The wisest words I’ve ever said are, “I don’t know.”
After a lifelong pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, I’ve finally realized my understanding will always be limited. There are some things only God can know.
At first, this really irked me as I prided myself on being smart. As a lifelong learner, it’s been my passion to accumulate knowledge to benefit myself and others.
Eventually, God humbled me.
It was the end of my life, in a good way.
It was the end of a false life. One predicated on arrogance, self-love and pride. I believed I had control over my life and my accomplishments. I thought I was responsible for getting things done and caring for others.
This led to the idea that I had to have all the answers.
The day I realized I didn’t have them was the day that my false life ended.
Part of why I love Catholicism is accepting the mysteries of the faith. Pope Paul IV defined mystery as ‘a reality imbued with the hidden presence of God.’
Because God is so spiritually pure, we can’t know him directly. Our experience of him is facilitated through events and things visible to us.
Jesus is the tangible reality of God. The Catholic Church and its sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony are tangible realities infused with the presence of God.
God is a great mystery that I can never fully know. But I can experience the fullness of Him through my Catholic faith. For once in my life, I feel smart in my ignorance.
Let me continue to remember that “I don’t know,” leaving the door open for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to enter under my roof giving me all that I need.
Amen.
The Radical Catholic 
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