Called to faith

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Truthfulness

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Hi, everyone.

I don’t know if this is the right place to post this sort of stuff and I bet you must have read hundreds of posts like this throughout the years.

So anyway. I live in a secular country where protestant denominations are in majority and noone really believes in God. I am baptized and confirmed in the largest one. At the moment I’m in the 30s. I’ve never really thought about God until now. Well actually agnostic at most perhaps. Last decade have involved lots of women, alcohol etc. I think you get the bigger picture. However starting from last summer I was getting those strange feelings that something was drawing my attention to something bigger. I remember spending some time reading up on spirituality and stuff. Not necessarily Christianity. Well nothing really happened over the next six months other than my usual habits with lots of partying etc.

However one or two months ago I got drawn to investigate what the Catholic church was about. Like every other “good” protestant I had this prejudiced view that it was all about idolatry worship. Anyway I started to dig more into the matter and finally found myself reading some bits from the Catechism. I found myself looking into the prayers section and found this Hail Mary prayer. And I started to read it. I was struck by such an intense feeling and found myself all in tears. I can explain this at all… whether this feeling just arised mentally or if this feeling actually had something to do with my spiritual transformation that started and this was just Gods way to lead me in to another path in life. Since then I can’t think about anything than God and I just wanna spend time reading the scriptures and reading about the catholic faith, all the saints etc.

Next fall I will probably join the RCIA class in my local parish.

The feeling is so great and I’ve finally found something that can fill the emptiness which I haven’t been able to fill from stuff in the material world.

However this also leaves me with a feeling of loneliness. Like I’m the only one not following the stream of dead fish in the secular society. My earlier liberal opinions about morals like abortion etc has made an complete 180 turn. I can’t explain this rationally. Maybe I should seek out a doctor to take a brain scan (refer to my doubts further down)?

My problem now is that this feeling of loneliness causes a feeling of doubt. I am aware that I will probably lose some of my old friends etc but this is a sacrifice I’m willing to take. But why this feeling of doubt. Perhaps it’s just the evil one that is trying to take my focus from my journey.

God bless
 
Welcome Home @Truthfulness

The Holy Spirit inspired you,I thing Mother Mary is praying for you ,in your spiritual journey ,She always quicken the process of conversion,as She prayed a t the wedding of cana. God Bless

Isaiah 30:18-21 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.

19 Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. 20 Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Baruch 4:21-29 Take courage, my children, cry to God,
and he will deliver you from the power and hand of the enemy.
22 For I have put my hope in the Everlasting to save you,
and joy has come to me from the Holy One,
because of the mercy that will soon come to you
from your everlasting savior.
23 For I sent you out with sorrow and weeping,
but God will give you back to me with joy and gladness forever.
24 For as the neighbors of Zion have now seen your capture,
so they soon will see your salvation by God,
which will come to you with great glory
and with the splendor of the Everlasting.
25 My children, endure with patience the wrath that has come upon you from God.
Your enemy has overtaken you,
but you will soon see their destruction
and will tread upon their necks.
26 My pampered children have traveled rough roads;
they were taken away like a flock carried off by the enemy.

27 Take courage, my children, and cry to God,
for you will be remembered by the one who brought this upon you.
28 For just as you were disposed to go astray from God,
return with tenfold zeal to seek him.
29 For the one who brought these calamities upon you
will bring you everlasting joy with your salvation.
 
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@Truthfulness 1 Peter 4 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), 2 so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God. 3 You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of dissipation, and so they blaspheme. 5 But they will have to give an accounting to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.

7 The end of all things is near;therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering as a Christian
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory,[e] which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.[f] 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. 16 Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?”

19 Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.
 
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what a wonderful story Truthfulness!

And, Francis, great job on digging up those scriptures that relate to the topic!

So much! Don’t know where to start other than, Yay! As we know, when one soul finds the love and grace of God, all of heaven rejoices! (may have taken slightly out of context for effect)

Okay, how about just one message: feelings

I can feel happy one moment and sad the next. I can feel comfortable and in an instant, be totally stressed out. Emotions are a general gauge of how things are, but not necessarily the whole of the truth. So many rely so much on how something makes them “feel” rather than how much it makes sense (intellect & reason).

Which takes me to the concept of consolation. In my experience, we can get it sometimes and sometimes, it’s totally absent. St. Mother Theresa always complained that she never got any consolation, but she kept on and persevered until the end. Consolation is the warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you realize how much God loves you, or how much God loves you through others. Or, any positive or negative, emotion connected to your experience with God.

Seek the truth, no matter how you feel. And, to drive the point home with a cliche, “If you want to hurt someone, tell them a lie, if you really want to hurt someone, tell them the truth”

That cliche tells me that sometimes the truth is the truth, no matter how much I feel good, bad, or indifferent about it.

