Feeling a bit overwhelmed

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Kathleen18

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I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. Especially with all this deep and rich heritage of The Catholic Church. I am not stopping my full conversion. But I cannot deny my feeling.
Perhaps I am starting to understand what ‘carrying the yoke of Christ’ means? That it is indeed living differently then the secular. And also from my Protestant background. Help!!
 
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I am in the process of converting and come from a Protestant background too. It can be very overwhelming. I take it a day at a time. I know there is so much to learn, and I won’t learn it all in a matter of weeks or months. I remind myself that it’s a journey, and a wonderful, rich one at that. Enjoy it!
 
Remember that feelings come and go as with the ebb and flow of emotions. Anchor your theology and faith in the senses of the Spirit: Intellect & Reason, Will (Free), Imagination, and Memory. Yes, living for the love of God is definitely different than the secular life. I also encourage and applaud you for your willingness for conversion from your Protestant background into the fullness of faith that is in the Catholic church.

Overwhelming? Absolutely, there’s so much to understand and so much to learn. As St. James tells us, pray for wisdom and strength to love God, those prayers are guaranteed to be answered with wisdom and love. The rest will take time and patience and prayer, we have a long time yet as we need to persevere until the end, so not to worry, keep on praying and filling with love (which is not an emotion either).
 
Our Lord Jesus walks with you at your own pace. Don’t worry, don’t be afraid.
 
No matter the path we're on, it is never easy and patience is key.
 
Remember that the Catechism is where you are intended to be with your theology.
 
I am a Protestant convert myself and I too felt very nervous when my entering the Church approached. Before that it was kind of a light hearted love affair. I could admire the Church and her history. I could adopt some practices (like praying the Rosary). But I could remain a Protestant and not have the obligations of a Catholic.

I began to really for once see the Church as a marriage. I began to understand what the Bride of Christ meant. And it worried me just like my marriage to my wife did. Neither was because of doubts about it being the right thing. Both worries were about doubts that I was up to the challenge of meeting my duties.

This worry helped me to actually be more confident. I knew deep down that being a Christian was being something different. It was being in the world but apart from it. It was making strong stands. In my Protestant life I wasn’t that. I had however always known that Catholics were serious about their faith (not all of course). Those who were serious lived a life completely different from other people. I knew that was the true faith. I wouldn’t have been worried about joining some other Protestant denomination. That would have been a reversible decisions. But joining the Catholic Church was like marriage which she alone teaches should be permanent.

(* I do acknowledge there are Protestants who live an excellent Christian life. I just think their religious ideas are wrong and hold them back from even better life)
 
@Kathleen18, I’d say you’re probably right where you should be. You’re starting to understand the scope of what you’re taking on and the life you’re entering into. That’s a sign that the process of conversion is taking hold.

While you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t forget this reality: God has invited you into this relationship and is with you through this process. You are loved and you are his! The Church, both in heaven and on earth, is praying for you, as am I.
 
I try to remember, of all the many Catholics, Jesus and the Mother of God appeared to young children. Fatima, Lourdes ect. Your acceptance and salvation is not dependent on the vastness of your knowledge.
 
You don’t need to know everything all at once. Start with the basics and work your way up. Some things are “too advanced” most likely for where you are at, some things may be beyond your current understanding, etc.
You will NEVER in your natural life completely take in the depth of Christ and His Church. It’s just not possible. So don’t be afraid of it, embrace the journey
 
Don’t worry even us cradle Catholic’s feel overwhelmed about everything sometimes 😉 . You do not have to know everything. That’s God’s thing…you just know what He wants you to know, which is just what you can… it’s about trust. You are only ‘little’ so just know ‘little you’ stuff. Some people are really switched on and can know so much, some people can’t. That is just life. If you think of it, it’s not that different to starting a school year or first year of uni (if you went) you always look at the work load and freak out but some how you get through enough of it to pass (for most of us anyway).
If you feel overwhelmed, just go some place quiet take a deep breath, pray and let God guide you.
 
I love what Suscipe wrote to you. Keep in mind, that the closer you get to intimacy with Christ and His church, the more the prince of lies will put doubt and drama in your life.
Be at peace. Go sit at Adoration and profess your love to Jesus.
 
There is that fear of commitment and fear of total submission which I remember.
Am I doing the right thing? My answer was always yes, being Catholic and received into
the church is what I wanted, but was I worthy. Would I fail? July 15th will mark my 10th
anniversary and I can’t say the road has always been smooth and I have not been
tested. But I have persevered, stumbled along they way, pulled myself back up and
always discovered something new about the Catholic faith that endeared me more.
The learning never ceases for those of us who are not cradle Catholics.
Your feelings are normal, but don’t let them take over. Pray, pray, pray.
 
Kathleen18 said:
I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. Especially with all this deep and rich heritage of The Catholic Church. I am not stopping my full conversion. But I cannot deny my feeling.

Perhaps I am starting to understand what ‘carrying the yoke of Christ’ means? That it is indeed living differently then the secular. And also from my Protestant background. Help!!
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Hi Kathleen,

Its Patrick

It CAN be overwhelming; BUT only if you don’t stay close to God; the giver of “all GOOD things”; and as Catholicism presents one the opportunity to actually MEET our God in Catholic Holy Communion; which is the BEST POSSIBLE of “all GOOD things”; the struggle; no matter how challenging, is very much worth the effort.

Know my friend that GOD is on your side; and if you cooperate with His Offered Graces; your journey may be difficult; BUT many before you have shown that it IS possible. You CAN do it too!

PRAY very much and keep asking questions with an open mind to the answers, NOT everything is intended by GOD to be logically discerned precisely to increase our reliance on FAITH in HIM.

We’re here to help you,
Prayers and Blessings

Patrick
 
Thank YOU so very much for your commitment and witness

Continued Blessings friend!

PRAY very much
Patrick
 
Stop everything! Go before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and lay your heart out before Him. Then, be as patient with Him as He has been with you. When you receive your consolation, you will be changed.

He is expecting you.
 
From personal experience: don’t overthink it. The beauty of such a rich tradition is that you don’t have to do everything. It’s often wise for converts to stick to what’s required for a bit. (I had a nice I’m doing everything wrong ever panic bit when I converted. It eventually evened out.)
 
Thank you my CAF Family! Your words have brought much comfort! I have also reflected on each of yours wisdom. I am more at peace and will continue on. I realized that I need to focus more on the joy that this journey has brought. Bless you all!
 
In all the world, only the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have Christ truly present. It is a sublime spiritual pleasure and grace from God. Miracles occur in His presence. I can attest to that.
 
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