Being Embarassed About My Faith?

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So when exactly is one being embarassed? A while back I confessed that I would hide my Rosary when someone came into the room so they wouldn’t see me praying it (I still do this but it doesn’t really feel right). If I remember correctly, the priest told me that it was between me and God, not someone else. Also, I’ve been thinking about saying Grace before meals but I feel embarassed about suggesting it to my parents since it’s not something we usually do and we sometime eat at different times. Instead I usually say a short prayer in my head. I also at times I feel like I should mention God or somethig religious to my parents or others but I become embarassed and don’t know when I’m obligated:confused::confused: . And, since the computer is in the living room, I usually hide the CAF window when someone stands too close:o Would that be bad?
 
What you could be dealing with is a love of human respect over a love of God. It is part of concupiscence, or effects of original sin. Does the love of human respect approach or become sin? Hard to say.

But human respect does stand in the way of Christian witness and evangelization. And when we let a love or concerns for human respect interfere, then we cooperate with evil and erode the effect of Grace in our lives. Of course, since this is part of original sin and we all suffer from it to a greater or lesser extent. Imagine how many Catholics fail to say grace before meals b/c they worry about what the waitress or a room full of strangers might think!

Persist and every day commit to one small act that is normal to you anyway. Let them see CA, who cares what’s in your hand, make the sign of the cross and say a grace before meals. In reality, many will be edified by your witness. And keep confessing the failure too, it will give you the grace to conquer your failings; failings that we all share.
 
I know what you mean, I’m in a similar boat myself. I’m not embarrased to talk about religion even if no one in my family is interested.

I have a Rosary in my bedroom but I don’t hide it. Friends and family have all seen it and all they’ve done is ask questions about it. I couldn’t care if anyone laughed at it, because that would just show how ignorant they are.

Currently, I’m doing a lot of ‘soul searching,’ for want of a better word. While I believe what the Church teaches, I am embarrased to go to Mass.

If I were you, I wouldn’t be embarrased about your rosary. But I can’t say anything because I’m embarrased myself even though I know I shouldn’t be.
 
…ummm, try reading a Bible in a workplace to get some pretty hefty anti-Christian antagonism going.

I pray the rosary whilst on night shift when I am on my own, a lot of folks find it rather confronting to have religious nuts on the loose (their term not mine)

remember even though Jesus performed miracles there were those who would not believe, so do not worry your pretty little head over the Will of God, just be…
 
SV_7

The posters before me have all written such beautiful words of advice…

Thank you truly for your post…I will pray for you that your desire to be a witness to your faith increase daily and that someday soon you will forget what it was to hesitate because of what others might think…Some soul in need is waiting for a sign from God and you might just be the one to reveal Christ to him…🙂

Jesus I Ask you for mercy.
Jesus I ask that you teach me to Be merciful.
Jesus I ask that you strengthen my Complete trust in you. Amen.
 
Well here’s one type of situation I’ve been in. It’s night time and I should be asleep but I’m up finishing a Rosary or something. I don’t really want my parents to walk in when I should be sleeping so I sometimes pretend to be asleep and hide my Rosary. I feel it may be part embarassment and part not wanting to explain myself since I kind of have my own nightly prayer routine that they aren’t exactly aware of, at least I think. But it’s probably more being embarassed:blush: 😦
 
You’re not alone. I am also suffering from this, but in a different way. Just keep trying to be open with it to others. It only gets easier.

My family is not the problem, they all know I revived my faith and respect it (some a bit less, like my in-laws – they are of the “I believe in God but don’t need religion variety”), even some old friends know, but to be honest I have drifted away from most of my friends over the years since I got married.

For me, my last challenge is at work. In California, and especially in the video games industry (I had been in this job before I got back into the faith heavily again, so it’s kind of left over) – here there is a decidedly non-Christian, if not antagonistic attitude toward religion, and more specifically toward Christianity and more specifically toward Catholicism. I only know of one other Christian in my whole company to be honest. I am actually looking for a new job partially because I have been assigned to work on some rather morally abject titles and have thought of changing careers but I am sole supporter of my family so I have to be careful.

I have had several occasions where I turned COWARD (in my own opinion) and avoided faith subjects (Christ, the church, abortion, things that come up in random conversations at work, etc). It makes me feel horrible! I always think of Christ saying:​

Matt 10:33: Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.​

I always feel like I have to start over every time this happens.

