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WingsOfEagles
Guest
A lot of Catholics stick with scripted prayers. There is nothing saying we have to. Perhaps, adding time where you just freely talk with God will help you feel closer.
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lagerald24
Guest
@Marp, I think you would really enjoy this book by Catholic Apologist Trent Horn. It’s very accessible and it’s one of my favorites. I clearly outlines the fundamentals of the Catholic faith. Here’s the link to purchase it: Why We're Catholic (Book)
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Marp
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Thanks Lagerlord!
Love the apologetic avenue to study my faith. You know Jesus himself asked over 300 questions in the Bible. When I explain myself I know it constitutes more threads. Galatians 3:28. Jesus came for the multitudes. I actually never new my Catholic faith restricted the Bible to their own interpretations and restrictions to being a Catholic.
Love the apologetic avenue to study my faith. You know Jesus himself asked over 300 questions in the Bible. When I explain myself I know it constitutes more threads. Galatians 3:28. Jesus came for the multitudes. I actually never new my Catholic faith restricted the Bible to their own interpretations and restrictions to being a Catholic.
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Hope1960
Guest
I agree that you may be right.
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powerless
Guest
We already have…what could be more personal than eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ? Most of the those protestants you claim have a closer personal relationship to Jesus do not believe in the True Presence, so compared to those, Catholics indeed have a much more personal relationship with Christ.
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steve-b
Guest
When Jesus said, he who …"abides in me and I in them" who is Jesus talking about, and what was the context of that phrase?
When you say Protestants “seem to have” a deeper…, may I suggest, you’re not looking at it from Jesus POV.
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MagdalenaRita
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You might, rather, consider lookin into Johnette Benkovich and her program Women of Grace. She has a very interesting reversion story, lost two husbands and one son. She has a great relationship with Jesus and is Catholic. Has written several books for women. She will only lead you closer to Jesus and in the Catholic church, so you won’t lose the grace of God found only in the sacraments.
www.womenofgrace.com
Another group of Catholic Women are three women that have a show on EWTN called The View for Women. The three women are Teresa Tomeo, Elena Rodriquez & Janet Morana. All beautiful Catholic Women who work to lead other women closer to Jesus in the Catholic church.
http://www.thecatholicviewforwomen.com
Home - Women of Grace - www.womenofgrace.com
Women of Grace® seeks to transform the world one woman at a time by affirming women in their dignity and vocation as daughters of God and in their gift of authentic femininity via our programs, curricula, conferences, and materials.
Another group of Catholic Women are three women that have a show on EWTN called The View for Women. The three women are Teresa Tomeo, Elena Rodriquez & Janet Morana. All beautiful Catholic Women who work to lead other women closer to Jesus in the Catholic church.
http://www.thecatholicviewforwomen.com
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MagdalenaRita
Guest
I used to be in a ND church and believe me things can appear a certain way on the surface but are not always what they really are.
Definitely reading Scripture will lead you to a closer relationship with Christ but it shouldn’t stop there. The sacraments, the rosary and prayer will also aid in your relationship with Christ.
Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus will also draw you closer to Him.
God bless.
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Hope1960
Guest
What do you mean, “things can appear a certain way on the surface but are not always what they really are”?
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Marp
Guest
Laterald. Hi! Merry Christmas
They are actually verses you quoted in a fuller context. I keep loosing the the post and they ended up as a random post.
They are actually verses you quoted in a fuller context. I keep loosing the the post and they ended up as a random post.
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MagdalenaRita
Guest
Everyone is a sinner. Everyone sins. There are a variety of people in both Catholic and Protestant churches that either have a very close walk with Jesus or not. If you are seeing this closeness due to being in a ND Bible study or church service where they are talking about walking with Jesus it will appear they have a very close walk with Him but as the saying goes, “the grass is always greener on the other side” and people do not always act the same in their daily lives as they do at church or Bible study.
There are many people in the Catholic church that work hard for Jesus in the Catholic church, walk close to Jesus in the Catholic church also. Just as there are those in ND churches who have a close relationship with Jesus and those that don’t.
You will also find the opposite in both.
The point would be not to leave Jesus in the Eucharist. That is the closest you can get to Him.
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Marp
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Right… We do have the opportunity to have a closer relationship with Christ. There is nothing stopping that. All are welcome. 
