po18guy
Well-known member
Do you have copy of “Rediscovering Catholicism” by Matthew Kelly? You can obtain a free copy at www.matthewkelly.org or I will gladly send you a copy.
Christ’s peace.
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Christ’s peace.
S
seekdatruth
Guest
I didn’t see any “free” download, but I’ll look for his stuff at the library or the bookstores in the city. Thanks.
po18guy
Well-known member
OK. Go here:
catholicscomehome.org/index.phtml
Just to the right of “Welcome to Catholics Come Home” is a link to the book. For a nominal shipping fee, they will gladly send you a copy. They also have many other resources to help Catholics come home.
Christ’s peace on your journey, and welcome home!
A
Adoro_Te_Devote
Guest
Tears can be very healing.
To a certain degree, they can be a “gift”, but I use that term with care, for tears can mean different things. I’ve been in your shoes, and know what it’s like; and can tell you from experience that the tears themselves aren’t the gift; they are your response to the gift of Christ and His call. They can be contrition, repentance, joy…everything. All rolled into one.
It took me a while to stop crying at Mass, and I used to try to avoid people because I was so uncomfortable with my emotion.
No one has mentioned this, and so I think maybe someone should; about the woman who “looked for another place”. It could very well be that she realized you are dealing with something, wanted to be respectful of your privacy, and so wanted to give you extra space.
You seem to assume that her looking for another spot was out of a lack of charity, but it’s entirely possible that it was motivated by the highest charity for you. It might help you to see it in that way.
I was lucky in that when I was like that, I was able to find a spot not too awfully close to others. (And to this day, when having the occasional difficult Mass…often God gives me the grace to find an “isolated” pew!)
God bless you, welcome back, and don’t worry about the tears. Cry if you need to. If you can’t cry in the presence of Christ…then where CAN you?
To a certain degree, they can be a “gift”, but I use that term with care, for tears can mean different things. I’ve been in your shoes, and know what it’s like; and can tell you from experience that the tears themselves aren’t the gift; they are your response to the gift of Christ and His call. They can be contrition, repentance, joy…everything. All rolled into one.
It took me a while to stop crying at Mass, and I used to try to avoid people because I was so uncomfortable with my emotion.
No one has mentioned this, and so I think maybe someone should; about the woman who “looked for another place”. It could very well be that she realized you are dealing with something, wanted to be respectful of your privacy, and so wanted to give you extra space.
You seem to assume that her looking for another spot was out of a lack of charity, but it’s entirely possible that it was motivated by the highest charity for you. It might help you to see it in that way.
I was lucky in that when I was like that, I was able to find a spot not too awfully close to others. (And to this day, when having the occasional difficult Mass…often God gives me the grace to find an “isolated” pew!)
God bless you, welcome back, and don’t worry about the tears. Cry if you need to. If you can’t cry in the presence of Christ…then where CAN you?
S
seekdatruth
Guest
So Confession was actually a bit of relief. I still have things to get taken care of, like my current civil marriage convalidated and my previous civil marriage and divorce annulled. The priest wants me to go through RCIA, but I’m not sure I mentioned I was confirmed before, so maybe if he sees that I can bypass that. If not, well then I deserve a good test of my patience! (I get very impatient when I have to sit and hear stuff I already know. :yawn
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Adoro_Te_Devote
Guest
The priest may well understand that you’ve been Confirmed, but don’t assume you already “know everything”. There are people who serve as sponsors every year not because they are experts, but because, each year, they learn more and their faith is deepened. That could be the reason the priest is asking you to atttend RCIA.So Confession was actually a bit of relief. I still have things to get taken care of, like my current civil marriage convalidated and my previous civil marriage and divorce annulled. The priest wants me to go through RCIA, but I’m not sure I mentioned I was confirmed before, so maybe if he sees that I can bypass that. If not, well then I deserve a good test of my patience! (I get very impatient when I have to sit and hear stuff I already know. :yawn
Also, I work in a parish that is combining RCIA with adult education, posting the topics of the night so that other Confirmed Catholics can enhance their knowledge. If you approach it from that perspective, you may find that your patience isn’t being tested at all.
NONE of us knows enough.
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seekdatruth
Guest
Guess I looked like a jerk on that last one. I have other reasons why I’m dreading RCIA and worried about patience. I just don’t want to scare off people who might be interested in the CC. My experience is different, and I don’t know how to share it without sending the wrong message. This forum is just not the place.
Thanks all who encouraged me.
Peace!
Thanks all who encouraged me.
Peace!
R
RMRilke
Guest
I am curious as to why you haven’t been absolved of your mortal sins. Do priests withhold absolution? If so, how will you know when you are absolved?This has been bothering me since last Sunday: I’ve been going to mass after a long lapse of 20 years, and I haven’t been absolved of my mortal sins yet. Sometimes, especially if it’s one of those songs that bring back memories in the Church as a child, I get all weepy-eyed despite my best efforts to keep the tears in check. I don’t think I’m feeling sorry for myself, it’s just like all the denying myself of my faith over the years is breaking loose and I’m filled with emotion because I’m on the right path finally. It seems as if I’m overwhelmed with joy! It’s like the tears I shed on my wedding day when I was so choked up I could barely say my vows!
I didn’t bawl out loud or anything, and tried to hide my face as much as possible so no one would worry about me, since I was really more than OK, I was feeling GREAT!
What disturbed me was that I could really sense my tears were not welcome there. People seemed reluctant to touch me during the Lord’s Prayer and the sign of peace. I didn’t want anyone to hug me and start fussing over me, but sheesh, it was like I was some kind of leaper! The woman next to me seemed like she wanted to move because she sat down, saw my mascara running down my face, (gotta remember not to wear that next week!) then got up to scan for another seat and seeing it was too packed, she grudgingly sat back down next to the cry baby.
It just seems so typical of what hurt me and caused me to drift away in the first place. Is this the type of culture promoted in the Catholic Church? Am I just oversensitive because of my negative experiences as a child? I was so young when I left, that I assumed it was only the kids being kids. As an adult, it seems like business as usual to me. I don’t see any shame in a few tears shed (as discretely as possible) because of ANY emotion. Why is this so bad to Catholics?
In Christ Name,
Maria
S
seekdatruth
Guest
Marriage situations are a special category, and until my marriage is blessed by the CC, aka convalidated, I am still not in a worthy state to receive communion. Also, if a person plans to, or thinks they can’t avoid repeating the sin they confessed, they can’t be just forgiven and then go out and do it again to be forgiven the next week. It was explained to me by my priest that the reason the CC is so involved in the marriage process is that they want to protect its members by making sure a union is healthy and nurturing of the Catholic faith. And also important is to preserve the sanctity of marriage as a life commitment and a vocation to do God’s work, though in a different way than the ordained priests. He told me that marriage too is a vocation of God’s work, (children brought up in faith are the fruit of our works.) and therefore it is not to be entered into lightly nor abandoned. They base this on Christ’s Gospel. Until I was made to see this, I often thought of it as an arbitrary stumbling block on the path to reverting or converting to the CC, now I see that the Church does this out of love!
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