This is one of my big challenges, especially with my boss as I know he will make fun of me for it – it’s a very immature environment. It is something I am really working on – I confess it when I fail and pray for the strength not to fail.

Please include me in your prayers for this.
 
My family isn’t the problem either, they don’t forbid me to pray. It’e just that I don’t really want them seeing me pray most of the time, which I feel is a bad thing.😦
 
I consider it an honor to Our Lord to pray for those who acknowledge that they are undergoing a conversion to holiness.

Ten years ago, I would turn around and head in the opposite direction if I saw a “holy roller” coming towards me; didn’t matter what their religion was. I was as liberal as they come but not argumentative…I believed in tolerance but when it comes down to it, being Catholic is so much more than “tolerating” others beliefs.

Due to circumstances that I never would have been able to foresee, I have changed for the better. I have come so far and have far to journey. However, I too was afraid (and unwilling at times) to show that my beliefs were changing. But here, I am…doing my best to evangelize and bring others into the Glory that can only be found in the embrace of Our Lord and King.

I will pray for you and SV_7 and Tenax everytime I am in front of the Blessed Sacrament. How Blessed we are to know that He has seen us and is watching in anticipation! 🙂

Jesus I trust in You. Jesus I trust in You. Jesus I trust in You.
 
I feel the same way, and I prefer to pray in private. I really don’t “hide” anything if someone walks in, but I go out of my way to find a secluded place. I get the same guilty feelings, and I get the feeling that Jesus is saying, “why are you praying here? there was a bench in the middle of campus that I would like you to sit and pray”. The trick is to do one little thing every day, whether say grace, or talk about Christ. If you are at work or school, just know that it only takes one time to let people know you are a Catholic, after the initial ridicule (if they are immature enough to even say anything), it will be over and they will just know you are Catholic. I will pray a Rosary for everyone who is having this problem. God Bless.
 
I still struggle with this too in the fact that my husband’s side of the family don’t know about my conversion yet. They live about 6 hrs away from us so its not a problem all of the time but I still fell uncomfortable especially when they say grace before meals. I want to make the sign of the cross so bad but I’m scared of what they will say. I’m slowly being able to put it behind me. Also, I enjoy praying at night and my husband would always walk in on me and I would be disturbed. I used to hide my rosary from him, etc but then I just finally told him that I would appreciate an hour or so quite time to pray and he had no problem with it. It will get easier. I would suggest your pray to Our Lady to help you through this tough time. I’ll be praying for you too.
 
S_V7 said:
So when exactly is one being embarassed? A while back I confessed that I would hide my Rosary when someone came into the room so they wouldn’t see me praying it (I still do this but it doesn’t really feel right). If I remember correctly, the priest told me that it was between me and God, not someone else. Also, I’ve been thinking about saying Grace before meals but I feel embarassed about suggesting it to my parents since it’s not something we usually do and we sometime eat at different times. Instead I usually say a short prayer in my head. I also at times I feel like I should mention God or somethig religious to my parents or others but I become embarassed and don’t know when I’m obligated:confused::confused: . And, since the computer is in the living room, I usually hide the CAF window when someone stands too close:o Would that be bad?
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Hi been there done that.
Maybe if you change your thoughts and think of your faith as NOT religion but your RELATIONSHIP the same way as we do with other people then you would have less bother.
God wishes His people to realise we are His children if you think of your relationship that way then who can put you down. This will give you a fuller love and a felling of great strength since God alone can give you the joy the world cannot.

Express that joy tell Jesus you want more, much more, tell the Holy Spirit you want to invite Him in fully whole heartedly. let go of all humanness in your thoughts. This joy puts you in the driving seat since you will be driven by the Holy Spirit.

It works enjoy it
God bless
littleone
 
I don’t feel embarassed about my faith,but feel a bit uncomfortable by exposing my crucifix around my neck sometimes esp.if I feel I don’t behave myself properly,I feel ashamed.If people stare at my crucifix,it’s ok with me.I think that’s the only reason why I sometimes don’t feel comfortable exposing my crucifix,it’s all about my misbehaviour.I pray at home before eating,sleeping,going to work,starting to do my duties and even if I eat out in a restaurant.And before I say my prayers I’ll tell the person around me that I am about to say my prayers so he/she won’t disturb me.If that person does I won’t stop my prayer either.It happens sometimes.Don’t let your heart and soul be bothered by what people will say about our faith,they have always something to say negatively mostly.don’t get embarassed.It’s between you and our Good God.

Pax Dominum
 
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