Abandoning my Faith

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continued from above…

Suffering, dealing with other sinners, is the way of Christ, the way of salvation–paradoxically, it is a gift from God to help bring us to salvation:

Hebrews 12:
[2] Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God. [3] For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds. [4] For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin: [5] And you have forgotten the consolation, which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him.

[6] For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. [7] Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct? [8] But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons. [9] Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live? [10] And they indeed for a few days, according to their own pleasure, instructed us: but he, for our profit, that we might receive his sanctification.

[11] Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice.
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St. Thomas More, from his “Dialogue of Comfort in a Time of Tribulation”
If we lay first, for a sure ground, a very fast faith, whereby we believe to be true all that the scripture saith (understood truly, as the old holy doctors declare it and as the spirit of God instructeth his Catholic Church), then shall we consider tribulation as a gracious gift of God, a gift that he specially gave his special friends; a thing that in scripture is highly commended and praised; a thing of which the contrary, long continued, is perilous; a thing which, if God send it not, men have need to put upon themselves and seek by penance; a thing that helpeth to purge our past sins; a thing that preserveth us from sins that otherwise would come; a thing that causeth us to set less by the world; a thing that much diminisheth our pains in purgatory; a thing that much increaseth our final reward in heaven; the thing with which all his apostles followed him thither; the thing to which our Saviour exhorteth all men; the thing without which he saith we be not his disciples; the thing without which no man can get to heaven.
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Heaven is not about being good enough. Everything is God’s Mercy. Saints and sinners alike.

If a Catholic dies in a state of grace and trusts in God’s Mercy (we don’t even have to understand, just believe with childlike trust), then you will at least go to purgatory before heaven. That’s a guarantee.

We do suffer in this life — it’s our garden of Gethsemane, it’s our walk up Calvary, it’s our personal little crucifixion. But we will enter into the glory of resurrection (for all time afterwards).

I think it’s a blessing in disguise to not find much material and earthly joy in this life because we will not grow inordinately attached to it. Like what you probably experience, that’s not much consolation when emotions are deadened with sadness and grief. But the fact that you are here means there’s a candle of hope still lit somewhere in your soul.
 
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Nap66 said:
There is no joy preached in the Catholic faith, at least in this life.
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We are a people full of joy!

1 Peter, chapter 1

Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.

Romans, chapter 15

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit.

Romans, chapter 14 (one of my favorites)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit; whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others.

Another favorite, Philippians, Chapter 4

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!

Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.

Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
 
As the saying goes, never give up! Any temptations to leave the Church is from the man below. Whatever you do, don’t give in to the temptations! God loves you no matter what. God tests our faith from time to time so we may grow in faith. This is referred to as the “spiritual desert” and just like a dehydrated guy in the Sahara, don’t give up, and you will find the oasis!
 
Melodeonist said:
God tests our faith from time to time so we may grow in faith.
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Why? Seriously I want to know. God removes everything from my life so I can grow in faith. How would that make me grow in faith? All it does is make me depressed and sad that God doesn’t find me worthy enough to even have a semi-normal life. Instead it makes me want to run away from him so I can have a normal life again without worrying about tests of faith.

Does anyone have a personal story of God testing your faith by removing everyone and everything from your life and leaving you with nothing but loneliness, troubles and sadness and yet you persevered with prayers and faith in God and your life turned around? I’d love to hear it because I need some hope.
 

Jude 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to[n] eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some who are wavering;

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,[c] so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
or lose heart when you are punished by him;
6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
and chastises every child whom he accepts.”

7 Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? 8 If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. 9 Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. 11 Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
 
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MichaelAnonymous said:
well, if He wants to throw me into Hell, feel free to do so! He is always moving the goal post in the game called life
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Hi, I am actually very glad you came here and posted your true feelings, and where you are at. This gives us all a chance to pray for you, which can only help. How do you know this [coming here and sharing] is not part of Gods answer to your prayers? Coming here says some part of you does not want to give up.

Have you thought that some of what you may be feeling is depression? Consider discussing this with a Doctor.

I highlighted part of your text to caution you about saying things like this. Once I had something happen in my room that you only read about in horror novels after my GF terminated her pregnancy. I was in my early twenties, and very naive, and she was much older. I have mild aspergers, it was a recipe for disaster.

Anyway, something happened that night, it like I said, it was right out of the Exorcist. Right after this “phenomena,” and due to what it was, there was no doubt in my mind what was behind it, I said out loud in my arrogance, “is that all you got?.. well come get me.” And so it did, after I went to bed. It would take pages to describe what happened in full, but safe to say, my entire family came running down the hallway after they heard the screams.

