Exploring

[carjack]

I am a 28 year old woman, who was baptized Catholic. My mother and father never took us to church. But she prayed alot and used to have the priest bless our house. She sent me to Catholic School in 1st grade. I hated it. The children were mean. I let that influence my opinion of the Catholic church. Then I messed up in school in 7th grade and my mother(knowing that I hated Catholic School)sent me to Catholic school as a punishment. I never got confirmed or my Holy Communion. My fondest memory of praying as a little girl, was that I prayed Catholic. I asked my mom, if I really desire something that is unselfish, what should I do? (I wanted twin sisters at the time, I had seen a show about twins, I thought that was great) I prayed for 2 sisters. God answered that prayer . I remember that and I find that I am looking to the Catholic Church. My one sister went to Catholic School and got her Holy Communion and Baptism done. The other twin got her baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation done. I feel closer to God when I pray on the Rosary.

Exploring the many religions has made me confused. I know that I believe in the Trinity. So I knew that any Non-Trinitarian churches were out of the question. I believe that Baptism is to enter in the family of Christ. I don’t believe in the doctrine, once saved always saved. Which is why I never allowed another church to baptize me, I knew I had gotten that done as a baby. I love worshipping God by singing. I went to Mass and didn’t notice too much singing, which sort of lead me to study a non-denominational church. I’ve lead a life of pain, through the years. Sinning “mortally”(as Catholics would say). I’ve repented. I have bought the NIV bibles and the Catholic Bibles. I want to do comparative studies. I asked my mom why she chose the Catholic religion. Not that she was devout, I plan to be devout to the church I choose. I do not believe that someone who is a Christian, but not Catholic would go to hell automatically because they are not Catholic. I find that a bit presumptive. It is sad that Catholics and Christians fight so much on the forum. She said because parts of the Other Christian demoninations, had practices that originated from the Catholics.

I got married two months ago. After being married, I asked myself, how am i going to raise the children? I knew that was important. My husband is an athiest. He said that I will be in charge of raising the children in the religion of my choice. I thank God for that.

Please don’t judge me, I am looking for advice.

 

[LDNCatholic]

I do not believe that someone who is a Christian, but not Catholic would go to hell automatically because they are not Catholic. I find that a bit presumptive.

Hi there, just to clarify one thing, the Church does not teach that just because someone is not Catholic that a person is damned to Hell.

You sound fairly Catholic in your beliefs and praying the Rosary is always a good sign, have you spoken with a priest yet?

 

[MarcoPolo]

I do not know how deeply you wish to get into it. Of course, pray to God specifically what you want. Like, “Please Jesus I wish to follow Your Church as You taught us. Please help me do this.”

Then, depending on how deep you want to get into it, these are resources I recommend:

The Catechism - this will teach you the faith in nice paragraph form. It’s nice cuz you can search the index for a certain subject and just go to that paragraph and read. Here’s an online Catechism if you don’t want to buy one.

Then of course there would be introductory books on the faith. Maybe read “The Compact History of the Catholic Church” by Schreck. I also hear good things about “Short History of the Catholic Church” by Jose Orlandis.

Peter Kreeft is also a good philosopher and Catholic who has many books, like Prayer for Beginners or Fundamentals of the Faith. He also has a bunch of free audio at his website.

Of course, also if you are into audio, like listening to MP3’s, you might want to browse different topics from the Catholic Answers Live radio show over here. You can even search there on different subjects.

If you want a book comparing different Christian stances on salvation, I’d recommend The Salvation Controversy by James Akin.

Some other books I have found interesting are the lives of the saints. Sometimes the best way to come to the truth is to see it effected in someone else’s life. The Spiritual Letters of Padre Pio (Secrets of a Soul) are very filled with love and hope.

For simple methods of enhancing your spirituality, read up on St. Therese the Little Flower. She was known for her simple life and devotions, and I think this could very much help you. Perhaps someone can recommend a good book on her.

If you are looking for ways to discern what God would like you to do, I recommend a talk on discernment by speaker Phil Krill.

