Attending Church, Entering a Church, Kindness

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The church itself is locked. Its in a little room down a long dark hallway.
No complaints. It is a lonely battle to continue. My immediate family is against me becoming catholic.
My neighbor alone, with concern for her neighbor was the sole influence directing me there. It is a long journey and I am not up to it anymore. I love catholic, from what I see. I have not been there in months.
I have good prayer life, read the Bible and do understand communion.
 
I was simply uncomfortable being there alone. It’s a powerful spiritual experience and no one yelled at me about that. The conflict was my desire to have people, the body of Christ there with me. I was seeking the church and the fellowship of believers and kind and caring people. This was my failure because they teach Jesus, and Jesus alone. No attachments to people.
 
I wish we could help more, but if this can help in any way, you’re in my prayers. I’m so sorry for the troubles you are having. God loves you, and I know there are many here who join me in prayer for you, and that God will guide you to what you need.
 
ShowersofRoses said:
From what you just wrote, it does sound like an Opus Dei group.
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Nothing about this sounds like Opus Dei to me. As someone upthread said, activities are usually segregated. It sounds more like someone in the group likes St. Josemaria Escriva’s writings and is incorporating them into some kind of adoration-fellowship thing. This group (?) also seems to lack spiritually mature leadership; those emails are pre-middle school and don’t contain a hint of Escriva’s wisdom.
 
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You could be right. I’m pretty sure he mentioned something about having to sit across the aisle from the women which is why the segregation in Opus Dei came up.

I’m not very familiar with Opus Dei, so perhaps it’s likely that this group is just corrupting its teachings and not officially affiliated. Whatever the case, it sounds ridiculous and cult-like to me and he should find a new group to fellowship with.
 
I agree with your “loose screw” observation. Came to the conclusion when I read “The Chapel leader said walking together even with spousal permission was in effect dating.”
 
I got too emotional involved, my hopes too great I suppose. I’ve had a personal relationship with Jesus since a teenager. I’m a TV convert. If Christ alone is sufficient, then I had everything needed in life to be content, no church needed. Life is strange. I lost both parents and my job to care for them. Caregiver of a bipolar spouse. Then a serious stroke.

I became interested by my neighbor who tried to help. In addition to desire growing closer to God, I desired friends, fellowship, companionship, empathy and compassion. It’s funny, in my neighborhood people often ask me to pray for them, never knowing I wanted a little help.

I eagerly learned everything I could from my neighbor, my friend. Rhe Rosary, Blessed mother, Novena’s, precious medals and Catholic life. She would say; come to our chapel and pray with us. The many months would pass by.

The leader there heard my story and felt my neighbor was too into Jesus with me, I suppose. When I was told that first night that I had to dissolve a friendship with my neighbor removing all communication, or I could not achieve oneness with Jesus I was spiritually mortally wounded.

I was too attached to people and things. I must cast out all attachments, Jesus alone.

I could never connect the dots anymore to understand the faith , because what I needed most in that chapel was a friend. What people fail to understand is that the hate and the cruelness of Christians are keeping people from entering church. RCIA is a long process without support. A person simply can not be Baptised easily. I thought my neighbor wold sponsor me. Nope…

Amen…
 
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I hope and pray you attend another Catholic parish and begin anew!

Peace!
 
One thing I’m considering is to print the emails the leader and me and mail them to the Bishop. I’m a little afraid about retaliation.
I pray for restoration of peace between neighbors.

I foolishly feel this man can change his treatment of others. God will ask him to change?

I’m not ready, new church, new people, and having being to an actual mass just two times. It’s intimidating.

I go to local bible church sometimes.

thank you so much…
God bless
 
Something is off… 🤔

His two previous threads from 2016 and 2015 are about this exact same topic. Apparently this situation has been running on for years and he still hasn’t let it go.

OP, stop obsessing over this and move on.
 
Yes, that is true. I consulted with “ask an apologist”
Still trying to make peace between neighbors
Yes, mostly 2016. Yes, I’m stuck and didn’t move onward well. There are many just like me…

1 Corinthians 6:1-8
When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers.

Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; …

Why write now? Meanness of people who also don’t move on. I have to live here. . Ignoring doesn’t resolve things either. I see Jesus still there among the chaos. I still believe God has a reason for my being there.
Sorry, I entered the frying pan, but that ok. Thanks.
 
Did this happen in the United States or in some other country? Is it possible that it’s a country where social values are significantly different in some ways, such as where and when it is permissible for a married woman to be seen in public with a man who is not her husband?
 
The church is a beautiful temple of God, and we should only really focus on God and his message when in church. I’d suggest you find another parish that has a social group which provides coffee after Mass, join its RCIA which can be social too, and make a new start.
 
That is what they tell me here. yes…
But, each time a see my neighbor and I am outside their hopes and prayers and she hates me, the problem never really resolves. I want to end my concern here. I want to include a good article from a Catholic writer about the damage spiritual abuse does to people. I am not Catholic, not Baptized, and must begin again with a system totally unknown to me. I have not reentered church. This was simply an adoration chapel and I did not get support to make the transition. My neighbor was to eventually be my sponsor. Thank You.

Definition of Spiritual Abuse: Survivors of spiritual abuse are left with deep personal issues, particularly an inability to trust. Because critical thinking was discouraged, no confidence in ones own ability to discern truth from error. This led to a distorted perception of God and how a person has a relationship with him. You struggle with the concept of unconditional acceptance. God’s pleasure depends on submission to the church’s edicts and the total acceptance of the leadership’s authority. This leaves survivors with a relationship with God based on fear and performance. Grace and unconditional acceptance are ideas spoken about but never experienced. This lack of trust and confidence impairs the persons family and social relationships. It is difficult to share closely others when they have been labeled, with no uncertainty, as an untrustworthy nonbeliever. For the survivor of abuse, recovery is often long and arduous.
 
davleemye said:
One thing I’m considering is to print the emails the leader and me and mail them to the Bishop. I’m a little afraid about retaliation.
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What do you expect to be done by the bishop (and as Father G responded in your Ask An Apologist question, there is no such designated “leader”? This is just a group of people, and three years have passed. As others have said, it’s really time to move on from this.
 
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We are sorry. You’re right–the healing process can be long and arduous.

That’s why you need to find some supportive people in real life and a therapist who can help you sort this out and bring you healing. There’s just not much a bunch of strangers on the internet can do here.

I hope you do try the Church again. There are loving Catholics out there…I pray you find some.
 
Time marches on.
It is his job to keep his house in order.
He will eventually see the empty pews.

Jeremiah 23:1-4

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

The goal is to comply with the catachism and the Bible.
This issue became complicated and people pick and chose little parts of posts to comment on and the intention is lost.
 
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