament. More recently, Vatican Council II taught: "By the sacred Anointing of the Sick and the prayer of the priest, the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord that he may raise them up and save them. And, indeed, she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the passion and death of Christ" (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, #11). In other words, the Church's beliefs about the Anointing of the Sick as a sacrament have gradually developed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

There are many other examples that could be given about the growth and development of beliefs in our Catholic tradition. Our doctrinal belief about Jesus, for instance, as truly human and truly divine, took over three centuries to develop in the early Church. Later the growth and development of faith and understanding about Jesus led to a more advanced understanding of the Holy Trinity.

Catholics look to the scriptures for God's revelation. We also look to the Church's tradition, as guided by the Holy Spirit, for a fuller understanding of God's revelation. Most of the clearly expressed beliefs of all Christians, not just Catholics, are the result of the Church struggling to better understand God, in faith, from both written and unwritten tradition.

Devotion to Mary is certainly one thing that sets Catholics apart from many of our Christian neighbors in southern Missouri. They do not always understand what we believe about Mary, and from time to time we are accused of worshiping her. That accusation is simply not true. In all the years the Church has been in existence, it has never instructed its members to worship Mary as if she were a fourth person of the Trinity. We do, however, honor Mary above all other creatures of God.

Early in the Church's history, Mary was singled out for special honor. The question was asked, "What must the mother of the Incarnate Word of God be like?" Both Matthew's and Luke's descriptions of the events surrounding the conception and birth of Jesus Christ are an effort to answer that question.

Early in the second century, St. Justin the Martyr referred to Mary as the "new Eve." Many other writers in the Church also singled out Mary for special attention. Great Gothic churches of Europe, such as Notre Dame in Paris and the Cathedral at Chartres, testify to the special place which Mary held in the Middle Ages. That honor has continued to our own time.

Although this pastoral letter is not the appropriate place for a long history of the way the Church has honored Mary throughout the centuries, some important points can be mentioned. The most significant event in Catholic tradition about Mary was the declaration by the Council of Ephesus, in the year 431, that Mary is "the Mother of God." That Mary became the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, is the source of all the honor we give her. Her honor comes through her relationship to Jesus.

An understanding of Mary as our own mother also began in the early days of the Church. She was called "Mother of Nations" and "Mother of Believers." The Second Vatican Council spoke of Mary as the "Mother of the Church." All such references to Mary as Mother are rooted in our belief about the body of Christ. Since we are members of Christ's body, sharers in his life, we share in his relationship to his mother.

The Catholic Church has always believed that the saving work of Jesus Christ is sufficient for, and necessary for, the salvation of every human being. Jesus is the Savior of his mother, Mary. It is important to say that.

We also believe that Mary is now present with God in heaven. She is our spiritual mother. She intercedes for us, even as she interceded in the gospel story for the newly married couple at Cana who had run out of wine at their wedding reception. Christians have, from the earliest days of the Church, asked Mary to intercede for them with God.

It is possible that in recent years, the special place Mary holds in the Church has become confused. There may be a feeling that Vatican Council II in some way changed devotion to Mary, so it no longer is an important part of Catholic life. It was not the intention of the Council, however, that the place of Mary be diminished in the Church. It is just the opposite. Mary is the disciple of Jesus. She is the model of love for Jesus.

The popes of recent times, beginning with Pope Pius XII, have emphasized that devotion to Mary continues to be, as it has always been, a significant part of the Catholic Church. Occasionally in the history of the Church, some Marian devotions have exaggerated who she is and given her a place to which she is not entitled. The popes have warned against such abuses.

Consistent with what other popes taught, Pope Paul VI encouraged us to honor Mary by imitating her: "The Virgin Mary has always been proposed to the faithful by the Church as an example to be imitated...She is held up as an example to the faithful for the way in which, in her own particular life, she fully and responsibly accepted the will of God, because she heard the word of God and did it, and because charity and the spirit of service were the driving force of her actions. She is worthy of imitation because she was the first and most perfect of Christ's disciples" (On Honoring Mary, February, 1974).

We are called to honor Mary as the Mother of God and as our own mother, given to us by Jesus in his words to St. John on Calvary: "There is your mother" (Jn 19:27).

As I stated in the beginning of this pastoral letter, I invite all of you who are part of the Church of Springfield-Cape Girardeau to thank God for your Catholic faith. Show your thankfulness to God by strengthening your commitments to live the Catholic life in a way which shows his loving presence and action within your lives. Rejoice in your Catholic faith. In prayer, realize more clearly what a blessing it already is, and what it can grow to be in your lives.

