Magic is defined by inexplicability and the seeming impossible is possible. Mystery is the unknowable. One of the aspects of Catholicism that enthralls me the most is the inexplicability and the inability to know aspects of the basic tenets of our faith. I am a figurative thinker, concrete concepts are dull to me; they offer no challenge, no thought, and no trust. I like not being able to wrap my mind around the mysteries of what I believe. I love to try to decipher and ponder and wonder. My Catholic faith requires this of me, and for this I am grateful and, more than anything else, I am fulfilled.
We all have immortal souls; there is a part of our being that cannot be seen, cannot be touched, and will live forever. As Catholics, we believe that when our physical bodies no longer function in what we understand as life, a life beyond that measure is impending. We also believe in beings that exist without bodies, and God has placed them in our midst. We believe there are angels who watch over us and help us through a battle of unseen, yet seen, good versus evil.
We believe in a God who is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. We have an innate desire to revere and worship this higher being as our creator, hence our father. A father who loves us and who can control all aspects of our lives if He wanted, however, He chooses to let us have free will.
Many religions share these particularities, but the Sacraments are what set us apart. The Sacraments are the epitome of mystery and magic. We believe that physical water can cleanse a soul of the stain of Original Sin. We revere the body and blood of Christ in the guise of physical bread and wine. I find myself staring at the monstrance during Adoration and my eyes see what is not really there physically. Oil begets graces within our souls as we are Confirmed in the Faith. We believe in the forever romance of matrimony; two people are joined in God’s eyes forever, and Holy Orders bestows further graces. Anointing of the Sick has amazing results; I have watched my grandmother recover from her death bed three times after receiving this Sacrament. The Sacraments are powerful and proof of the magic within the Catholic faith.
Most of all, we believe that God sent his only son to earth to save us and suffer for our sins. This man performed miracles and was raised from the dead and ascended into a realm we call Heaven, a place we believe to be perfect peace. To be Catholic means believing without seeing. There are mysteries galore in what we believe. There is no way to prove any of it tangibly, and I appreciate that aspect. The true magic of Catholicism is that we have faith and we never need to prove any of it. “Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.” Saint Augustine