Advice for potential convert

  • Thread starter Thread starter Curious11
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
And now you’ve brought tears to my eyes! At my first Mass, a compete stranger who was in town visiting walked up to me and said I looked lost. We talked and exchanged phone numbers in case I had questions. About a month later she and a friend drove 45 miles to meet for dinner. They wanted to be my sponsor for RCIA. For 9 months she would drive to attend classes and Mass with . I still can’t believe two strangers did this for me!
 
Wow, it was meant to be that you would join the Catholic Church. Jesus was guiding the actions of those 2 strangers. I will pray for you Deborah, that the lord fills you with the Holy Spirit all the days of your life.
 
Good advice. Funny enough I’m watching Quo Vadis right now, a film about the early Christians in Rome
 
Hello Curious11.

St. Augustine said

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

You are in my prayers.
 
Thank you so much it is an honor to be in your prayers. Augustine’s quote describes some of the feelings I have right now, I long for spiritual maturity with the Lord. You are in my prayers
 
Speak to priests and catechists. Ask them the tough questions and see if the answers they give make sense and ring true. Pray for discernment.
 
I will pray for you Brittany, that the Lord will always bring you his joy
 
Curious11 said:
How can I truly know if Catholicism is for me?
Click to expand...
Please be assured, Curious11, Jesus said He desires all to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth. He is the Truth, and He is found in His One Body, the Church.

“7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye. shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh. findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Matt. 7
Curious11 said:
I do get the feeling increasingly that I cannot be truly happy unless I try to make god happy by following His way, which I do believe is the way to Life, but I admit I do not know if I am catholic material or whether i want to be.
Click to expand...
I have not read thru the thread but I am sure you have gotten a lot of good advice on how to proceed. You are right about the joy that surpasses all understanding. God created us for Himself, and we can never be truly happy until we are centered around Him. Everyone is “Catholic material” because He gives us all the grace to follow His Way. We cannot do this on our own, but must rely on His mercy and grace present in the sacraments He gavae to the Church. Taste and See that the Lord is Good!
 
Sit in on some RCIA sessions…there is no requirement for committment…it may answer some questions! And attend mass, again, no need for committment, just get to know if it is right for you.

Good luck and God Bless !
 
Curious11 said:
I’m from and live in Spain. Is RCIA exclusively American?
Click to expand...
This may be better for you. I also recommend you talk with a holy priest. It is he who can assess your spiritual maturity. If it is lacking, he will direct you towards deeper study. It is far more excellent to study the faith under the direction of a holy priest. There are books he can recommend. Stay off the ‘red’ for faith instruction.
 
Last edited:
I’d recommend the YouTube videos of the EWTN program, The Journey Home. They are all about conversions of people from various starting points. Everyone has a unique story, but so many encountered the truth of Catholicism in books…so reading is also a great way to come to know the faith. Prayer, of course, is essential. Just ask God to show you the path, and he will. If you really want a fast track, pray the Rosary every day. Just start-find a video or how-to guide online, and it will soon seem quite natural to you. It is very powerful. I’d also suggest contacting the local parish and talking to a priest. You have nothing to lose, and they can point you to some good resources. Many parishes have Catholic lending libraries. And go to Sunday Mass.
Remember that it is God that does the converting, so if you are being drawn to it, it is his doing.
 
Okay guys real good advice, but lately I’ve been making some modest lifestyle changes and changes in my thought patterns to see if I can live in a catholic way, and while I do like it, I’m also getting kind of scared. This is probably me whining stupidly but I’m getting the feeling that if I go down this path I’ll never be able to go back to who I was? And also I’m a young guy and, although this is very superficial, I’m terrified that I’ll “miss out” on some aspects of life that I may not experience if I become a catholic and that I’ll regret not having done these things while I’m still young. It’s not easy for me to contemplate living in such a countercultural way, especially in this society!!
 
Last edited:
I am living my sixth decade on earth. I have always lived for God. No regrets. I know many people who have regrets that they didn’t devote themselves to religion. My sister is one. She is married to her 5th husband. She regrets that husband #3 abused the children she had with husband #2. Life has been chaos. Avoid chaos, sigue a Cristo.
 
Pick up a few books written by the saints of the Church. St. Gemma Galganis diary, St. Faustina, St. Augustine, St Ignatius, St. Francis de Sales, St. Therese, St Teresa of Avila all have great works. If there is a Catholic bookstore around you, try visiting. Sometimes there’s some really nice people there willing to offer advice 🙂 TAN books are great too.

Also, if one is near you, try attending a Latin mass. No need to speak or engage necessarily. You can just sit in the back and speak with Jesus about your frustrations and desires, asking Him humbly to help you along the way.
 
Last edited:
Pobreton said:
Ya leí más o menos todos los comentarios aquí. ¿Qué es lo que te ha impedido dar el paso decisivo hacia la fe?
Click to expand...
Pues que aún tengo dudas, y también temo que mi familia me juzgue jaja. Muy buena respuesta, muchas gracias por tus consejos! Espero que Jesús me guíe a superar las chiquilladas que me impiden madurar en la fe:grinning:😀 Por lo que veo estás muy orgulloso de tu legado español, me alegro! Yo estoy orgulloso de que todo un continente hable mi idioma y mantenga la religión de mis antepasados! Saludos!
 
Oh believe me I speak with Jesus every day to help me grow up
 
Last edited:
Maybe get a book on Christian apologetics - but a basic one. The Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Prof. Peter Kreeft is excellent.

For sure: find out when your local Catholic parish offers adoration of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Go and sit in His presence - you need not believe at this point. But, graces will flow into a seeking heart. Take your book with you and read at your leisure in His presence. Tell him of your doubts and of the hunger in your soul for truth.

Finally, be as patient with Him as He has been with you. When you receive your confirmation that He is there, you will be changed.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top