If you want to get deeper, I would recommend reading the writings of the Fathers of the Church.

There are also some very wise spiritual people over on the Spirituality forum here. They could probably answer something if you had a very specific question.

God bless you.

 

[Della]

LDNCatholic is right. Catholicism does not automatically condemn anyone to hell–not even non-Christians. God alone decides that question, thanks be! That leaves us free to tell others about the wonderful things in the Catholic Church instead of wasting our time condemning anyone.

Also, the Mass is not centered in music, although music has a definite place in the Mass. The Mass is a listening to the word of God, the Gospel, praising God and worshiping him by offering the one sacrifice of Christ upon the altar–the Holy Eucharist.

Once you are attending Mass again, remember it’s all about Jesus–his sacrifice, his love for us. That is the heart of the Mass. At some future date, even before you’ve been confirmed and received first communion, you could join your parish choir and learn what place music has in the Mass, and participate more fully with your gifts.

Anyway, call your local parish and make an appointment with one of the priests. Tell him what you’ve told us. He’ll be happy to help you receive the sacraments you haven’t yet received so you and your children (and perhaps your husband too) will find your true home in Christ’s one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

 

[GemmaRose]

Hi there, just to clarify one thing, the Church does not teach that just because someone is not Catholic that a person is damned to Hell.

You sound fairly Catholic in your beliefs and praying the Rosary is always a good sign, have you spoken with a priest yet?

This is very good advice.

Any one of us can give you our opinions, but a priest would be the “expert,” just as if, Lord forbid, you are diagnosed with a terrible disease, you would want to see an expert in that disease, so it is with the faith… the health of your soul. A priest would be the expert to consult for the health of your soul, and he will be able to answer your questions better than “non-experts” on the forum.

We’ll be praying for you.

 

[carjack]

I called 2 churches in my area. I told them that I was looking into becoming a Catholic. They told me about the RCIA. I didn’t know if I could attend Mass, before RCIA, and talk to the priest after Mass. I am not sure if I need to call first and ask to speak with one. I guess I am a little shy and intimidated:blush: I didn’t get into full details with the church about my situation.

 

[Della]

Also, carjack, if you didn’t have your wedding vows witnessed by a priest or deacon, your marriage would not be considered sacramental. You’d have to have it regularized before being confirmed and receiving your first communion. If that’s the case, you’d have to discuss that with the priest and your husband. Just thought I should bring that up so you know that going in.

 

[LDNCatholic]

I called 2 churches in my area. I told them that I was looking into becoming a Catholic. They told me about the RCIA. I didn’t know if I could attend Mass, before RCIA, and talk to the priest after Mass. I am not sure if I need to call first and ask to speak with one. I guess I am a little shy and intimidated:blush: I didn’t get into full details with the church about my situation.

No reason you wouldn’t be allowed to Mass, though as a cradle Catholic I’m sure you’re aware you can’t recieve the Eucharist without having had your first Holy Communion.

No need to be intimidated either, just go in, you’ll be glad you did

 

[Rolltide]

Carjack,
I would ask you what your stance is on the Real Presence at Communion? For many Christians, this is a deal breaker. Catholics and Orthodox believe in the Real Presence, as do many Anglicans. Lutherans believe in a similar, but slightly different form of the Real Presence. Most other Christian denominations, however, view Communion as symbolic. For Catholics, receiving Jesus physically at the Mass is the focus of the service. For most Protestants, the sermon is the focus. As there is a lot of early evidence to back up the doctrine of the Real Presence, it might help you whittle down your choices.

If you want, I can e-mail you a good compilation of that evidence or provide a link to a similar post I made a couple months ago.

 

[Della]

I called 2 churches in my area. I told them that I was looking into becoming a Catholic. They told me about the RCIA. I didn’t know if I could attend Mass, before RCIA, and talk to the priest after Mass. I am not sure if I need to call first and ask to speak with one. I guess I am a little shy and intimidated:blush: I didn’t get into full details with the church about my situation.