Typically, God does not have to resort to such things to get your attention. I guess my errors were so serious and I was an utter blockhead, and well desperate times call for desperate measures. Not the first time and not the last time I got so close to the abyss. I am still a rotten sinner, but I have made great progress in my own way, from that time.

I hope God lets me live long enough for me to further atone for my sins, he has forgiven. Part of that atonement is to share experiences I would just as soon not share with anyone like this. God is there. He hears you, and desperately wants to walk you back from the abyss. He most definitely loves you. He wants your eternal company, and will go to great lengths to help, even for blockheads like me.

A good Saint once said, “Talk to God as you would a best friend, share your fears, hopes, and trials.” … and then be watchful, and do not expect God to send the answer in a way you would expect. Then “tune in” which takes work and hard effort, but anyone can do and practice.

If you would rather God knock you over your head… he can do that, but take it from me, there are other ways that are easier.

Pax Christie,

2T
 
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The only thing God wants from you is to be sanctified; that is, to become a saint wherever you are. whatever your circumstances are. Whether you are a poor person living in the slums of Honduras, or a successful business man, or a person in a wheelchair without legs, or the person going to a lukewarm parish. Our pilgrimage is an adventure of unmasking, uprooting and removing everything from our heart that separates us from God. Being angry with God means you are not looking at the reality of your existence in the right order. Picture the Sun next to an ant. God is so infinitely more vast and to even approach Him we need to go through Jesus Christ, so as to not get obliterated by His presence. God has not only given you the gift of existence, He is inviting you to have a share in His eternal life. The sacraments are there to sanctify us so that we can become Christ in the world with those who are starving for the goodness and love of God and to help bring as many souls with us to heaven. Nobody is guaranteed another day of life. you may very well be lying in a morgue next Thursday. You have to live every day as if it is the only time left you have to do God’s will. the problem when we get angry with God is that we are angry that God wants us to do His will, not our will. It’s all about TRUST in God.
As soon as you die to the thing that you desire that is causing you so much unhappiness, and abandon it and let it go, accept life as it is, and abandon yourself to trusting God,then you will find peace and God will be able to work His Plan through you.

There are a number of Short videos I would recommend starting off which I will link below. be careful with the devil, he wants people to get sad and depressed and wonder if God has a plan. the Plan is simple, the problem is people get stuck not living it. watch these to start out. they will help you put your spiritual situation in context:


 
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Here’s the thing. Catholicism is the True Church founded by Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
It doesn’t matter how you “feel,” really.
If you are so unhappy as a Catholic, do you really think you’d be happy in a different church? Which one, and why? Or no church?
“Lord, to whom shall we go?”
 
For all those Struggling in their faith may God Bless You All. Please do not turn away from Christ, he has not turned away from you even if it may not seem that he is.
" For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting" (Jn 3:16). He does love you and walks with you in all your struggles. Our Blessed Mother surely cries with you in the pains that you all are experiencing. Please consider the words in this Hymn: “O Blest Creator of the Light”
It is attributed to Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-604).
I will keep you all in my prayers, I love you all.
D.J. Garcia
 
Thank you for your replies.

I said a Rosary few days ago and it was like a sudden cure for my disappointment and anger. I suddenly feel spiritually nourished and optimistic again.
 
Hello.

You wrote “There is no joy preached in the Catholic faith, at least in this life.” God wants us to have life and to have it in abundance. (Ever see a bun dance?)

I’m so sorry you aren’t experiencing any joy. Exactly how do you define joy? Have you ever read C.S. Lewis’ book Surprised by Joy?

I will put you in my prayers. Please pray for me.
 
:hugs:

Here is a hug for you. It is a solemn hug, and not too joyful. No giggling or laughing. I dare someone to giggle or laugh.
 
I understand you are experiencing a rough patch in this chapter of your life. It’s okay to feel lost, frustrated and even angry at God. Do not despair. Have you ever heard of the following saying “God is silent during the test”? Please continue to go to Holy Mass and even daily if possible. Remember that every Mass you accompany Jesus in the Sacrifice of the Calvary, keep him company. Remember that many still don’t believe or forget that he’s on the cross.

Visit the Blessed Sacrament at least once a week for an hour or even daily if possible.

Something that has always helped me to focus on God whenever I feel embarrassed for offending him or I need to focus on prayer is : Meditating on his sorrowful passion, either on the Sorrowful Rosary Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays) or on the Divine Mercy Chaplet. For each “Hail Mary” on the Rosary I think on an specific part of Jesus’ passion. I love this short descriptions which help me: http://www.rosary-center.org/sorrow.htm

Pray the Divine Mercy chaplet at 3oclock each day if possible. ASK others to PRAY FOR YOU. Pray for priests and parishioners and pray to God for guidance and strength. I’ve noticed that reading on the Bible and the lives of the Saints really helps me and eventually something comes up and God sends me a wink (message). In short, focus on how you can soothe God’s suffering and you can worship him. Ask your Guarding Angel how to be prepare yourself before, during and after prayer. Sometimes volunteering can have a wonderful effect, you’re surrounded by people and you get your mind distracted. I will pray for you and keep on persevering.

