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Taxx
Guest
Join a prayer meeting group. Where you meet and pray with.
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TheLittleLady
Guest
You may find the discussions over at Strange Notions to be of interest:
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JimR-OCDS
Guest
It sounds like you lost religion, not faith which you probably didn’t have in the first place
Faith comes from Jesus Christ, it is a gift. It is His revelation to us, however that may happen.
So, if you desire faith, then go to the source, Jesus Christ
Jim
Faith comes from Jesus Christ, it is a gift. It is His revelation to us, however that may happen.
So, if you desire faith, then go to the source, Jesus Christ
Jim
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TheLittleLady
Guest
Catechism:
36 “Our holy mother, the Church, holds and teaches that God, the first principle and last end of all things, can be known with certainty from the created world by the natural light of human reason.” Without this capacity, man would not be able to welcome God’s revelation. Man has this capacity because he is created “in the image of God”.
37 In the historical conditions in which he finds himself, however, man experiences many difficulties in coming to know God by the light of reason alone:
Though human reason is, strictly speaking, truly capable by its own natural power and light of attaining to a true and certain knowledge of the one personal God, who watches over and controls the world by his providence, and of the natural law written in our hearts by the Creator; yet there are many obstacles which prevent reason from the effective and fruitful use of this inborn faculty. For the truths that concern the relations between God and man wholly transcend the visible order of things, and, if they are translated into human action and influence it, they call for self-surrender and abnegation. The human mind, in its turn, is hampered in the attaining of such truths, not only by the impact of the senses and the imagination, but also by disordered appetites which are the consequences of original sin. So it happens that men in such matters easily persuade themselves that what they would not like to be true is false or at least doubtful.
38 This is why man stands in need of being enlightened by God’s revelation, not only about those things that exceed his understanding, but also “about those religious and moral truths which of themselves are not beyond the grasp of human reason, so that even in the present condition of the human race, they can be known by all men with ease, with firm certainty and with no admixture of error”.
36 “Our holy mother, the Church, holds and teaches that God, the first principle and last end of all things, can be known with certainty from the created world by the natural light of human reason.” Without this capacity, man would not be able to welcome God’s revelation. Man has this capacity because he is created “in the image of God”.
37 In the historical conditions in which he finds himself, however, man experiences many difficulties in coming to know God by the light of reason alone:
Though human reason is, strictly speaking, truly capable by its own natural power and light of attaining to a true and certain knowledge of the one personal God, who watches over and controls the world by his providence, and of the natural law written in our hearts by the Creator; yet there are many obstacles which prevent reason from the effective and fruitful use of this inborn faculty. For the truths that concern the relations between God and man wholly transcend the visible order of things, and, if they are translated into human action and influence it, they call for self-surrender and abnegation. The human mind, in its turn, is hampered in the attaining of such truths, not only by the impact of the senses and the imagination, but also by disordered appetites which are the consequences of original sin. So it happens that men in such matters easily persuade themselves that what they would not like to be true is false or at least doubtful.
38 This is why man stands in need of being enlightened by God’s revelation, not only about those things that exceed his understanding, but also “about those religious and moral truths which of themselves are not beyond the grasp of human reason, so that even in the present condition of the human race, they can be known by all men with ease, with firm certainty and with no admixture of error”.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
Pray a novena to St. Anthony, the finder of lost things, to help you find your lost faith.
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stpiosson
Guest
Ask St Pio to accept you as his spiritual child. Then ask him to intercede with the Lord to increase your faith. This is what I did when I was struggling and I received tremendous help from St Pio and the Lord.
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MaryEllen1951
Guest
You have received many great responses and I don’t have more to add except for my own experience.
I was raised Catholic and drifted away in my early 20’s. I went through a period of questioning the precepts of the Church, mainly because I never fully understood them.
Over time, I sunk more and more into a life of excessive drinking and partying, sleeping with strangers, pornography, and the ultimate devastation which was abortion. Having left the protection of the Church, slowly but surely Satan had me in his grips. During all this time, I never felt like I lost my faith. I believed in God and I even prayed. But I did not attend Church and I had no spiritual guidance. I married a non-Catholic when I was 39. He was married twice before and did not want any children. I thought it would be okay not to have kids. Boy was I wrong! I fell into depression and our marriage took a real beating because of my resentment and the emptiness I felt being childless. We managed to stay together only by the Grace of God.
