Converting...but have a couple questions

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dal61

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Hello everybody,

Well, I have made a lot of strides toward the Catholic Church in the last 6 or 7 months. My wife and I have been attending RCIA since September…and I am soaking it up…or at least trying.

Let me start by saying for a long time (I’m 51), I was a protestant, very active in various aspects of an evangelical church. And now the Truth of the Catholic Church is being revealed to me…but sometimes when I learn about something “Catholic”, although I’m very open to it and it seems to make sense to me, it seems foreign to me at the same time. Take praying to saints, for instance…I love the idea, it seems so comforting to be able to ask all the saints that have gone before us to pray on our behalf…but it just doesn’t seem like it is part of me …it seems like “Catholics believe that” and I’m not there yet…the RCIA team talks about things like this as if they were talking about the sky being blue…it is engrained in them…“part of them”, so to speak.

A friend (a recent convert) told me she thinks that I am still thinking ‘like a Protestant’…and I think that she is right. But my mind has been doing it for over 50 years…and it may take a while to start to think in any other way.

I hope that I’ve explained this right…I’m not really worried about it, as I think as I grow in the Faith it will take care of itself. Can any other converts speak to this?..
 
Change takes awhile, that is why RCIA can run as long as it does. There are teachings of the Church that take a long time to make sense or to become comfortable with. I was an agnostic for 47 years, and the whole Idea of putting your faith in something (the death and resurrection of our Lord) can take awhile. The full truth of the Catholic Church will take the rest of your life to fully absorb. Take it slow and enjoy!
 
dal61 said:
Hello everybody,

Well, I have made a lot of strides toward the Catholic Church in the last 6 or 7 months. My wife and I have been attending RCIA since September…and I am soaking it up…or at least trying.

Let me start by saying for a long time (I’m 51), I was a protestant, very active in various aspects of an evangelical church. And now the Truth of the Catholic Church is being revealed to me…but sometimes when I learn about something “Catholic”, although I’m very open to it and it seems to make sense to me, it seems foreign to me at the same time. Take praying to saints, for instance…I love the idea, it seems so comforting to be able to ask all the saints that have gone before us to pray on our behalf…but it just doesn’t seem like it is part of me …it seems like “Catholics believe that” and I’m not there yet…the RCIA team talks about things like this as if they were talking about the sky being blue…it is engrained in them…“part of them”, so to speak.

A friend (a recent convert) told me she thinks that I am still thinking ‘like a Protestant’…and I think that she is right. But my mind has been doing it for over 50 years…and it may take a while to start to think in any other way.

I hope that I’ve explained this right…I’m not really worried about it, as I think as I grow in the Faith it will take care of itself. Can any other converts speak to this?..
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This is exactly why, in an ideal world, RCIA takes at least a year. 🙂

Welcome to an amazing journey!
 
Greetings!

I converted to Catholicism from an Anglican/Evangelical background thirty years ago, and have never had any regrets.
dal61 said:
A friend (a recent convert) told me she thinks that I am still thinking ‘like a Protestant’…and I think that she is right. But my mind has been doing it for over 50 years…and it may take a while to start to think in any other way.

*You will never think like a cradle Catholic, but you are still fully Catholic and can become a saint.

Many, many older Catholics are converts.
*

I hope that I’ve explained this right…I’m not really worried about it, as I think as I grow in the Faith it will take care of itself. Can any other converts speak to this?..

That’s right 🙂 Don’t worry about it, and as you grow in the Faith it will take care of itself
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For me, praying to saints was never a problem, however it has become more and more natural as the years have gone past. Whereas I once saw saints as far away people on a different plane to myself I now see them as friends who have lived this earthly life too and who want to draw me into their beatific vision of God.
 
