1. To love as Christ loves.

But then I realzed that’s the answer to the question “What does it mean to be Christian?”, so I need to add

2. To be aware of God’s presence in the everyday objects and actions of life.

I think I am inspired in my #2 answer from Greeley’s book “The Catholic Imagination” as well as the exposition of it in Thomas Rausch’s book “Being Catholic in a Culture of Choice”. Both books stress the idea of the Catholic concept of the incarnate nature of God, that He is everywhere present in everyday life. If you can’t really believe that you can find God in everyday things, then it is tough to make sense of transubstantiation, or the sacraments, or statues of saints, or all the other things that Protestants find so disturbing.

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The problem with the second type, it seems to me, is that if you asked even very knowledgeable people, “What do you call a person who _____________?” and fill in a type-two answer, they are unlikely to say, “A Catholic,” especially if they are not Catholic themselves.

To be Catholic is to believe that we as humans are incarnational creatures — both animal and divine — made in the image and likeness of God in that we have immortal and rational souls with the power of free will which allows us to accept or reject our creator. And further, to believe that our ultimate purpose is to know, love and serve God and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.

To be Catholic is to believe that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, though the power the Holy Spirit, in fulfillment of God’s covenant with the Jewish people, and that he suffered and died for our sins and rose on the third day.

To be Catholic is to believe that Christ intentionally founded the sacraments and the Church as a channel of grace, to bring His Word and the graces of his sacraments to all people in all places and times. It is further to believe that the Church is institutional, not merely the invisible union of all believers, and that it is led by the pope, the successor of Peter, whom the Holy Spirit protects from error when teaching on matters of faith and morals. It is to accept that the Church is the guardian of Tradition, and the scriptures (and their recognition as such) are a part of that tradition. And it is to see the Church as the unified Body of Christ, not subject to divisions of place or time, united in our beliefs, the graces of the sacraments, and our hope to live forever in the presence of our savior and creator.

I think a Catholic is a person who actually believes certain things and tries to live his life accordingly.

There are many things a Catholic should believe. However, here’s what I think the indispensable beliefs are (summarized):
* One God in Three Persons
* Incarnation, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus
* authority of the Church / apostolic succession
* efficacy of the Sacraments, especially the real presence in the Eucharist
* the primacy of the Pope
The first two are necessary to be Christian. The next three are necessary to be Catholic.

The second part of my earlier statement, “tries to live his life accordingly,” is extremely difficult to flesh out. Everyone will do so differently and imperfectly. Most people, myself included, will do so quite poorly. But I wouldn’t say we aren’t Catholic.

If, on the other hand, you are asking a normative question — what should a Catholic be like? — then I can only point to two passages: “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48), and “‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor … Then come, follow me.’” (Matt. 19:21)

I think that to be Catholic is to be a little more aware of what is at the center of everything — a tremendous all-consuming Love that is like a mighty refining fire of fun and joy and peace — and to be aware of how far we are from that center and to try to let its pull take one where it will, to realize that it is omnipotent and is working around one in ways that are probably least expected. This slightly greater awareness comes thanks to the Advocate that turns us to the ministry of Jesus whose incarnation continues in his Body.