Am I Worthy of Being a Catholic

[Figment713]

My Rite of Reception is scheduled for 9:00 mass on Sunday.

While I have been attending mass for quite a while, and participating in RCIA classes since they started in the fall, and while I am truly convinced this is absolutely a step I need to take, I still haven’t told a living soul of my decision to become a Catholic.

I contrast this with the martyrs…both the very early Christians and those at later times who died rather than deny or renounce their faith. They were facing death, and I only my family and friends. What on earth am I afraid of?

Perhaps it’s that this is a decision that has taken me quite literally YEARS to accept. My history has definately been one of “one step forward/two steps back”. I first inquired about the Catholic church in my freshman year of college…then again 8 years later…then again about 5 years later. It finally became something that I HAD to do. And, I am totally at peace with that decision. (In fact, I have been more at peace over the past two or three months than I have been in years. This is absolutely the right decision for me).

So, why won’t I/can’t I tell anyone about it?

(Please understand, my oldest brother converted to Catholicism when he got married. My older sister not only converted to Catholicism, she became a nun…however left the order after 10 or so years. Beyond that I have two other brothers married to Catholic girls…neither of whom seem to practice their faith to any degree.)

I am so frustrated with me! I should be celebrating. Instead, I feel like I’m sneaking around!

 

[Viki59]

Dear Figment,
You remind me of the first time I told someone I’d become a Christian. I turned beet red, blurted it out, and the friend raised an eyebrow and said, “Really?”
It was not a resounding success, but at least I did it, nothing after that could be as embarassing.

Nowadays religion is considered a private matter. Sort of like discussing one’s surgeries, it’s not considered in the best of taste. So I can see how it would be hard.
Why not invite your best friend/ friends to your Rite of Initiation on Sunday? And your family. As in, “I’m becoming a member of the Catholic church on Sunday, would you like to come?”
You can do it, I’m sure you’ve faced worse difficulties.

Congratulations! Keep the faith and it will keep you.

 

[Annunciata]

Figment713:

My Rite of Reception is scheduled for 9:00 mass on Sunday.

While I have been attending mass for quite a while, and participating in RCIA classes since they started in the fall, and while I am truly convinced this is absolutely a step I need to take, I still haven’t told a living soul of my decision to become a Catholic.

I contrast this with the martyrs…both the very early Christians and those at later times who died rather than deny or renounce their faith. They were facing death, and I only my family and friends. What on earth am I afraid of?

Perhaps it’s that this is a decision that has taken me quite literally YEARS to accept. My history has definately been one of “one step forward/two steps back”. I first inquired about the Catholic church in my freshman year of college…then again 8 years later…then again about 5 years later. It finally became something that I HAD to do. And, I am totally at peace with that decision. (In fact, I have been more at peace over the past two or three months than I have been in years. This is absolutely the right decision for me).

So, why won’t I/can’t I tell anyone about it?

(Please understand, my oldest brother converted to Catholicism when he got married. My older sister not only converted to Catholicism, she became a nun…however left the order after 10 or so years. Beyond that I have two other brothers married to Catholic girls…neither of whom seem to practice their faith to any degree.)

I am so frustrated with me! I should be celebrating. Instead, I feel like I’m sneaking around!

And the Truth shall set you FREE!

I am a convert to the Faith some 42 years now…When I was taking my lessons ( similar to your RCIA today) I was sneaking because my mother and father raised us as Baptists since my father was a fallen away Catholic.
I needed a ride to my lesson and had to ask my father…He began to cry and replied w/…“You’re going to break your mother’s heart you know”, I went to my mother and laid it out to her honestly. As it turned out she wasn’t upset w/ me at all…quite the contrary,she felt that at least I’d be going to church and that made her happy…

 

[Celia]

It’s a personal and emotional thing to reveal one’s religion to the world. Be patient with yourself. Start with baby steps - like Viki said, invite a close family member (or two) to the rite. See how it goes.

Congratulations on coming home!! :angel1: Keep us posted.

 

[MarkNoonan]

I’ve never had a problem telling everyone that I am Catholic…but over the past six weeks as I’ve come to really believe, it has been an odd thing to say “I’m a believer”…It is, after all, a strange thing to subordinate yourself; strange in the sense that in our modern times we’re not supposed to subordinate ourselves to anything.

And yet, there is nothing else for a human being to do other than submit himself utterly to God…and it becomes, for me, more natural all the time the more I lay myself down before my Creator and my Redeemer. I’ve read that there is a war between the Natural Self and the Spiritual Self…the Natural Self not wanting to go quietly into that night…it is, perhaps, your Natural Self which is not wanting to let go; knowing that once you proclaim to the world your beliefs, you will be “lost” to it for all time.

 

[KCT]

Only the Blessed Mother deserved to be Catholic. We are blessed to be Catholic —KCT

 

[Celia]

MarkNoonan:

I’ve never had a problem telling everyone that I am Catholic…but over the past six weeks as I’ve come to really believe, it has been an odd thing to say “I’m a believer”…It is, after all, a strange thing to subordinate yourself; strange in the sense that in our modern times we’re not supposed to subordinate ourselves to anything.

And yet, there is nothing else for a human being to do other than submit himself utterly to God…and it becomes, for me, more natural all the time the more I lay myself down before my Creator and my Redeemer. I’ve read that there is a war between the Natural Self and the Spiritual Self…the Natural Self not wanting to go quietly into that night…it is, perhaps, your Natural Self which is not wanting to let go; knowing that once you proclaim to the world your beliefs, you will be “lost” to it for all time.

Yeah. I think there’s a lot of truth to that. :yup: It’s hard to “turn over a new leaf” I think it takes everyone a while to get the hang of things. What’s important is recognizing the Truth and doing your best to incorporate it into your life as soon as possible.