Finally Making the Move

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MatthaiosX

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One year ago I created the topic that is shared below, and now, a year later I am finally going to go to my first mass this week!

Some things have changed during the course of the year since I wrote the below post. 6 months ago I stopped going to the Eastern Orthodox Church. I couldn’t do it anymore. It wasn’t a denial of faith or a denial of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by any means, but it was most assuredly a denial of the Eastern Orthodox Tradition. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with the Orthodox people, they are very warm and welcoming, and I personally love the Divine Liturgy and all the glorious traditions of Orthodoxy. However, I don’t feel like they are in-line with the Universal Church and this has been problematic for me.

The word “universal” has continued to come up in my mind over the course of the year. If Christ died for all, then he must have also established His Church for all. Not just for the Greek or the Russian, but for all peoples.

“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” -Colossians 3:11

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” -Galatians 3:28

For me, the Catholic Church seems like the only true, universal Church and my heart has desired to be a part of it for a very long time now. I have denied my heart however because many people have warned me not to go to the Catholic Church, for various reasons, but I continue to feel drawn in by her and I can no longer deny what I feel on the most deep and sincere level. So, I have finally decided to “take the leap” and go this week. Please brothers and sisters in Christ, pray for me!

Original post from a year ago:

[Aug '18] (The Pull Towards Catholicism Keeps Getting Stronger)

“I continue to feel need to come into full communion with Rome and be Catholic…”
 
Praying for you, and welcome home.

Hopefully one day we will all be one with the Orthodox and people will not have to make these difficult choices.

May God continue to bless you and draw you closer to him.
 
Welcome home! I know how hard the decision is to leave you church, I will have to leave the Anglican church to become Catholic. I hope and pray that one day the Church will be one. Prayers for you.
 
MatthaiosX said:
…I am finally going to go to my first mass this week!
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Have fun. The Gloria is beautiful, being blessed by the priest is beautiful, seeing all the parishioners genuflect to the tabernacle, bow to the altar, and kneel during Communion is beautiful. The whole Mass is wondrous, and is a participation in the heavenly Mass that we’ll all be celebrating for eternity.

Give money at the collection. Before you enter the church, if you’d like, dab your finger tips in the holy water and use it to make the sign of the cross, reminding you of your baptism, if you have indeed been baptized (in the name of the Trinity), which I presume that you’ve been?
 
Yes, I was baptized as a child. Thank you for your wonderful post!
 
Welcome home.

RCIA is beginning soon in most parishes or has already started. Perfect timing if you need catechesis.

And I know what you mean. I did not want to become Catholic as i heard so much negativity and it was a hassle dealing with annulments, etc. But once you come to the realization that this is THE Church established by Jesus, warts and all, you need to answer the call and help make her a better place. I applaud you for doing so and will pray for you on your journey.
 
Congrats and welcome home!

Since you come from Eastern Orthodoxy and love it’s traditions, are you familiar with Eastern Catholicism? While I’m Latin rite and love it, Eastern Catholic Liturgy is very beautiful and similar to Eastern Orthodoxy as well.
 
I’d encourage you to meet with a priest familiar with reception of Orthodox into full communion.

You are fully initiated, so you don’t go through the RCIA. You don’t get confirmed. You make a profession of faith and that’s it.

Also canon law has things to say about which Church you belong to as well as how to transfer rites if you want to do that, etc.

This is something many Latin priests aren’t familiar with. So ask the diocese if necessary. I suggest talking to a Catholic priest in the Rite that corresponds to your Orthodox Church, even if by phone if none are nearby.
 
Yes, I am familiar with it and I may even check it out since there is a Byzantine Catholic parish not too far from me!
 
Hey, great post, and very insightful! I’ll be sure to check out the Byzantine Rite near me. I don’t mind going Latin Rite either though, but I’ll be sure to reach out to the diocese if I don’t find a Latin priest that knows what to do! Thanks again for your post.
 
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