A fallen catholic

[ZuzuBailey]

What do you say to a “fallen” catholic?
I havent been to church in a long time.
I feel bad for staying away for so long.
I guess I have been on a spiritual search for awhile.
Not sure what I was / am looking for.
God has/ is in my daily life. I have never once forgot or did any bad things.
Anyways I am a born catholic and I have had my reconciliation and communion.
what do I do to get back into the church?

Any scriptures you recommend?

 

[LDNCatholic]

What do you say to a “fallen” catholic?
I havent been to church in a long time.
I feel bad for staying away for so long.
I guess I have been on a spiritual search for awhile.
Not sure what I was / am looking for.
God has/ is in my daily life. I have never once forgot or did any bad things.
Anyways I am a born catholic and I have had my reconciliation and communion.
what do I do to get back into the church?

Any scriptures you recommend?

Go to confession, confess all the sins you can remember, then start attending Mass, as far as I know, thats it, you’re back.

Also you didn’t mention confirmation. If you are truly serious about returning to the Church then that is the next step. Speak to the priest at your local church.

Welcome back and God bless

Peter

 

[Belle10]

Welcome home! :clapping:

All you need to do is make an honest confession to be “back” in the church. Once you go to confession you may receive Holy Communion. You might want to go to adoration as well – spend some time with Jesus. :bowdown:

Don’t take offense, but saying you “never once forgot or did any bad things” probably isn’t accurate. You may not have committed any mortal sins, but the complete avoidance of any sin is pretty much impossible. Again, go to confession and your sins will be forgiven (as long as you confess them and are penitent).

I’ll offer a prayer for you as you find your way home.

PS - I like your screenname.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

Welcome back. You, like us all, can cement your faith through prayers and good works.
Read the gospel of St John - the most compassionate Apostle.

 

[Marsha_Adams]

Don’t take offense, but saying you “never once forgot or did any bad things” probably isn’t accurate. You may not have committed any mortal sins, but . . .

Wouldn’t missing Mass every Sunday and Holy Days constitute mortal sin?

 

[LilyM]

Wouldn’t missing Mass every Sunday and Holy Days constitute mortal sin?

If you were aware beforehand that it is a mortal sin to miss Mass and chose to do so anyway then yes. Same goes for failing to confess and receive Communion at least once a year. Mind you, when you tell the priest it’s been umpteen years since your last confession he’ll kinda gather that you’ve missed your yearly confession requirement.

Bear in mind not everyone is consistently taught these things - my own sister (36 years old) shocked me at Christmas by asking if it was a mortal sin to miss Mass.

She and I had one of the better educations speaking from a religious standpoint, so I’m shocked she wasn’t sure, but she was genuine with her enquiry.

 

[Belle10]

Wouldn’t missing Mass every Sunday and Holy Days constitute mortal sin?

Yes, of course it’s a mortal sin to miss Mass without a grave reason, but like this poster below said, many “good” Catholics don’t even realize this.

If you were aware beforehand that it is a mortal sin to miss Mass and chose to do so anyway then yes.

Bear in mind not everyone is consistently taught these things - my own sister (36 years old) shocked me at Christmas by asking if it was a mortal sin to miss Mass.

She and I had one of the better educations speaking from a religious standpoint, so I’m shocked she wasn’t sure, but she was genuine with her enquiry.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

What do you say to a “fallen” catholic?

How about “welcome home.”

First of all, know that God loves you and is calling you to him.

Take things one step at a time and don’t feel like you need to rush into everything at once.

Have you been to Mass recently? Why not start attending and see how it feels. Start getting back into the habit of joining with the community to worship God together.

You might want to talk with a priest and ask any questions you have. Many parishes offer programs for Catholics returning to the practice of their faith. That could be a good way to reintroduce yourself to the Church.

When you feel ready, seek out a priest for confession. That’s the key to being able to receive the Eucharist at Mass.

Spend time with God in prayer and listen to him.

