Why am I Catholic?

I saw on Patheos that they currently have a challenge for their bloggers to explain why they follow their particular faith in 200 words or less. I'm clearly not a Patheos blogger, but the challenge looks like fun. So, here I go....

Why am I Catholic?

I searched for a religious tradition to call my own for a very long time. I tried out everything and anything. The one constant was that I have always believed in God and that God was infinitely loving and forgiving. My parents had taught me that. My freshman year of college, I found myself alone going through great difficulties. At the Catholic Newman Center, I found a community that would support me.

I met the God I had been looking for. In Catholicism, I found a God that loved me enough to die for me. This God wanted to be completely united with me in the Eucharist. This God didn't care how many times I screwed up in life, I could always come back to Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I found a faith that embraced all life. I have always had a consistent life ethic. I am anti-abortion, anti-death penalty, anti-euthanasia, anti-war in nearly all circumstances. I found a faith that affirmed the body and the physical world. Attending Mass is a sensory experience. God didn't just create a soul, He created an embodied soul. God Himself became man.

There we go...

That's 190 words. It covers what I like about Catholicism and a very brief summary of my faith history. Here are links to a few of my favorites on Patheos:

Mark Shea is one of my favorite bloggers ever

Yay, stuff!

Revert's answer

Can't get closer to God than that!

My absolute favorite answer

A close second

Catholicism is counter-cultural