Ten marks of a cultural Catholic

Catholic Collar and Tie has an interesting and profound post on the modern malaise of being person rather than God focused in our spiritual lives.

We need more culture than this in our Catholic lives

The post author, Father Gary Dickson uses the phrase "culturally Catholic" by which I believe he means surrounding ourselves with the elements of the Faith that inspire us in our daily lives and act as a beacon to others in showing them what we believe in and stand for.

I thought that it might be interesting to list those acts and signs that are the mark of someone who is "culturally Catholic" not that this is, by itself, a fulfilment of our spiritual lives, more a reminder of who and what we should be.

1. A crucifix in the home

2. Having your home blessed

3. Saying grace before meals (in the home and out of it)

4. Reciting the Rosary daily

5. Displaying religious statues or pictures

6. Wearing the scapular or a holy medal

7. Inscribing the threshold lintel on the Feast of the Epiphany

8. Dressing appropriately for Mass, males as well as females

9. Having holy water and blessed candles at hand

10. Ownership of a home Douai Bible

And before anyone says it, these are external signs; we also need to incorporate the internal ones if we are to call ourselves Catholic.