Your friend cares a lot about you and your wife. She wishes she could be there for your confirmation. 😃
 
may i suggest…if you take another name when you are baptized and/or confirmed to pick a name of a saint you that you know a little about. then read a book about that saint and you will then understand more.
the different lives of the saints have been through what we all go through at one time or another. their lives and prayers are to teach us and help us and then guide us through our doubts, sufferings, whys, etc., etc, they have remarkable insights into how to get closer and closer to our Lord. there are “lives of the saints” books that give brief accounts of the lives of many of the saints. “catholics on-line” have e-mails they will send you every day about “the saint of the day” and a brief or long history of the saint depending on their familiarity and history about them.
as a cradle catholic our parents gave us a middle name or first name or both, after a saint. at confirmation we were to pick another saint . to “try” to model our lives after…yes…to pray-- to help --and guide us.
keep asking the questions on your journey and you will be amazed that one day you won’t need us humans to answer them but your guardian angel or patron saint will find a way to answer.
may God Bless you and may the Holy Spirit guide you on your journey.👍
 
maltmom said:
Your friend cares a lot about you and your wife. She wishes she could be there for your confirmation. 😃
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We are lucky to have such a supportive friend…😃

And thanks for all of the supportive replies, everybody.
 
In my experience, that’s totally normal, and my convert wife agrees. Welcome, btw.
 
I am a convert too, and these things take time! it may feel like putting on clothes that don’t quite fit at the time, but you’ll grow into them so to speak! trust that God has brought you to the Church, and as you know, through Christ, all things are possible! Good luck, brother!
 
dal61 said:
Hello everybody,

Well, I have made a lot of strides toward the Catholic Church in the last 6 or 7 months. My wife and I have been attending RCIA since September…and I am soaking it up…or at least trying.

Let me start by saying for a long time (I’m 51), I was a protestant, very active in various aspects of an evangelical church. And now the Truth of the Catholic Church is being revealed to me…but sometimes when I learn about something “Catholic”, although I’m very open to it and it seems to make sense to me, it seems foreign to me at the same time. Take praying to saints, for instance…I love the idea, it seems so comforting to be able to ask all the saints that have gone before us to pray on our behalf…but it just doesn’t seem like it is part of me …it seems like “Catholics believe that” and I’m not there yet…the RCIA team talks about things like this as if they were talking about the sky being blue…it is engrained in them…“part of them”, so to speak.

A friend (a recent convert) told me she thinks that I am still thinking ‘like a Protestant’…and I think that she is right. But my mind has been doing it for over 50 years…and it may take a while to start to think in any other way.

I hope that I’ve explained this right…I’m not really worried about it, as I think as I grow in the Faith it will take care of itself. Can any other converts speak to this?..
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As others have said, don’t worry about it. These things take time. You are accepting of the teachings and that is great. But at the same time, don’t feel like you are pressured to do these things. By that I mean - while the Church supports and encourages prayers to saints - they are not required. They are but one piece of the huge banquet of private devotions that are available to the Catholic.
If you are uncomfortable with prayer to Saints then just don’t do it for now.
My guess is that at some point down the road you will discover a Saint who you identify strongly with…or you’ll be having some sort of issue and this or that Saint will appeal to you and you will begin talking to that Saint just sort of naturally…And suddenly it will dawn on you that you are praying to a Saint and it just feels completely natural and good.

Welcome Home

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
As others have said, don’t worry about it. These things take time. You are accepting of the teachings and that is great. But at the same time, don’t feel like you are pressured to do these things. By that I mean - while the Church supports and encourages prayers to saints - they are not required. They are but one piece of the huge banquet of private devotions that are available to the Catholic.
If you are uncomfortable with prayer to Saints then just don’t do it for now.
My guess is that at some point down the road you will discover a Saint who you identify strongly with…or you’ll be having some sort of issue and this or that Saint will appeal to you and you will begin talking to that Saint just sort of naturally…And suddenly it will dawn on you that you are praying to a Saint and it just feels completely natural and good.

Welcome Home

Peace
James
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These are all very thoughtful replies…thanks to all of you.