About your friends, no need to lose them, just hang with them as usual … unless they are leading you into temptations of sin … and as a final note, we easily remember that Christ said that he came to divide, not unite.

Feeling lonely? See above on feelings, but no need to be lonely, you’d be amazed at how many you can find on your journey. Pop into your local parish where you plan on doing the RCIA, get involved with food drives or something, attend Mass (that’s a big bonus)(no eucharist of course until fully in communion), interact, mingle, meet … may find a new friend who is further along on your journey and can help you or you may even find a new friend that is not as far along as you and you can help him or her!

May the Spirit guide you, blessings.

Kevin
 
God is calling you for sure and has revealed himself in various ways of which only you understand.

Don’t worry about feeling lonely, God will bring people into your life to fill that void.

In all, God leads we follow, it’s the best we can do.

God Bless
Jim
 
Doubt. Also called “the dark night of the soul” by some of the saints of the church. Believe me, everyone has some form of doubt when it comes to trying to understand matters spiritual/religious.

A suggestion: I don’t know what country you are in, but I would like to suggest a book by a gentleman named Scott Hahn (and his wife Kimberly) called “Rome Sweet Home>” It is the journey of a devout anti Catholic clergyman and his equally committed wife from a severe distaste of the Catholic religion, to unity with it and a love for it as members. It is an interesting read as it is more a story than a lecture.

Peace and prayers for your journey.
 
God bless you!
Know that while there may be some strife on this earth, in joining the Church we join a family in Heaven of so many!
 
Thank you all for your kind words and thank you @Francis for digging up those scriptures.

I’ve been to two masses so far. Took some time before I finally had the courage to go to one. I was afraid that people where going to judge me since I don’t know what to do and when etc. But it never happened and I will try to attend to at least one every week from now.

@joeybaggz thanks for the book tip I will see if I can find it.
 
I think among those who love and practice the Catholic religion, you will find a welcome and a lack of judgment if they understand that you are on a journey to discover the truth. The RCC is Christ’s church, he founded it on his apostle Peter and gave it the commission to spread his word and his love and acceptance to everyone.
 
Cool. I’m glad you found a path that works for you. Thank you for sharing your testimony. God has got good things in store for you. As you grow in the faith, you will see God more intimately.
 
God will watch over you; he has called you to His flock. You will lose some friends, keep friends who are true, and gain new friends to journey with you. May the doubt melt away as you go forward.
 
Sure, the thing about loneliness that you mentioned. To much extent, remember that our outlook and many of our decision in life are influenced by the environment of where we live in.

This is such a major problem among Christians, that the last Pope, Benedict XVI, spent quite a lots of his papal teachings on relativism and secularism.

I am glad you are aware of that. To be brief here, a spiritual walk is a lonely journey. We in the church do recognise its practical effect and consequence for us, to form support groups or communities, so that believers will not feel so alone, so wierd, in a world of non-believers.

You have to persevere in this lonesome journey and to journey on despite being alone. You have been called (in a way) to be set apart to be true believer of Christ in His Church.

God bless.
 
Hi again 🙂 , sorry for the late reply and thanks for all the responses.

Another question I have regarding this transformation. Is it normal to feel like… hmm… different? It feels like something has changed inside of me. Almost like a sense of going slightly mad. I mean not going mad but… gosh… I guess it is impossible to put the feeling down in words. Like a different me… I guess it might come down to that I’m comparing everything to my old me before the “awakening”.
 
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Yes, God is madly in Love with you and you with God.

https://www.littleflower.org/therese/words-of-st-therese/love-of-god/

HER THOUGHTS AND WORDS ABOUT . . . LOVE OF GOD

Love!..that is what I ask…I know but one thing now - to love Thee, O Jesus! Glorious deeds are not for me, I cannot preach the Gospel, shed my blood…what does it matter? My brothers toil instead of me, and I, the little child, I keep quite close to the royal throne, I love for those who fight.

Story of A Soul, Chapter XI

How shall I show my love is proved by deeds? Well - the little child will strew flowers…she will embalm the Divine Throne with their fragrance, will sing with silvery voice the canticle of love.

Yes, my Beloved, it is thus that my life’s brief day shall be spent before Thee. No other means have I of proving my love than to strew flowers; that is, to let no little sacrifice escape me, not a look, not a word, to avail of the very least actions and do them for Love. I wish to suffer for Love’s sake and for Love’s sake even to rejoice; thus shall I strew flowers. Not one shall I find without shedding its petals for Thee…and then I will sing, I will always sing, even if I must gather my roses in the very midst of thorns - and the longer and sharper the thorns the sweeter shall be my song.
 
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