Dont' know where to begin

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dchet121272

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I am not being “fed” anymore by going to mass. I am considering going to a local bible/protestant/Christian church. Their services are warm, meaningful, vibrant and cheerful. Catholic masses are the exact opposite and are beginning to be a real downer for me.

I love my God and my Jesus. I fully believe. However, I’m just not sure Catholicism is for me anymore. I am having a hard time believing the Eucharist IS the body of Christ and not just a symbol of it.

Any words or advice?
 
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dchet121272:
I am not being “fed” anymore by going to mass. I am considering going to a local bible/protestant/Christian church. Their services are warm, meaningful, vibrant and cheerful. Catholic masses are the exact opposite and are beginning to be a real downer for me.

I love my God and my Jesus. I fully believe. However, I’m just not sure Catholicism is for me anymore. I am having a hard time believing the Eucharist IS the body of Christ and not just a symbol of it.

Any words or advice?
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More than ever you need to pray! Not having any “feeling” or “awe” at the Eucharist is normal at times. It is a mystery very difficult to comprehend. Fortunately we walk “by faith and not by sight.”

This is a first good step by posting your concern on here. There are many people more holy and learned than me. I am going to Mass in a few minutes and will pray for you before the Blessed Sacrament.

God bless you and don’t loose your faith! God is searching for you like the lost sheep.

Check out the 1st post on this thread. You’re not the only one with a not so good parish! forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=28278
 
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dchet121272:
I am not being “fed” anymore by going to mass. I am considering going to a local bible/protestant/Christian church. Their services are warm, meaningful, vibrant and cheerful. Catholic masses are the exact opposite and are beginning to be a real downer for me.

I love my God and my Jesus. I fully believe. However, I’m just not sure Catholicism is for me anymore. I am having a hard time believing the Eucharist IS the body of Christ and not just a symbol of it.

Any words or advice?
Click to expand...
The point of worshipping God is Not to give you a warm and fuzzy feeling.When is the last time you have gone to confession?Do you have a spiritual director?The Mass is Christ centered, period.The things that you like about the protestant denomination is people pleasing. The emotions around the sermon,telling you want you want to hear. God Bless
 
Read the books:

Eucharistic Miracles…by Joan Carroll Cruz

This is my Body, This is my Blood, Miracles of the Eucharist…by Bob & Penny Lord

Both are available at Amazon…they should also be available at EWTN or GetFed.Com

These two books will dispell any doubt whatsoever for Catholics looking for “proof” that this is the real presence…as a matter of fact, no Priests personal Library should be without these books.

God Bless.
 
Entertainment, hugs and and motivational speeches are interesting, but that’s not food. We’re fed by the Word of God.

Whether we like it or not, we’re fed at Mass. We have the Liturgy of the Word in which the written Word of God is fed to us. We have the Liturgy of the Eucharist in which the Word of God incarnate is fed to us. Jesus said that “This is my body” and that “my flesh is true food.” You can’t get more fed than that.

Good choices are based on what is true, not on what makes us feel all giddy inside.
 
dchet12,
You wrote,“I am not being “fed” anymore by going to mass. I am considering going to a local bible/protestant/Christian church.”

You are not being fed. I never have heard a man say that before. It is not the job of the Priest to “feed you”. He will give you an explaination of the Gospel for that day…it is YOUR JOB to take it, to expand on it if needed. IT IS YOUR JOB TO BE FED.

You can go to the Protest ants Church. You will realise they dont have the Real Presence of Jesus in a short while, they have SALESMEN for preachers.They fill you full of EMOTION which lasts for 10 minutes. While the Catholic Priest will fill you full of truth. I will not tell you to pray hard, I ask you to learn more about The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Good Luck.
 
I’d suggest thinking about what you mean by “I fully believe.” What do you fully believe? What are you really searching for in another church and why aren’t you finding it in the Catholic Church?

Begin with prayer. For you’re next step I would suggest takeing some time to learn about the Church before you leave it so you can be aware of exactly what you are leaving behind. I’m not being snide; many people who have tried to be good Catholics all their life don’t know what a treasure they have in the Church.

Start with these, and keep up the discussion on this board.
Real Presence
Christ in the Eucharist
Sacrifice of the Mass

Here is a great book that really helped me. I’d been a Catholic all my life and I had 48 of these misconceptions.

shop.catholic.com/online-store/scstore/B0077.JPG

Pax et bonum
 
Perhaps your feelings at Mass are a result of a lack of understanding as to what you are supposed to be doing and thinking during Mass. The Mass is not a place of entertainment, it is a time for you to adore God and give to him.

When you go to Mass you are physically at Calvary. To us because we are bound by the restrictions of time and space each Mass feels different. But God is not bound by the restrictions of time and space and for him each Mass is our participation in the eternal sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.