My sister died in 2011 from pancreatic cancer. She faced her terminal cancer with bravery and accepted her suffering with peace. Her Catholic faith was extremely strong. She had worked for the church and had 4 priests presiding over her funeral. It still took me a year and a half after she died to come back to church. It was so sudden, like a flash of lightening. I decided in one instant to go to church and the next Sunday I was there, not understanding how or why I came to this decision. I went to confession the next week after being away from the church 40 years. A couple years later, my husband and I had our marriage blessed by the Church. It was nothing short of a miracle that he agreed to go through two Tribunal annulments and that all persons involved cooperated as well. He hasn’t converted, but he fully supports me and my Catholic faith practices.
Looking back, I had been so lost and miserable. I realize now that during that time, Christ was always there waiting patiently for me. Coming back after so many years, I thirsted for knowledge about our faith. The thing about our present time is that there is a wealth of information from books written by Catholic authors, YouTube talks by clergy and Catholic apologetics. I highly suggest you research and read as much as you can because it all makes sense. I now look at the Mass and the Sacraments with new eyes and I never take them for granted. It is such a gift to receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ present in the Holy Eucharist.
I still have regrets for having lost 40 years of my life in misery, and for all the mistakes I made. But, it has also shown me the greatness of our Lord’s Mercy. God can take anything, no matter how bad it is, and turn it into something good.
I pray you will regain your fervor for the faith. It truly is such a gift. I have never felt as peaceful as I do now. God bless.
I was raised Catholic and drifted away in my early 20’s. I went through a period of questioning the precepts of the Church, mainly because I never fully understood them.
Over time, I sunk more and more into a life of excessive drinking and partying, sleeping with strangers, pornography, and the ultimate devastation which was abortion. Having left the protection of the Church, slowly but surely Satan had me in his grips. During all this time, I never felt like I lost my faith. I believed in God and I even prayed. But I did not attend Church and I had no spiritual guidance. I married a non-Catholic when I was 39. He was married twice before and did not want any children. I thought it would be okay not to have kids. Boy was I wrong! I fell into depression and our marriage took a real beating because of my resentment and the emptiness I felt being childless. We managed to stay together only by the Grace of God.
My sister died in 2011 from pancreatic cancer. She faced her terminal cancer with bravery and accepted her suffering with peace. Her Catholic faith was extremely strong. She had worked for the church and had 4 priests presiding over her funeral. It still took me a year and a half after she died to come back to church. It was so sudden, like a flash of lightening. I decided in one instant to go to church and the next Sunday I was there, not understanding how or why I came to this decision. I went to confession the next week after being away from the church 40 years. A couple years later, my husband and I had our marriage blessed by the Church. It was nothing short of a miracle that he agreed to go through two Tribunal annulments and that all persons involved cooperated as well. He hasn’t converted, but he fully supports me and my Catholic faith practices.
Looking back, I had been so lost and miserable. I realize now that during that time, Christ was always there waiting patiently for me. Coming back after so many years, I thirsted for knowledge about our faith. The thing about our present time is that there is a wealth of information from books written by Catholic authors, YouTube talks by clergy and Catholic apologetics. I highly suggest you research and read as much as you can because it all makes sense. I now look at the Mass and the Sacraments with new eyes and I never take them for granted. It is such a gift to receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ present in the Holy Eucharist.
I still have regrets for having lost 40 years of my life in misery, and for all the mistakes I made. But, it has also shown me the greatness of our Lord’s Mercy. God can take anything, no matter how bad it is, and turn it into something good.
I pray you will regain your fervor for the faith. It truly is such a gift. I have never felt as peaceful as I do now. God bless.
M
Margaret_Ann
Guest
Remember The Divine Comedy. Virgil, the voice of reason unaided by Faith, takes Dante through Limbo, Inferno and Purgatorio but must leave him at the top of the mountain in Purgatory. Beatrice, the voice of Faith - not Virgil - takes Dante to Paradiso.
Reason has a limit, and once it crosses the Rubicon of the mind into the realm of Faith, war ensues in the soul, until Reason retreats to its own side.
It seems that you need Beatrice (in the person of a good Catholic friend) to get you back on track spiritually.