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Jimbo
Guest
I think (for me, I’m not going to try to speak for others) it’s because this ‘personal relationship’ that I hear about is often used in place of things like confession, Eucharist, etc. But I fully admit that I might not understand it fully.
When I was in college I was confronted more than once about not having this ‘personal relationship’ and that without it I was damned. I’m not sure what denomination the accuser was, but he was all about the ‘personal relationship’ and me ‘accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior’ as being the only thing I need do.
All I could think of was the Lord saying ’ if you love me do what I command’. I wasn’t even sure what he meant by his ‘personal relationship’.
Today I think about someone like Mother Theresa, who (among other saints) admitted to having periods of spiritual dryness. Yet… she was doing what Jesus said.
At the time, I couldn’t relate to Jesus as a ‘buddy’. I still have a hard time with it, though I speak to him more frequently and informally. I still know people who think of Jesus as more of a sovereign King than as a personal friend, with us as servants (not slaves, but willing followers). I know others, both Protestant and Catholic, who go through periods of spiritual dryness and emptiness.
And I think that is okay.
I believe that if you do what Jesus says, follow the Church he founded, make use of the sacraments he gave, and act as part of his mystical body on earth; this is more important than the ‘personal relationship’. You can belt up, do his will, and not worry about being friendly.
However, maybe I misunderstood. Maybe that is exactly what many Protestant denominations mean by having that personal relationship. I fully admit I might have a failure in understanding.
I hope this makes sense?
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Jimbo
Guest
I very much click with this. TULIPed, I think she does a better job of explaining it than I do.
I wish you both a very Merry Christmas.
I wish you both a very Merry Christmas.
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lagerald24
Guest
Yeah, it really depends what people mean by a personal relationship with Jesus. If they mean that we are in the right relationship with Him with no grave sins barring His grace from our souls then yeah, totally, I’m all for it. Ultimately, we can’t reduce our faith, hope, and love to just warm, fuzzy feelings. They’re grounded in ultimate Love and Truth.
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Jimbo
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!!!
Um… if I read this right and the Parish claims to be a Catholic Church and then says that the Eucharist isn’t the Real Presence, but rather a rememberance, I’d leave. They have serious issues.
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PapyrusDouay
Guest
I looked the church up. It’s definitely a different vibe that’s most churches, but It seems to be legitimate from what I can tell. This is why I’ve been advocating for new threads. In all charity, I think MARP could use more assistance than is appropriate for this thread. I think she’s misunderstanding the priest’s prayers at mass. Perhaps attending some of the adult ed classes at that church, or sitting through RCIA classes would be of benefit.
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Marp
Guest
The bread and wine are offered at the last supper. The apostles spread out into the world to teach the gospel as told by Jesus Christ whom has changed so many lives. As the pope expressed unity that message can be taken in many ways. Future generations will read into his messages and cross reference to find truth. Christ’s message was Accept the truth and do this in memory of me. By Fr. Aaron Johanneck
At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and wine, declared them to be his Body and Blood, shared them with his disciples, and instructed them to “do this in memory of me.”When we think of a memorial, we normally think of remembering an event or a person in terms of “calling them to mind.” Memorial plaques, statues, or services call to mind significant events in history and those who were involved in them these activities are participated in or items are viewed “memory” of the events or persons tcommemorate.The Holy Mass is a memorial. However, it is not a memorial in the same way as the examples just described. The Mass does more than call to mind the Paschal Mystery – the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ Instead, the Church has passed down a ritualized liturgical celebration that has been organically developed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the centuries.To understand what the Church means when she refers to the Holy Mass as a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ, we have to understand the scriptural understanding of this word. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this as follows:“In the sense of Sacred Scripture the memorial is not merely the recollection of past events. celebration of these events, they become in a certain way present and real. This is how Israel understands its liberation from Egypt: every time Passover is celebrated, the Exodus events are made present to the memory of believers so that they may conform their lives to them” (no. 1363; italics in the original).
In the New Testament, and in the time of the Church, the memorial takes on a new and deeper meaning. The Catechism explains, “When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ’s Passover, and it is made present: the sacrifice of Christ offered once for all on the Cross remains ever present” (no. 1364).Here we connect again with the theme of last month’s article: the Holy Mass as a sacrifice because it is the re-presentation and the memorial of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. The Catechism refers to the Eucharist as the “sacrificial memorial” of Christ and explains that the Mass is a sacrifice because it is the memorial of Christ’s Passover (cf. CCC, no. 1365
Jesus says, “This is my Body and my Blood: Do this in remembrance of me,” affirming the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He could also say to us, “This is my sacrifice … this is the making present of my offering to the Father for love of you: Do this in memory of me. Allow yourself to be united to my offering as you enter into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Make your own offering in union with mine, so that I may take it for you to the Father.”
