Changes upon reverting?

[HabemusFrancis]

Hello everyone. While I am Catholic and was baptized Catholic, I have not been part of the Church in any meaningful way for the past 8 years. I went to Churhc yes, but my prayer life was very sparse.

In the past month I went to confession to confess my sin of atheism.apostasy, and have noticed some queer changes in my mental state ever since.

First of all I have a greater sense of time. It almsot seems my development atrophied and stopped about the time of my apostasy, with little growth in maturity from that point on. I know suddenly feel much older and wiser just for having the faith back.

I also have a greater sense of sinfulness I guess. Looking back at my actions/inactions over the years I more appreciate how wrong and selfish they were as opposed to me thinking “it was no big deal…why should anyone expect me to act differently?”

Also a small addendum…

I believe at this stage in world history today, one has to be Catholic (that is actually agreeing with Church teaching or not at all.) The majority of todays Catholics who believe in womens ordination, gay marriage,liberalism etc. are older in the 40s and 50s at a minimum.

Young people who believe in those things basically have left the Church. Your either Catholic (totally) or not at this point IMO

I also see more of an obligation to be kind to other people as opposed to it being nice but optional.

Any other former apostates have these thoughts/feelings?

 

[FollowChrist34]

Hello everyone. While I am Catholic and was baptized Catholic, I have not been part of the Church in any meaningful way for the past 8 years. I went to Churhc yes, but my prayer life was very sparse.

In the past month I went to confession to confess my sin of atheism.apostasy, and have noticed some queer changes in my mental state ever since.

First of all I have a greater sense of time. It almsot seems my development atrophied and stopped about the time of my apostasy, with little growth in maturity from that point on. I know suddenly feel much older and wiser just for having the faith back.

I also have a greater sense of sinfulness I guess. Looking back at my actions/inactions over the years I more appreciate how wrong and selfish they were as opposed to me thinking “it was no big deal…why should anyone expect me to act differently?”

Also a small addendum…

I** believe at this stage in world history today, one has to be Catholic (that is actually agreeing with Church teaching or not at all.) The majority of todays Catholics who believe in womens ordination, gay marriage,liberalism etc. are older in the 40s and 50s at a minimum.

Young people who believe in those things basically have left the Church. Your either Catholic (totally) or not at this point IMO

I also see more of an obligation to be kind to other people as opposed to it being nice but optional.
**
Any other former apostates have these thoughts/feelings?

Welcome home. I am a revert of sorts, though you can argue I was never a Catholic for real the first time around as I was out of practicing the faith by the time I was 8, 9.

Agree on an increased awareness of sin, responsibility to others. I like to think I have focused on developing my faith as something to be lived, witnessed. I do fall short though.

I fear you are a bit optimistic on the liberals being on the wane; I think they just took over the Vatican. Oh well. But having said that, I likewise concur that this ‘revolution’ will be short-lived - say 10-20 years before orthodoxy regains the helm. It is a generational thing - and I also think the young and those whom this is aimed at - our lost sinning sheep - will not set foot in the door of a Church until the teaching is changed to suit their needs. Orthodoxy will win in time but not anytime soon - except for pockets such as Africa, red US states, places where it is the dominant theme anyway. The Church will continue to fragment along these lines for some time to come. But I don’t think the liberal side will be renewed going forward. Hence the numbers give it to orthodoxy.

 

[HabemusFrancis]

I do sort of realize with horror how terrible and selfish I have been over the years.

The more I see of my own failings the more attracted I am to light and truth

 

[Charlemagne_III]

I am also a Catholic revert. My reversion began about the time that I realized my life had been in the toilet since the time I left the Church at about age 25. I think our society has also been in the toilet since the 60s, about the time I left the Church, when it became fashionable to bash Christianity in all its forms.

Many young Catholics are still leaving the Church in startling numbers. Look at how few young Catholics attend Sunday Mass in your parish. But this is the liberal pendulum swing that we can expect ever so often in modern times. The conservative swing is about to occur. When it does, you will see many apostate Catholics return and bring many converts with them.

But right now I believe is the Catholic calm before the Catholic storm.