Reason has a limit, and once it crosses the Rubicon of the mind into the realm of Faith, war ensues in the soul, until Reason retreats to its own side.
It seems that you need Beatrice (in the person of a good Catholic friend) to get you back on track spiritually.
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Margaret_Ann
Guest
St. Anthony is also called the Evangelical Doctor because he knew Scripture by heart and also the Hammer of Heretics (because of his zealous defense of the Catholic Faith).
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Margaret_Ann
Guest
God IS good as Our Lord said in the Gospel. God is NOT evil. Evil is privation of a due good. Since God, Who Is Absolutely Good, cannot deprive Himself, therefore God IS good.
Example of evil: A shopkeeper has things for sale but a thief deliberately steals them. God is offended (the thief committed a mortal sin), the shopkeeper is deprived of the good due to him (the thief didn’t pay for the item and the shopkeeper incurred loss), and the thief loses sanctifying grace (if he was in that state before stealing; otherwise he compounded his offenses before God).
Example of evil: A shopkeeper has things for sale but a thief deliberately steals them. God is offended (the thief committed a mortal sin), the shopkeeper is deprived of the good due to him (the thief didn’t pay for the item
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smithclarkson01
Guest
Hope isn’t something you “lose,” it’s more like a frightened bird that will return soon. Don’t try to catch it, let it come to you.
In the meantime, think about what you want- the thing there is supposedly no hope for. Ask your self why it matters so much. Was it ever really realistic? What is the worst outcome, and how can you deal with that? If your situation changed, would you suddenly feel better? Or is this feeling inside of you, not going away?
Make short term, specific goals. Things you can do, eventually working towards somewhere new.
If an event has occurred to make you feel this way, such as the death of a loved one, find people to talk to. You should find people you know and trust, and be honest with them. If no such person comes to mind try a professional therapist, or join a support group. Ideally all of the above. No matter what happened, the world is still here. There is beauty left to be discovered.
If your struggle is more internal, such as deppression or PTSD, do everything mentioned previously. Start by getting organized help. If motivation is low, have a friend help you through it. Therapists can be expensive, so if money (or time) is an issue try to find a support group. Suicide prevention hotlines are free, if needed, and you can call in moments of crisis or when trapped in a dark place. Medication can also be very helpful but ONLY if prescribed by a doctor.
Most important is to find support. This can be friends, family, a professional, people going through the same thing, a neighbor… really anyone who can be reached quickly and you trust.
In the meantime, think about what you want- the thing there is supposedly no hope for. Ask your self why it matters so much. Was it ever really realistic? What is the worst outcome, and how can you deal with that? If your situation changed, would you suddenly feel better? Or is this feeling inside of you, not going away?
Make short term, specific goals. Things you can do, eventually working towards somewhere new.
If an event has occurred to make you feel this way, such as the death of a loved one, find people to talk to. You should find people you know and trust, and be honest with them. If no such person comes to mind try a professional therapist, or join a support group. Ideally all of the above. No matter what happened, the world is still here. There is beauty left to be discovered.
If your struggle is more internal, such as deppression or PTSD, do everything mentioned previously. Start by getting organized help. If motivation is low, have a friend help you through it. Therapists can be expensive, so if money (or time) is an issue try to find a support group. Suicide prevention hotlines are free, if needed, and you can call in moments of crisis or when trapped in a dark place. Medication can also be very helpful but ONLY if prescribed by a doctor.
Most important is to find support. This can be friends, family, a professional, people going through the same thing, a neighbor… really anyone who can be reached quickly and you trust.
J
John10
Guest
I would say almost everybody has their own “dark night” in regard to faith and religious matters. After all the Devil never rests and tries furiously to keep us away from our Catholic faith (Remember Peter denied Christ 3 times). Remember also that faith is a gift God gives us to accept everything He has said despite not being able to see or prove everything.
I would suggest you keep an open mind and if you feel you need to speak with a priest to try to understand why you have lost your faith. After all as Catholics we believe God is the greatest possible good, so loosing Him would be catastrophic.
I would suggest you keep an open mind and if you feel you need to speak with a priest to try to understand why you have lost your faith. After all as Catholics we believe God is the greatest possible good, so loosing Him would be catastrophic.
