Catholic à la Carte: Picking and Choosing Our Faith

Let’s be real for a minute—being Catholic can be hard. Not because the faith itself is flawed or lacking, but because it asks something of us. Something big. Something uncomfortable. And if we’re honest, that kind of challenge doesn’t sit well in a world that thrives on comfort, convenience, and customization.

We live in a society where you can order your coffee with six adjectives, build a burger without pickles, gluten, and curate your social feed to reflect only the ideas you already agree with. And that’s all fine… until we bring that “à la carte” mindset into our faith. Because Catholicism isn’t a salad bar. You don’t get to pile on the love, mercy, and forgiveness and skip past the repentance, sacrifice, and obedience.

But for the most part that’s exactly what’s happening!

Jesus: The Gentle Shepherd… and the Refiner's Fire

One of the most common phrases you hear today is some variation of “Jesus loves you just as you are.” And that’s true. He does. But He also loves you too much to leave you that way.

When you look through the Gospels, every single encounter Jesus has with someone leaves them changed. Not just emotionally moved—transformed. Think of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10), the shady tax collector who climbed a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus. One dinner later, he’s giving away half his wealth and repaying those he cheated four times over.

Or the woman at the well (John 4:1–42). Jesus doesn’t gloss over the fact that she’s had five husbands and is living with a man who’s not her husband. He doesn’t shame her, but He doesn’t ignore it either. He confronts her reality with truth and compassion, and she walks away proclaiming Him to everyone in town.

Same with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11). Yes, Jesus tells the crowd, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” But He also turns to the woman and says, “Go, and sin no more.” He doesn’t say, “You do you.” He says, “Change.”

Jesus Came to Fulfill, Not to Cancel

Here’s something that doesn’t get enough airtime: Jesus wasn’t some first-century rebel trying to tear down Jewish law and tradition. He was the fulfillment of it.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”— Matthew 5:17 That’s huge.

Did you know that in the Old Testament everything from the Ten Commandments to the prophetic calls to righteousness—wasn’t tossed out. It was completed, deepened, made perfect in Christ. He raised the bar, not lowered it. You've heard it said, “Do not commit adultery,” He said. But now? Don’t even lust (Matthew 5:27–28). He took the external and made it internal. Jesus didn’t show up to tell us to chill out and do whatever feels good. He came to call us higher.

Faith Isn’t a Blanket—It’s a Fire

Faith isn’t just meant to make us feel warm and cozy. It's supposed to refine us. To burn away what doesn’t belong. That might be why Jesus said things that sound, frankly, kind of harsh to modern ears:

• “I came to cast fire upon the earth, and would that it were already kindled!”— Luke 12:49
• “Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”— Luke 12:51
• “From now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.”— Luke 12:52

Whoa. That doesn’t exactly scream “kumbaya.” But that’s Jesus being real. Following Him will cost you. Maybe even relationships. Maybe your comfort. Maybe your image, your pride, or your lifestyle. He said it clearly:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”— Luke 9:23 There’s no option here for an “easy version.” The Catholic life isn’t about coasting. It’s about carrying.

The Old Testament: Setting the Stage

And let’s not forget the Old Testament, the “forerunner of Christ.” It’s full of shadows and signs pointing to the coming Messiah. The sacrificial system? That’s a preview of Jesus, the Lamb of God. The prophets calling Israel out for injustice and idol worship? They’re doing what Jesus would do—calling people back to holiness.

In Malachi 3:2-3, God is described as a refiner’s fire and a launderer’s soap—images of intense cleansing and purification. That same spirit lives on in Christ, who comes not just to comfort, but to cleanse.

The Problem with Picking and Choosing

So here’s the rub. When Catholics only focus on the feel-good parts of faith—the love, the mercy, the “Jesus is my buddy” vibe—we lose the full picture. Yes, Jesus is love. Yes, He’s merciful. But He’s also holy, just, and demanding. He doesn’t want your weekend attention or your lukewarm prayers. He wants your whole heart.

We don’t get to call ourselves faithful Catholics while ignoring Church teachings on sexual morality, the sanctity of life, or the sacraments. You can’t skip the parts you don’t like and still claim the faith in full. That’s not Christianity. That’s comfort.

In the End, Change Is the Point

Jesus didn’t die just so we could stay the same. He died to make us new. The whole journey of faith is about transformation. That means repentance. That means humility. That means surrender. And yeah, it’s hard. But it’s also beautiful.

Because when we stop picking and choosing and start embracing the full message of the Gospel—messy, challenging, and all—we find something better than comfort. We find purpose. We find truth. We find Christ.

God Bless