Your faith: just showing up, or being intentional

By Daniel Francis

What does it mean to be a Catholic? I ponder this question fairly often.

We go through different seasons in our lives, and in these seasons, we experience our faith in various ways.

Through my articles, I’ve taken you on a journey of my seasons, hoping to encourage you by my mistakes and revelations. Reflecting on my various seasons, I recall how I was essentially asleep at the wheel, as I think many of us may be, without realising it.

I have people in my life who are Protestant. I often like to have rousing discussions about the differences and the similarities. I think it’s essential to understand all sides and to draw lessons from that knowledge to deepen your faith.

It was always intriguing to me that Protestants are less about the rituals than we Catholics are. Internally, it made me feel a bit superior, but, as I mentioned earlier, I realised that one can get lost in the throes of habit and miss the meaning behind it. Case in point, me.

In the past, I told myself, “Well, all I need to do is read my Bible, pray, and show up to Mass. That’s enough.” I’m sure many of us think the same, but when your goal is simply to “show up,” you truly aren’t doing enough. I showed up daily and weekly in different ways, but my spirit was weak. I would sin as though there were no consequences. It was as though I was living a double life.

When you upgrade from simply ‘showing up’ to being an ‘active participant’, it’s as if your eyes are opened for the first time. Intentionality opens the door to truly let God in.

Now, I listen to Scripture during Mass through a lens of thirst for understanding and closeness to God. My experience is totally different. I begin questioning how I don’t remember these readings from last year, I have epiphanies about the significance of feast days, and I am more aware of my behaviour in the real world. When you are truly present in faith, and it’s more than just doing the things you know you should be doing, your experience is richer, and that in turn will have a greater impact on your life.

I used to wonder sometimes what the point of trying too hard was? There is always this internal struggle of good vs evil. Day in and day out, fighting against the urges, the draws of sin, and the temptations.

Yet, I had to come to terms with the normalcy of this struggle. This struggle is a reminder of our humanity and the daily call to turn to God for strength and guidance. We cannot give up, and in this journey of life, we should take full responsibility for ourselves.

Taking responsibility means that what you do and who you become is due to your choices. We can choose to be a passenger being taken in any direction, even if it is the wrong direction, or we can decide to take the wheel and chart a path toward what we know is right.

I woke up from my sleep and saw how much work I have to continually do. It was daunting, but it was also exciting knowing that God wants me to do it to be closer to Him. He is calling us all to foster a deep connection with Him. This can’t be done by simply going with the flow, no. It takes active participation in your faith. A genuine curiosity about God and a commitment to show up each day.

So, what does it mean to be Catholic? Ask and answer it for yourselves, but when you do, really think about what being intentional with your faith looks like for you.

Daniel Francis, author of The Millennial Mind, The Millennial Experience, and How to Write and Self-Publish Your Book, is an entrepreneur passionate about leadership and storytelling. As a leadership development coach at Rebit Limited, he has spent the last four years equipping individuals to thrive personally and professionally. He also leads One Momentum Publishing, a hybrid publishing company through which he has guided hundreds of authors on their journey from idea to published book.

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