At some point you might find it helpful to get involved in parish activities. I find a lot of support for my spiritual journey from people I know from church.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

What do you say to a “fallen” catholic?
I havent been to church in a long time.
I feel bad for staying away for so long.
I guess I have been on a spiritual search for awhile.
Not sure what I was / am looking for.
God has/ is in my daily life. I have never once forgot or did any bad things.
Anyways I am a born catholic and I have had my reconciliation and communion.
what do I do to get back into the church?

Any scriptures you recommend?

Do what Archbishop Fulton Sheen always answered to such questions, “get down on your knees and pray.”

Go to the source of faith, Jesus Christ. Without Him, religion, will make no sense.

Faith isn’t the supression of doubt, but a real relationship with Jesus.

God Bless
Jim

 

[Lamb_Serenade]

You received excellent advice from LDNCatholic and Belle10 when they advise you to go to confession. The additional advice to spend some time at adoration is also good. Get close to Jesus and begin attending Mass.

I would suggest the book written by the founder of this website, Karl Keatings Catholicism and Fundamentalism. At first blush it doesn’t sound like it is what you need to read, it really is a great book for really learning what the Catholic Church is. It will help set aside any doubts and answer any of those “tricky” questions you might have had about the faith when you fell away from the church. Also, any of the Surprised by Truth books. All are easy to read and very informative. And of course, reading the bible is a great idea as well as the Catechism.
Welcome Home! :harp::hug1:

 

[puzzleannie]

What do you say to a “fallen” catholic?
I?

we say howdy and welcome home.
yes, scripture, read Mark’s gospel to anchor your search in the good news of the depth and extent of Jesus’ love for you.
when you are ready, go to any priest and make a full confession of all sins of your past life, return to Mass and communion, and Christ will do the rest. be warned he will send his Holy Spirit to kick you into high gear because you will be falling in love all over again.

if you want the express train instead of the local you can start praying the rosary as well.

 

[RAGGANDI]

we say howdy and welcome home.
yes, scripture, read Mark’s gospel to anchor your search in the good news of the depth and extent of Jesus’ love for you.
when you are ready, go to any priest and make a full confession of all sins of your past life, return to Mass and communion, and Christ will do the rest. be warned he will send his Holy Spirit to kick you into high gear because you will be falling in love all over again.

if you want the express train instead of the local you can start praying the rosary as well.

This is so true. I have fallen several times in my life (hopefully never again). A couple of years ago, I had an overwhelming urge to say the rosary. Then the same feeling pushed me into going to confession (I hadn’t been in over 5 years). Then Mass, and receiving the Eucharist. On a whim, I decided to give this “Adoration thing” a try while out of town. That led to daily Mass, and confession once a month. It seems the more I pray and worship our Lord, the more I want to step it up some more–and it all began with the rosary–as puzzleannie put it–the “express train”.

 

[LaLucia]

I recently did a website search of my Parish and I found a Confirmation group that I was able to join because I consider myself “Bible Challenged” since I have never understood the bible on my own. We have a great teacher of 30yrs experience and she is very kind and helpful in explaining what we need to learn.
I also joined another small group of Catholics who meet each week at a house of the group leader. We also read the Bible and other books and discuss what is going on in our lives. I truly enjoy that group.
I am also cruising with a group of Catholics to Alaska on the Star Princess ship on June the 8th,08.I am a social person that likes the company of other Catholics so I search for Catholic activities.
I think it would help you to find some Catholic activity that will teach you more about the Catholic church and enjoy your time with others who are also participating.

 

[St_Gabriel]

What do you say to a “fallen” catholic?
I havent been to church in a long time.
I feel bad for staying away for so long.
I guess I have been on a spiritual search for awhile.
Not sure what I was / am looking for.
God has/ is in my daily life. I have never once forgot or did any bad things.
Anyways I am a born catholic and I have had my reconciliation and communion.
what do I do to get back into the church?

Any scriptures you recommend?