Recently I read a beautiful meditation by St. Francis DeSales on the Mass, it has helped me to participate more fully in the Mass. For example, the priest represents Christ.
When he walks on the altar you should think about Jesus entering the garden.
When the priest kisses the altar think about Jesus being betrayed by a kiss.
When you say the Confiteor meditate on Jesus being dragged to prison.
At the Introductory prayer you can meditate on the fact that Jesus is receiving a blow.
When we are saying the Lord have Mercy, Christ have Mercy prayers three times think about Jesus being denied by Peter three times.
When the priest says the Lord be with You. Jesus looks at Peter and touches his heart.
During the first reading (Epistle) Jesus is conducted to the house of Pilate.
During the reading of the Gospel, Jeus is led to Herod. Jesus is mocked as a fool, and sent back to Pilate.
When the priest uncovers the Chalice, Jesus is stripped of his garments.
At the Offertory, Jesus is scourged.
When the Priest offers the Chalice - Jesus is crowned with thorns.
When the Priest washes his fingers - Pilate washes his hands.
Continued in another
 
There was a time in my life when I had sampled another Bible Chuch and found it a warm and welcoming place. I felt like my parish was cold and unwelcoming and dead, but had not had any doubts about the Eucharest and the Real Presence. I talked to our pastor who was a friend and told him if things didn’t liven up soon that I was out of there. Father Bob told me that the Catholic Church is the only one where one can follow any one of a number of different forms of spirituality. He said that ther small Bible Church I was attracted to would ask me to leave the minute they found that my spirituallity was different from theirs. I started to read some of the lives of the Saints and their spirituality. Over a period of time I became more in tune with the Catholic Church and stayed. Within a period of a year the congregation of the small Bible Church got into a wrangle over something and split into two churches. After five or six years it has become either three or four churches. I became convinced after further study that the Catholic Church has it all and that I was the one who needed to retool my faith life. I got active in my parish, made new friends, found forms of legitimate spirituality that fed me. That was over thirty-five years ago and I have never regreted my decision to follow Father Bob’s Council and stay the course. At the same time I had several close friends who left and for the next twenty years or more switched churches every year or two searching for the Willow- the- Wisp they never found. God loves you. He called you to the Catholic Faith for a reason. Seek what you can give instead of what you think you need to get. I believe that before too long a time of giving you will be pleasantly surprised at the blessings that will come your way.
 
continued.

Preface which ends with Holy, Holy, Holy - meditate on the fact that Jesus is now condemned to death, Jesus prays for all men.
Eucharistic prayer - Veronica wipes with a linen cloth the face of Jesus
Blessing of the Bread and Wine - Jesus is nailed to the Cross

At the Elevation of the Host - The Cross of Jesus is elevated between heaven and earth.

At the Elevation of the Chalice - The Blood of Jesus flows from his wounds.

Prayer - Remembering all sinners - The conversion of the thief

The Our Father - The Seven last Words of Jesus

At the Division of the Host - Jesus expires on the Cross

The Priest puts the particle of the host into the chalice - The soul of Jesus descends into Limbo

Prayer - Lamb of God - The Conversion of Many.

At the Communion - Jesus is buried (in your heart)

At the Ablution - Jesus is embalmed

After Communion - The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Lord be with you. - Jesus appears to his disciples, converses for forty days and ascends to heaven.

At the Priest’s blessing - The descen tof the Holy Ghost.

Then a Thanksgiving after Mass!

I am usually reduced to tears during the Mass and I don’t find it boring to be at calvary. Give this a try with prayer and the Lord will lead you ever closer to him and set you on fire for love of him and his Holy Mass which is a foretaste of Heaven and the Heavenly banquet.

God bless and I hope this helps.
 
Please don’t leave! Jesus feeds us with His very body, blood, soul and divinity at Mass. Don’t confuse faith with feelings.

I suggest you go to confession and confess your current doubts and struggles. The priest may or may not have any words of wisdom, but God definately offers healing graces in that sacrament. Before you go, examine your conscience and pray that the Holy Spirit show you any sins that might be blocking the flow of graces from you at Mass, and confess those too.

I think sometimes God allows these dry times in our lives so that we will seek Him at a deeper level. If we only worship God in ways that make us feel good, we will be ill prepared for the spiritual battles ahead. This is a spiritual battle which you fight. Let the Father, Son and Holy Spirit strengthen you through the sacraments.
 
thanks for your searching post. I have felt very dry and disallusioned in the past with my practice of the Catholic faith, because i believe like the previos post have stated that i was going by my emotions that are feeble and from a weak fallen nature. I finally found a loving and devout Priest that stressed confession,and God’s loving mercy, and with a small amount of faith God has given me the grace to want him more and more , but it’s still up to my will to choose Him each day and each hour and minuete of the day and when i don’t, to start over , go to confession and try again. It definetly gets better and God does give you more grace to love and follow Him.

