Being Catholic gives me a unique worldview.
Granted it is one that has shaped western thought and history, but is now quite unusual.
Those of us who are Catholic believe that children are a gift from God no matter how healthy or “unhealthy” they may be.
Ideally those same children should come to be through sacramental marriages, where both the husband and wife are open to life. We believe that all human life, no matter how it came to be or what it has done, is sacred and is to be cherished from conception until natural death.
We believe that Jesus was not simply a nice guy with some cool quotes, but that he was and is and always will be our Lord and Savior.
We believe that that same Jesus created one church, the Catholic church, and it is a beautiful yet often broken faith, because it is made up of beautiful, yet often broken people. We believe that the Eucharist, that tiny little piece of bread, is the body, blood, soul and divinity of that same Jesus Christ and that everything we do should be done to know, love, and serve Him.
When we fall, which we all do far too often, He is there. Truly present both in the Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation, offering us forgiveness and mercy. While at the same time loving us enough to tell us that some of the things we do, no matter how well-intentioned they may be, are wrong. And by doing them we are causing our souls to be separated from the One our souls, knowingly or unknowingly, long for—Him.
Nothing about that world view is considered “normal,” and that is why we need Catholic Fiction, because no one else is going to tell the stories our souls were made to hear.
I have now published nine novels, with another on the way, and in each of them I try and show the beauty of who we are and who we were created to be.
My characters are beautiful and broken, but none of them allow that brokenness to continue to define them. Each of them is unique, just as each of us is unique, and they are each searching for goodness—whether they know it or not.
My stories show a love for family, something I think is often lacking in other works of fiction. And a reminder that love and sacrifice are intertwined. They are clean stories, though there is plenty of grittiness—I think that is how life is, beautiful and gritty. And they have a point.
Our Lord used fiction to reach those listening to him, it is a way to subtly, or sometimes not so subtly, get your point across. But he never told a story just to hear himself talk, and that is important.
If you’re reading fiction that does not help you strive to live a virtuous life, I would suggest you stop. If you’re reading fiction that leads you away from God, definitely stop. And if you’re reading fiction that offers no greater lessons, no point, no depth, then stop wasting your time. There are so many past and present Catholic authors that are absolutely worth your time. If you try one you don’t like, try another.
Catholic fiction, when done well, should help each of us recognize a bit of ourselves
and, at the same time, help us each recognize that still small voice calling out to us in the wilderness.
I originally wrote this article for Catholics Online Blog, where it was first published under the title “What’s so Beautiful About Catholic Fiction.” I’m sharing it here as well with different images.