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Annie
Guest
I agree with those who suggest prayer. I have had difficulties with faith, and when I prayed about it, God let me know the answer. As I said above, I know the answer came from God, because it was far beyond anything I could think of on my own.
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Alex4Mary
Guest
When I was younger than I am now. ( I’m am only 23) I felt called to be a priest. Or at least a friar. I felt the pull. I loved it. When I became 18 I left the house and got blindsided by homelessness. And the rescue mission although they try hard to bring people to Christ. Killed my faith. I stopped going to church. And I stopped praying. I stopped going to confession and the sacraments and I just focused ( unintentionally) on everyday life. I left homelessness behind and i thought that it would come back. But it didnt. Life continued on and although deep inside i knew that I wanted to come back i couldn’t. I’d go to mass oit’s TRUE. s with familiy. And I would be inspired to come back. But I would quickly fall back away. But inknownthat fake it till you make it doesnt work. Because you cant fake God. Just this last summer after my grandparents died, I finally dragged myself into church and after dragging through mass i asked the priest for a confession. And I laid my soul bare. I left nothing out. I spoke of the rage. I cried about my despair. And my feelings of being abandoned. I didnt do anything. I couldnt have. Because there was nothing to do. So I had to go to the root. You speak about how you dont believe its true. Basically it comes down to this as a good friend once told me. You have to draw up the relationship and put it on the altar. And ask God ( yell or scream if you want to) but basically you have to lay down the cards. No tiptoeing. Put it all on the table. And then wait for a response. Because there is no point of wasting energy on something that you don’t believe. So lay it all out. No matter how ugly it is. And ask God to show you in no uncertain terms if He is real. If Catholicsm is for you. Because that is the root. And either way you will have your answer. But be willing to look for the whisper as God often answers in whispers. If He shows you then you can no longer doubt. Because He will have revealed himself. The dark night of the soul happens to everyone. But I believe that God proved himself to me in my way. A way on the y I would recognize. And now no matter how dark the road gets. I can say as Job did that the Lord Gives and the Lord takes. But in everything Blessed be the Lord. No matter if i lose everything, I have challenged God and all of my faith. And even though He proved Himself it didnt make my faith jump to life. But now I can not doubt God because I know for Me that He is real.
I struggled for 5 long brutal years and I am just now coming out the other side. I pray that some small part of this speaks to you to help you in whatever way you take it. I will keep you in my prayers.
I struggled for 5 long brutal years and I am just now coming out the other side. I pray that some small part of this speaks to you to help you in whatever way you take it. I will keep you in my prayers.
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niceatheist
Guest
Can one be a Catholic and reject claims like Fatima? Can one truly be an intellectual and a rationalist and be a Catholic, and if you are, then how do you deal with those that believe in claims like Fatima, the Shroud of Turin, and so forth?
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Alex4Mary
Guest
The thing about rationalsims and intellectualism is that in flies in the face of faith. Pride causes us to believe that we must KNOW to believe. But the Very definition of faith is believing in what we cannot see or “prove”. So it is faith not realism or intellectualism that causes people to believe in something like Fatima or the shroud.
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Annie
Guest
Yes, one can. It is not required that one believe in private revelations, even those approved by the Church.
I am not sure what you mean by rationalist, but there are some really brilliant people who have been Catholic. I consider myself to be intellectual in my way of dealing with things, but not brilliant or anything. St Thomas Aquinas, GK Chesterton*, Mortimer Adler*, St Augustine*, Fr George Lemaître, Friar Georg Mendel, St Cardinal John Newman*… all brilliant. The ones whose names have an asterisk are adult converts to Catholicism.
As a Catholic, I believe in the possibility of supernatural or miraculous events, so if I met someone who believed in an event of that type in which I did not believe, I would ask them why they believed in it.
I can see that if someone did not believe in the possibility of these types of events that they would have trouble understanding someone’s belief, but I think that that person would also be unlikely to be Catholic.
Scientific Evidence of Christ's and God's Existence - Part 1 - YouTube This is a very long (this is the link to the first part) video of an atheist scientist’s investigation of a Eucharistic miracle. It is also subtitled as it is in Spanish. However, it is very, very good. Someone else may be able to provide you with links to comprehensive information originating in English.
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Taxx
Guest
I’ve heard of people doing that. How does that work. Do you just believe padre pio is now your favorite saint . like a Holy spirit?
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