Respect the religious beliefs and practices of your neighbors. Celebrate the faith in God you find in them. But let your hearts be touched, deeply and appreciatively, by the unique blessings of your Catholic faith which helps you grow closer to God, to one another, and to all God's people.

Welcome others -- friends, acquaintances, neighbors, those you meet in your places of work and relaxation -- to come, to see, and to learn about our Catholic faith. Invite those to return, who were baptized into the Catholic Church, but may not have recently been active in our Catholic community. When you invite and welcome others, your parish priest will be happy to assist you.

For my part, I promise to do all I can, with God's help, to build up the body of Christ in southern Missouri. I pray you have the joy of realizing that God gives you the grace to do the same.

Questions a Catholic May Be Asked

Are you saved?

I am being saved. At my baptism God gave me a share in the life of Christ. As I progress with the help of God's grace to live the life of Christ, I am being saved. Intense and memorable individual experiences can be a part of God's saving me, but whether or not I am saved involves the way I live my entire life.

Why do Catholics confess their sins to another human being?

We do so because we believe we are members of the body of Christ. We share the life of Christ with millions of other people and our actions have an effect, good or bad, on them. When we sin, we believe we must ask God's forgiveness, and also that of our brothers and sisters through Christ's body, the Church. We believe that the priest is a representative of that body. We were baptized by a representative of the Church, and, through a representative of the Church, we affirm our baptismal promises in the sacrament of Penance.

Why pray to Mary?

We ask Mary to pray for us. We know Mary is not God. We know, however, that she is the Mother of the Word of God made flesh, and, because of that, she is worthy of more honor than any other of God's creatures. We give special honor to Mary because God himself first gave her special honor by choosing her to be the mother of the Messiah. One additional point: because we are members of the body of Christ, Mary is, in a real sense, our mother too. She prays to God for us even as our earthly mothers do.

Why pray to saints?

We ask saints to pray for us. We believe that saints are in the presence of God, and in loving God, they also love us. We ask them to pray to God for us in the same way we ask any friend to pray for us. We honor them because they are good people whose lives were open to God's presence and power.

Why can't Catholics read the Bible?

Catholics can and do read the Bible. Each Sunday at our Mass a portion of the Old Testament is read; there are also sections of both the Epistles and Gospels of the New Testament. The Church encourages all Catholics not only to read and study the Bible, but to use it for prayer and meditation.

How can you say you receive the Body and Blood of Christ?

In the words of the Gospels, Jesus says: "This is my body; take and eat. This is the cup of my blood." Catholics have always accepted these words as true. The Gospels tell us that Jesus asked that what he did be done by us in his memory. Paul emphasizes this in his first letter to the Corinthians (11:23-30). From the very earliest days of the Church, Christians believed that they truly received the Body and Blood of Christ at the Eucharist. Such a belief makes sense. Human beings know that the greatest gift one of us can give to the other is our self. Jesus Christ, who is both God and human, who loves us beyond all imagining, chooses to give himself to us to strengthen us. Catholics believe God continues to work the miracle of Christ's Body and Blood at every Eucharist. This is not beyond the love and power of Jesus.

Why do Catholics listen to the pope when they have the Bible?

We listen to the Holy Father because we believe we are members of the body of Christ. The body of Christ, as it is present on earth, is not an invisible collection of people. It is a visible community. Like any visible community, it needs to be structured. It is different, though, from other communities of which we are members because it has its life and its unity from God's Holy Spirit. The pope is called to be guided by the Holy Spirit who lives within the community and, then, to lead the entire community. Catholics see a blessing in the continuity of authority in our Church since the days of St. Peter.

Can someone be saved without being baptized by water?

Catholics believe that God wants every human being to be saved. If someone wants to obey God's will, and if for some reason baptism is not available or possible, the desire to do God's will is sufficient for salvation. Catholics have also always believed that those people are saved who, although not baptized, have suffered and died for Jesus.

Why do Catholics baptize babies who are not able to make an act of faith?

We do so because we believe salvation is the work of God and not primarily the work of human beings. God wishes all people be saved, and baptism is the ordinary way in which that begins. We make use of the ordinary way. If baptism is not available or is not possible, we believe that God, in his mercy, will provide for the salvation of the innocent.

Why is going to Church every Sunday so important?

Catholics believe that the eucharistic liturgy, the Mass, is the continuation of the offering of Jesus to his Father. Because we are members of his body, we offer ourselves with him in his offering. It is important for growth in our Christian living that we be present with Christ, as he and we, the members of his body, make that offering to God the Father in the Holy Spirit.