At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and wine, declared them to be his Body and Blood, shared them with his disciples, and instructed them to “do this in memory of me.”When we think of a memorial, we normally think of remembering an event or a person in terms of “calling them to mind.” Memorial plaques, statues, or services call to mind significant events in history and those who were involved in them these activities are participated in or items are viewed “memory” of the events or persons tcommemorate.The Holy Mass is a memorial. However, it is not a memorial in the same way as the examples just described. The Mass does more than call to mind the Paschal Mystery – the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ Instead, the Church has passed down a ritualized liturgical celebration that has been organically developed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the centuries.To understand what the Church means when she refers to the Holy Mass as a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ, we have to understand the scriptural understanding of this word. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this as follows:“In the sense of Sacred Scripture the memorial is not merely the recollection of past events. celebration of these events, they become in a certain way present and real. This is how Israel understands its liberation from Egypt: every time Passover is celebrated, the Exodus events are made present to the memory of believers so that they may conform their lives to them” (no. 1363; italics in the original).
In the New Testament, and in the time of the Church, the memorial takes on a new and deeper meaning. The Catechism explains, “When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ’s Passover, and it is made present: the sacrifice of Christ offered once for all on the Cross remains ever present” (no. 1364).Here we connect again with the theme of last month’s article: the Holy Mass as a sacrifice because it is the re-presentation and the memorial of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. The Catechism refers to the Eucharist as the “sacrificial memorial” of Christ and explains that the Mass is a sacrifice because it is the memorial of Christ’s Passover (cf. CCC, no. 1365
Jesus says, “This is my Body and my Blood: Do this in remembrance of me,” affirming the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He could also say to us, “This is my sacrifice … this is the making present of my offering to the Father for love of you: Do this in memory of me. Allow yourself to be united to my offering as you enter into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Make your own offering in union with mine, so that I may take it for you to the Father.”
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KAMMYXPXP
Guest
Reading Scripture will lead us to a better understanding of God. In fact, St. Jerome is credited with saying that “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” For what it’s worth, while raising my three children, I read the Holy Bible several times through from cover to cover. The church I attended taught how important it was to know the Bible. I must confess that I was a well-read wanna-be-Christian…I wanted to be, but I still had longer road to travel before making it Home to the Catholic Church. Yes, read Scripture, but that is not what brought me into a closer relationship with Him. It definitely made me hunger for a relationship all the more with Him. Yet, I was not ready.
By God’s grace, I am here. It was the Holy Spirit that made it happen. The Holy Spirit will give you the relationship with God that you desire. Just to be clear, I am not Charismatic. I had always been “interested” in the Christian God, even when I was running away from Him.
Finally, He got me, and He did it through RCIA. Before I was baptized in 2015, the RCIA group I attended went on a tour of the church building. The priest spoke about different aspects of the nave and then sanctuary. When speaking of the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle Candle, he said, “We believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.” That is when the Spirit testified to me, “This is it!” Wow! I definitely was not expecting it to be so simple - but it was perfect and amazing, and I fell in love with Him then and there! That’s how my relationship started with Him.
Hope this is helpful. By the way, all the years of reading Scripture came to fruition, too…keep reading.
By God’s grace, I am here. It was the Holy Spirit that made it happen. The Holy Spirit will give you the relationship with God that you desire. Just to be clear, I am not Charismatic. I had always been “interested” in the Christian God, even when I was running away from Him.
Finally, He got me, and He did it through RCIA. Before I was baptized in 2015, the RCIA group I attended went on a tour of the church building. The priest spoke about different aspects of the nave and then sanctuary. When speaking of the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle Candle, he said, “We believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.” That is when the Spirit testified to me, “This is it!” Wow! I definitely was not expecting it to be so simple - but it was perfect and amazing, and I fell in love with Him then and there! That’s how my relationship started with Him.
Hope this is helpful. By the way, all the years of reading Scripture came to fruition, too…keep reading.
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