Anyone may attend Mass so please feel free to go. You cannot receive the Eucharist, though at this point. If you’ve been baptized in the Church, you need to go to confession and have a regularized (sacramental) marriage. Just call for an appointment with a priest and explain everything to him. He’ll sort out your situation according to your needs.

 

[carjack]

Also, carjack, if you didn’t have your wedding vows witnessed by a priest or deacon, your marriage would not be considered sacramental. You’d have to have it regularized before being confirmed and receiving your first communion. If that’s the case, you’d have to discuss that with the priest and your husband. Just thought I should bring that up so you know that going in.

What does regularlized mean?

 

[carjack]

Carjack,
I would ask you what your stance is on the Real Presence at Communion? For many Christians, this is a deal breaker. Catholics and Orthodox believe in the Real Presence, as do many Anglicans. Lutherans believe in a similar, but slightly different form of the Real Presence. Most other Christian denominations, however, view Communion as symbolic. For Catholics, receiving Jesus physically at the Mass is the focus of the service. For most Protestants, the sermon is the focus. As there is a lot of early evidence to back up the doctrine of the Real Presence, it might help you whittle down your choices.

If you want, I can e-mail you a good compilation of that evidence or provide a link to a similar post I made a couple months ago.

Do you mean if I think of the bread and “wine” as symbolic versus believing that Jesus is there? I would believe that Jesus is present, otherwise it defeats the purpose.

 

[Ted_in_Charlott]

What does regularlized mean?

To be made legitimate in the normal way of thinking.

 

[Ted_in_Charlott]

Do you mean if I think of the bread and “wine” as symbolic versus believing that Jesus is there? I would believe that Jesus is present, otherwise it defeats the purpose.

Perfect! That is almost quotable. You seem to have a knack for this. People struggle with these types of concepts everyday. Good job!

 

[Della]

What does regularlized mean?

It means having your marriage vows witnessed by a priest or deacon so that it will be regarded as a sacramental marriage–a true marriage in the sight of God and not just of men. As a baptized Catholic, without your vows having been witnessed by a priest or deacon, your marriage would be considered irregular, which means you cannot receive the sacraments of the Church. For Catholics marriage is a sacrament, not just a commitment made before men, but before God in his Church. I’m trying to explain all this in writing, which is hard when there’s no face-to-face communication. The best thing for you to do is to contact a priest and discuss the whole thing with him. He’s there to help you not to judge you, not even in confession is he there to judge you, so make an appointment and be easy in your mind.

 

[Ted_in_Charlott]

Let me put all this in perspective for you: Confession is easy once you recognize God already knows what you did. The priest is there to help you deal with your sin, he is your friend, guide.

But make an appointment with a priest, tell him your story and go from there. God bless you.

 

[Catholictrain]

Welcome!!! Hopefully you will find that there are many welcoming Catholics who would love to help you along during your “exploring”. Just remember that all of us are human and if you encounter anyone who is grumpy, please don’t judge all Catholics because of that.

I will say a prayer for you, that your honest search for the truth will be blessed with great success. May God also bless you and your loved ones with peace.

 

[carjack]

Thank You everyone! for your information. I will need to make an appointment with the priest at the local Church. I hope my husband agrees to repeat the vows. To him our marriage was valid. I will need to stress out how important the receiving of sacraments is to me.

 

[rpp]

Thank You everyone! for your information. I will need to make an appointment with the priest at the local Church. I hope my husband agrees to repeat the vows. To him our marriage was valid. I will need to stress out how important the receiving of sacraments is to me.

Do not worry about that. Look at it as renewing your wedding vows in the Catholic Church. It may turn out to be very romantic.

Welcome home!

 

[Della]

Thank You everyone! for your information. I will need to make an appointment with the priest at the local Church. I hope my husband agrees to repeat the vows. To him our marriage was valid. I will need to stress out how important the receiving of sacraments is to me.

There is an option if he refuses to do it–it’s called radical sanation. Sounds scary, but it isn’t. But, that is an option you will want to discuss with your priest. I hope your hubby will agree to a simple repeating of your vows, though, so you can have him be a part of the process. Besides, the ceremony might make a favorable impression on him, and it’s painless, too.