Keep the Faith,pray and don’t give up .
I’ll pray for you.
 
Exporter said:
dchet12,
You wrote,“I am not being “fed” anymore by going to mass. I am considering going to a local bible/protestant/Christian church.”

You are not being fed. I never have heard a man say that before. It is not the job of the Priest to “feed you”. He will give you an explaination of the Gospel for that day…it is YOUR JOB to take it, to expand on it if needed. IT IS YOUR JOB TO BE FED.

You can go to the Protest ants Church. You will realise they dont have the Real Presence of Jesus in a short while, they have SALESMEN for preachers.They fill you full of EMOTION which lasts for 10 minutes. While the Catholic Priest will fill you full of truth. I will not tell you to pray hard, I ask you to learn more about The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Good Luck.
Click to expand...

When I moved back home in 2002, I was discerning leaving the Church. I attended a Penticostal church for 3 weeks. I was intellectually fed with the sermons but I was NOT ‘fed’. I knew only after 3 weeks that I missed Christ in the Eucharist.
I then returned to my baptismal rite of Byzantne Catholic and now FED both Eucharistically and Spiritually. To leave the Catholic Church because it IS the Church that Christ founded IS denying Christ. After I returned ‘home’, I confessed to my priest about my leaving. Yes, if you do leave and come back, you will need to confess this.

Can I make a suggestion?
You can, find another parish were your needs are met, but you should deeply pray first. You could be entering into the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ or known as Soul Sleep.
God DOES permit this to happen to test YOU on your Faith in Him and His Church.

You could look into RCIA. I was a sponser to my father who became Catholic a year and a half before he died in 2002. Being a sponser helped me relearn some things I had forgotten from grade school.

You can also use the resource here by talking to An Apologist.

Remember it is more connendable to be persistant and stay the course, than run after the first thing that comes your way.

Be strong,
God IS with Us!
Edwin
 
If you are not being fed at Mass, you have stopped receiving the Eucharist, and stopped believing that you are receiving Jesus Christ himself, body blood soul and divinity. Everything else is gravy, he is the meat, the nourishment.
If you attend the wedding banquet and never approach the table to sample the richness of the food and drink offered, in all its forms, how can you complain that the host and hostess did not feed you?

Next time you go to Mass, put down your missal, rosary and everthing else and listen, just listen, don’t even respond or say the prayers, just listen, to the prayers, antiphons, petitions, readings, sermon, Eucharistic prayer, responses of the people, singing. Just listen for the Word that God is speaking to YOU today. No matter how uninspiring or irritating the trappings of the liturgy in that particular church on that particular day, be assured God does have a Word for you, and you will hear it if you listen.
 
If your best friend came to you and said:

“I’m not being ‘fed’ anymore by my marriage. I’m considering taking a girlfriend – this girl at work is warm/vibrant and cheerful. My wife is the exact opposite and is beginning to be a real downer for me.”

What advice would you give them?

How sacred is our commitment to Christ, the Church He established and to His Body and Blood? As others have said, go to confession; find a good spiritual advisor – praying for you.
 
I think that your relationship with God is like your relationship with your spouse in some respects. It takes work to keep it alive and vibrant. You need to ask yourself if you’re doing all you can to keep your faith alive and meaningful in your life (not just for one hour on Sunday morning). Only after you take a full inventory of your actions should you look to the other side of the relationship for the problem. Are you an active member of your parish? Are you putting your faith into practice in your life everyday? How often do you pray, and is your prayer effective at establishing a connectedness to God? All of these things will help you to feel “fed” by your faith and your church. If you leave without analyzing your problem you will only have the same problems at your new church after the “honeymoon” is over.

This is all just my humble opinion, but I think we, as a people, are too quick to leave our church for the wrong reasons. Please don’t make that mistake. Your decision to leave will impact not just your own life, but the lives of those around you. So please make a thorough analysis of your problems before concluding that the answer is to leave the Catholic church.

Peace,
 
I am a revert. When I was younger I to went thrrough the motions
After years of seeking the truth, I found it in the Church I had left behind. Every aspect of the Mass thrills me. From the pentitential rite
through the Gloria (chanted at my parish). Throuht the liturgy of the word tying the old testament revelation to the new testament kingdom.
Crossing our forhead to ask us understand the message our mouths to proclaim the message and our hearts to live the message
To the priest calling us to literially left our hearts to heaven
as we chant as the angels.
and then the part that reduces this tough old man to tears as we receive the body of Christ.
And finally as we make the final sign of the cross I’m reminded of the countless Catholics who willing gave up their life.
Sometimes you just don’t appreciate what’s right in front of you.
 
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