Who do we think we are?

There are things by which we identify ourselves as Catholic Christians, just as any group of people have things which identify them as such.  Different nations have flags and anthems and national days of celebration by means of which they say who they are, such things express their identity.  We call these things symbols – that is they express outside of us who we are.  They express our identity.

There are such symbolic things which express who we are as Catholics.  They are not all of the same quality or depth but each plays their part.

We start with the Mass.  From earliest Christian times, the disciples of Jesus gathered together and were established and confirmed in their relationship to Jesus.  And they did this on the first day of the week, the day of Jesus’ resurrection – Sunday.  This was not just an individual thing but a communal thing; it was the gathering together of his disciples.  The Mass remains central to being a Catholic; it is the fulcrum around which Catholic life centres.  The great feasts of Easter and Christmas are also points of identity which gather Catholics who may or may not celebrate the weekly Sundays.

The Pope is a core symbol for Catholicism as well.  Catholics in every part of the globe recognise the Pope, the bishop of Rome, as a symbol of the unity and universality of the Church.  The Pope is a sign by which Catholics recognise who they are. 

There is also a structure of ordained ministry in Catholicism which makes the bishop and the presbyter (or priest) points of identity in the life of the Church.

The crucifix is another symbol; it is a Christian symbol which goes beyond Catholicism.  Wherever we see a crucifix – whether on a person, in a building, or in a home – we know that there are followers of Jesus present or in the offing.  Many Christians will only use the cross, but with Catholics, a crucifix is more common.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, will be honoured and imaged among Catholics – and some other Christians.  The Catholic tradition has always taken seriously the words of St John’s Gospel which speaks of the beloved disciple taking the mother of Jesus into his keeping.

The above are practical symbols expressing who we are as Catholics, as we go on in to develop the topic “Who do we think we are?”, we will look further and more deeply into “who we are”.

By Fr Frank O’Loughlin

Published: 5 July 2024