@ James - I just used praying to saints as an example…I feel this way about some of the things that are quite different from the way I have believed up to this point…making the sign of the cross feels a little weird to me…purgatory makes sense to me logically, but is such a foreign concept to me that it still seems like a “Catholic” thing …There are a few others…but you get my drift. One thing that I have no problem understanding and “making a part of me” is the Eucharist…what a powerful gift the Lord makes available to us. I cannot wait until I can partake.
 
dal61 said:
Take praying to saints, for instance…I love the idea, it seems so comforting to be able to ask all the saints that have gone before us to pray on our behalf…but it just doesn’t seem like it is part of me …it seems like “Catholics believe that” and I’m not there yet…the RCIA team talks about things like this as if they were talking about the sky being blue…it is engrained in them…“part of them”, so to speak.

A friend (a recent convert) told me she thinks that I am still thinking ‘like a Protestant’…and I think that she is right. But my mind has been doing it for over 50 years…and it may take a while to start to think in any other way.

I hope that I’ve explained this right…I’m not really worried about it, as I think as I grow in the Faith it will take care of itself. Can any other converts speak to this?..
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I was in my late 40s, so I get it. One day, I was very frustrated about something I lost and in frustration I said, out-loud, to God,* “Could you just have Saint Anthony or whoever it is who finds lost things put it back in my drawer?” * It was just a stupid thing, in a moment of exasperation. I didn’t even really know who Saint Anthony was.

It was in my drawer next time I opened it.

They are people, alive and well and have a great sense of humor and love us. Find a few you like and chat them up when no one is looking. You’ll like it. You’ll never feel alone again.
 
Think about that word - convert. It comes from, or is at least related to, CONVERGE.

We ALL are trying to CONVERGE with Christ. Hopefully we get closer very day. Sometimes we cannot measure the new distance day by day, but over time, when we look back from time to time, we see that we have grown in our love and understanding of Christ and our proper relationship with Him. Each of us is at some point on that convergence line, but none of us are fully there until we enter Heaven.

Think also how you came, in time, to know your wife better and love her better. Think how, over the years, you changed your behavior in many ways, some small, some large because you came to realize that the new way was a better way to express your love for her.

Your Faith in Christ is growing. As you become more comfortable, you will take on more ways to express your love of Christ.

As for Saints - we believe in the Communion of Saints. We believe that our souls can make it into Heaven at some point in time and that Saints are recognized as having “made it there.” They are in the presence of God, they are in true Communion with God. We believe that, and honor that, and hope for the same for ourselves. We are encouraged to seek their assistance in our prayers to God, but we are not required to do so or forget about being a Catholic.

Don’t worry about not praying to the Saints, or any Saint, right now. That will come in time. Meanwhile, you might want to read short biographies of particular Saints who may interest you. They are indeed true leaders by example. Saints can inspire us to constantly converge toward Christ.
 
Greetings! I was born a Catholic, as i grew older I asked the same questions. Later on, i tried to do a research about the history of the Catholic Church and I found that 1 of the most important part of the research was the tradition of the church. Soon, I know now why we as Catholic (universal) ask for the dead to intercede our prayers. Sir, i recommend you to do some readings too~

pardon my english 😛 i am actually not an english speaking 🙂
 
dal61 said:
@ James - I just used praying to saints as an example…I feel this way about some of the things that are quite different from the way I have believed up to this point…making the sign of the cross feels a little weird to me…purgatory makes sense to me logically, but is such a foreign concept to me that it still seems like a “Catholic” thing …There are a few others…but you get my drift.
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Gottcha…I can understand this actually because for a cradle Catholic like myself, some things are just so engrained that it would seem weird to stop doing them…The sign of the cross for example. I could not imagine not doing it…Sort of the same thing you are talking about, only in reverse.

I can’t remember if it was here or on a different site (maybe both…:D) that I started a thread a while back asking about just this sort of thing…It asked protestants if they had concerns, or would not do something for fear of looking or sounding “too Catholic”.
Most said no - but a few suggested that yes there was some concern…
So anyway - what you are experiencing is quite common.
One thing that I have no problem understanding and “making a part of me” is the Eucharist…what a powerful gift the Lord makes available to us. I cannot wait until I can partake.
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Amen to that. It was the Eucharist that drew me back to the Church after a 35 year absence.

Peace
James
 
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