Can it be an obsession?

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Bonnie, you are so right. It’s the experience of falling madly in love with God and being hungry to know as much as you can about the ‘Beloved’.

It’s a fire and a hunger. People only think it is an unhealthy obsession because they have not experienced it themselves.

Do you find yourself smiling all the time for no reason? People have told me that when I talk about God I ‘glow’. I have seen that in other people when the ‘fall in love’ and talk about heir loved one.
 
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kellie:
I have been a Catholic all my life, well since 4 years of age when I was baptised.
I kind of went wandering away from home through my 20’s, but now at 33, thanks to Mel Gibson’s movie, and Catholic Answers, I have renewed my Faith.
I have downloaded most of the Catholic Answers radio shows from the site.
I have purchased 3 of Karl’s books, and all 120 tracts.
I have been through everything on www.vatican.va
I now read the Bible in bed.
My mum is worried that I may have gone too far in my quest for greater understanding.
She said not to get too obsessed by it all.
Can someone give me their opinion on whether this could happen, and if it is bad if it does happen?
I still do all other things in life, such as my theatre group, my son, tv, movies, socialising with friends.
But whenever I can, I choose to do reading, whether it is the Bible, this forum, Catholic Answers, any other site, or radio.
Love Kellie
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Kellie, I think you are doing just fine and may I say keep up the good work!🙂
 
Loving God is the only legitimate obsession allowed. And you can never love God too much. Superstition, on the other hand, is misguided or misdirected spiritual practice that can be detrimental. Using the teachings of the church and an orthodox spiritual director as a guide, one can avoid the pitfalls of superstitious practice and pursue a healthy “obsession” for God and His Church.
 
SDA2RC:

The saints did what the world deemed crazy…St. Francis: the beggar that begged for stones as opposed to the stereotypical bread. St. John Vianney in the confessional for 18 hours straight. St. Monica praying for decades for her son. We are called to be saints.

Educating yourself about the faith is feeding your soul. Like you said you have not neglected your duties, so if it’s balanced, nothing wrong.

The initial zeal of renewing the faith can be the a weakness…we should as we grow be able to transfer the positive emotion to virtue (the permanent disposition and actions toward the good). Then we’re not just operating from the base of emotions (which eventually will betray) but rather from a continous and authentic response to grace.

in XT.
 
A word of advice for someone who’s been there: don’t be too hard on your mother or other friends and family members who may be a little taken aback at your new-found enthusiasm. Keep in mind that you were not always as on fire as you are now and might have had the same reaction if the roles were reversed. It’s especially hard for a parent to hear it from their children.

It’s sometimes hard to keep it all in, but others will probably not be at the same spiritual place you are right now. This was the case with my wife and me for many years, and I found the best thing to do was to pursue my love and excitement about the Lord, but at the same time not expect others to get as worked up as I was, or to show as much enthusiasm as I thought they should.

This is really the most charitable and selfless approach to take as we all know how easy it is to be turned off by another’s zealousness. Study and pray and serve the Lord as he leads you, but be patient with Mom and just share the love of Christ with her as you have the opportunity. Give her a good example and soon she will be asking questions on her own --slowly at first, but then you’ll have your chance to share the Gospel in word as well as deed. Meet her where she is and resist the temptation to jump in with both feet. Pray for her and trust in God’s own good time.
 
You sound like me…

Truth is good. Knowledge is good. Understanding is good.

But don’t let them interfere with Love.

“Lord, in my zeal for the love of truth, let me not forget the truth about love.”
St. Thomas Aquinas
 
Dear friend

It’s the honeymoon phase not an obessession. The first flushes of love and like in all first flushes you can’t think of anything else, but like any love it changes and you have to consider this and not get downhearted later on when this love of God changes and develops by His grace. It’s alos true that when we begin to love someone we want to know all about them so you are simply trying to know about God, there is nothing wrong in this, infact it is good and you are not going crazy nor are you obsessed.

Seeing as you like reading presently, read the Song of Songs in Sacred Scripture. Here you will read the most beautiful love affair with God.

I am pleased you have fallen in love with God, it is the greatest gift you will ever receive from God the Father, this gift of faith that is a reality within the heart and does not require complex thoughts because it is all so much simpler than human minds ever allow it to be.

As for your Mum, well simply say to her, ‘why isn’t it good that I am seeking Jesus who is good?’

Be sure to thank God for His great grace to you and always remember this time of ‘honeymoon’ love because God will ‘put you down from the breast’, God willing, and here we all prove our faith in and love of God.

Welcome home to God and may He always bless you greatly. I thank God for you because whenever I read or hear of graces such as have been gifted to you, it greatly strengthens my faith. Stay with it Kellie and in whatever you do, work, sleep, play, eat, run, laugh, cry etc … **ALWAYS PRAY; **prayer is faith.

God Bless you always and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
you cant get ‘obsessed’ with the faith!!! It should ALWAYS be the most important thing in your5 life, and you should be glad to have it!
 
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