Identity

Fostering Cultural Diversity and Catholic Identity

The word “catholic” means “universal” … “embracing the whole universe.” Jesus came as “Son of David,” a child of the Jewish people. But he came also as “Son of Man,” a child of all humanity. Like Jesus, we are all children of some people or another: Filipinos or Salvadorans or Mexicans or Irish. Yet in Jesus we are children of God — one family in his Catholic Church. Jesus gave his Church the mission to proclaim this good news and to make this beautiful vision a reality, beginning in every human heart.

We must break down every barrier — pride, racism, fear — that keeps us from loving. We can’t stay stuck in our own communities. We can’t look at ourselves only as “Filipino Catholics” or “Hispanic Catholics” or Catholics from this or that neighborhood. These identities are important. But our identity in faith calls us to be much more. To be Catholic means we are sons and daughters — not only of our earthly parents, but of God. Faith requires us to reach beyond our boundaries, our backgrounds, and our customary ways of doing things. We have so much to share with our brothers and sisters and so much to learn from them.