Here’s a book about a nun called Gabrielle Bossis “In this timeless spiritual testament, readers enter into the intimate, interior conversations between Jesus and Gabrielle Bossis, a French nurse and playwright. Recorded in her diary from 1936 to 1950, their tender exchanges capture Jesus’ enduring presence in our daily lives, his insistence on kindly serving others, and his encompassing love for humanity–and show that ordinary individuals can experience an intimacy with Christ.”
This book will show you how much Jesus loves you and suffers when you ignore him.

https://www.amazon.com/He-I-Gabrielle-Bossis/dp/0819834386
 
I’ve read other comments where you mentioned you gave everything up for God and you’re blocked. First thing first, keep God in your life and keep on persevering.

I was a cradle catholic and recently returned to the church around 5 years ago. I searched for God and looked in the wrong places. Thus, I went back to the Church and began reading the Bible. Before that, I went through a major depression due to no job opportunities ( not even fast food positions and I applied everywhere). I had a B.A., work experience and felt useless and stupid. My business failed and now I wanted nothing but to sleep. I put my Mother through a lot of stress and I regret wasting so much time. I wasted 3 years of my life just sleeping. Eventually, when I went back to Church, the changes were gradual, so I began to volunteer and take free college classes (Mandarin) and met some great people. Eventually, I landed a temp job and that led me to other temp job in the same company and it took me about 15 months to finally land a permanent part time job. Now, getting interviews has been easy ( I even applied outside of my county) but received no full time job offers. Looking back, I realized that God wanted to stay in my hometown for personal reasons and he even protected me from a good job (but very small and high crime town). My current job has taught me some skills that will be useful once I go back to my own business, it taught me to ask questions and to talk to strangers. These were some barriers I needed help with. So, for me, I don’t stress out anymore, sure I could use extra funds but at the moment, God says no, you are fine for now. So I trust him. In my recent years, I’ve only once surrendered to God’s will
(I meant it), and found such incredible peace, even if it would bring me suffering. At the end, we will always suffer, regardless if we have God or not in our lives. But we want God, we need God and we will never miss out if we have a relationship. Perhaps he’s preparing your testimony once you come through, perhaps you will be someone’s inspiration to keep on going. I don’t know, but keep going to Church, receive the Sacraments and read loads of spiritual books (I mean books on the lives of Saints or about Jesus, nothing about New Age and The Law of Attraction). Here’s a book for you: Amazon.com

This will give you an insight of the sort of relationship you can have with Jesus. I will be praying for you and I hope you pray for others as well 🙂
 
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Do NOT abandon your Catholic Faith. If you do, you are doing exactly what Satan wants you to do.

God cares about you and always responds to our prayers. But the answer isn’t always what we want it to be. When you pray, end each prayer with “Not my will but Thine be done.” And then trust that He knows best.

I once wanted to be a Nun. I’ve even had priests and religious tell me that I have a calling (which I’ve felt since early childhood). Unfortunately, my many health issues prevented that from happening which literally devastated me. I asked God how He could give me such an intense calling and then not allow me to fulfill it.

Well, I still feel a call to the religious life. But it’s in a different capacity than the one I always envisioned. And I am following it while still living my secular life where I still have a mission He has given me and blessed me with.

I expect you are growing more spiritually than you realize.

Yes, there are bad priests and those who seem not to care. But pray for them. They are His servants and have much to do with much on their minds.

There are hypocrites and there is unfairness everywhere. Pray for everyone.

Go to Mass, not out of fear of punishment but out of your love for Jesus who is there waiting to embrace you with open arms.

It sounds like you’re going through a dark night of the soul. God is with you through all of these trials and doubts you’re having. He is allowing you to experience these things to make you spiritually stronger.

God is with you and will always be with you. But He does not always answer “Yes.” Many times, the answer is “No” or “Wait.”

You have not failed the exam until you receive your final judgment. As long as you are living and breathing, you are still running the race. My late priest used to say, Pray, Pray, Pray. Practice, Practice, Practice. Keep on keeping on." And I say the same to you.

Persevere to the end. And always keep the faith.
 
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I feel somewhat similar. I abandoned mine last September and my health has improved to the point of it being manageable. Things make much more sense in my life now.
 
What do you consider yourself now? You don’t honestly believe that believing in Jesus caused your problems and that abandoning Him made you healthier.
 
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