This is going to sound harsh but, your friend sounds a little loosey goosey to me. She/he seems to want all the benefits of a spiritual life but doesn’t want to put any effort into it. I would just say, If you truely want to get more out of church then you’re going to have to attend it. What are you waiting for? Also ask them if they pray regularly. Maybe they are just a procrastinator. Invite them to attend mass with you.

Scripture I would advise is John chapter 6 as well as the section where it speaks of Christ’s agony in the garden and the apostles fell asleep.

 

[LaLucia]

Hey poster St. Gabriel, who are you calling a loosey goosey? That is not a very nice thing to say about anybody. We are here to help with advise and not criticize people. You don’t seem very saintly to me with what you just said about somebody. You were not harsh… you were being mean spirited and critical.

 

[St_Gabriel]

Hey poster St. Gabriel, who are you calling a loosey goosey? That is not a very nice thing to say about anybody. We are here to help with advise and not criticize people. You don’t seem very saintly to me with what you just said about somebody. You were not harsh… you were being mean spirited and critical.

Thanks LaLucia. I deserved the kick. “Loosey Goosey” is not a nice term. Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to offend anyone out there, especially our OP.

But really, I am not mean spirited or trying to be saintly either. Just trying to get a reality check here. So far I’ve read alot of responses that say “welcome home”, when the person hasn’t even returned. Sometimes people say things just to appease others. And this is what I first thought when I read the orginal post. I’ve heard it too many times from a loving friend who says, “Ya know, I won’t want to change being catholic for the world, but I don’t go to mass and I haven’t been to confession since I was in grade school”. My friend says this to me all the time without wanting to make a change. It might mean she can’t sleep in on Sunday. But then again there are others who are willing to make an effort and all they need is a little push or a car ride or some company. I was trying to be critical, but not critizing.

 

[Christine_Blake]

What do you say to a “fallen” catholic?
I havent been to church in a long time.
I feel bad for staying away for so long.
I guess I have been on a spiritual search for awhile.
Not sure what I was / am looking for.
God has/ is in my daily life. I have never once forgot or did any bad things.
Anyways I am a born catholic and I have had my reconciliation and communion.
what do I do to get back into the church?

Any scriptures you recommend?

Welcome Home! I would suggest reading the parable of the Prodigal Son…Celebrate your return! The other suggestion I would have for you is to look into RCIA classes…these are for adults who want to learn about the Catholic Church…some will be preparing for baptism, some for confirmation and some just want to learn more about the Church - it’s a great place to get some questions answered, a formal welcome home, and to meet others in a similar place - again, we are joyous to have you home!

 

[willj1365]

Welcome back Zuzu! Take all the above advice, and also since you are here, listen to Catholic Answers Live! It has brought me, a cradle catholic, so much closer to my faith and helped in so many ways.

 

[stbruno]

catholicscominghome.org/ Here’s another great website for lots of resources:thumbsup:

I posted this on another post about losing faith, but I think it bears repeating.

on one of the links from this website there appeared an article.
Someone wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.
“I’ve gone for thirty years now and in that time I have heard something like three thousand homilies, but I can’t remember a single one of them. So I think I’m wasting my time and the priests are wasting theirs by giving homilies at all.”
This started a series of replied letters and it went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher.
“I’ve been married for thirty years now. In that time my wife has cooked some thirty two thousand meals and I can’t recall what the menu was for a single one. However, I know they nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be dead today.”
That ended the letters to the editor on that topic.

 

[Belle10]

catholicscominghome.org/ Here’s another great website for lots of resources:thumbsup:

I posted this on another post about losing faith, but I think it bears repeating.

on one of the links from this website there appeared an article.
Someone wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.
“I’ve gone for thirty years now and in that time I have heard something like three thousand homilies, but I can’t remember a single one of them. So I think I’m wasting my time and the priests are wasting theirs by giving homilies at all.”
This started a series of replied letters and it went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher.
“I’ve been married for thirty years now. In that time my wife has cooked some thirty two thousand meals and I can’t recall what the menu was for a single one. However, I know they nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be dead today.”
That ended the letters to the editor on that topic.

That’s awesome!!