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Edward_White
Guest
I know I want to be a Catholic. Scripture teaches me about God, but it doesn’t give me a relationship with Him. Does anyone know how I can find God?
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adrift
Guest
Find your nearest Catholic Parish and tell the priest that you would like to become Catholic. He will tell you what you need to do.
God Bless You
God Bless You
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Mike30
Guest
Pray.
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marysfiat
Guest
Hi,
Catholics do have a "personal relationship"with God. Most people just call us Catholics “religious” lol…I have to gently remind them that the word religion means: believing in a higher power,(or worship of God) so that makes us all religious…it is important we love Christ 2gether! Devoted Catholics love everyone♥ that is why the word Catholic means: Universal… we welcome all walks of life in our doors♥
“Welcome Home”
Catholics do have a "personal relationship"with God. Most people just call us Catholics “religious” lol…I have to gently remind them that the word religion means: believing in a higher power,(or worship of God) so that makes us all religious…it is important we love Christ 2gether! Devoted Catholics love everyone♥ that is why the word Catholic means: Universal… we welcome all walks of life in our doors♥
“Welcome Home”
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latingirl
Guest
Hello Edward.
I became a Catholic after seeing their beliefs are based off of Scripture and also by finding out about the Eucharist. Yes, Scriptures do not give you a relationship with God. Many mistake the written word for Living Word, which is Jesus. It is one of the biggest downfalls to the Protestant belief in “sola Scriptura” or "scripture alone. Catholics not only have the Sacred Scriptures but they have a literal, personal relationship with Jesus by the Eucharist, the feast of His Body and Blood. Jesus is actually present in every Catholic Church and actually present in communion. Protestants don’t have this because they don’t believe in it and because they broke off with Catholics.
I think it is wonderful you are wanting to be Catholic. It will not be easy but it will be worth it. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have- especially if the above I stated doesn’t make sense. We can go over where the Eucharist is taught in the Bible if you’d like.
I became a Catholic after seeing their beliefs are based off of Scripture and also by finding out about the Eucharist. Yes, Scriptures do not give you a relationship with God. Many mistake the written word for Living Word, which is Jesus. It is one of the biggest downfalls to the Protestant belief in “sola Scriptura” or "scripture alone. Catholics not only have the Sacred Scriptures but they have a literal, personal relationship with Jesus by the Eucharist, the feast of His Body and Blood. Jesus is actually present in every Catholic Church and actually present in communion. Protestants don’t have this because they don’t believe in it and because they broke off with Catholics.
I think it is wonderful you are wanting to be Catholic. It will not be easy but it will be worth it. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have- especially if the above I stated doesn’t make sense. We can go over where the Eucharist is taught in the Bible if you’d like.
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waterbrook
Guest
I do wish that posters would not suggest there is a strict divide between Catholics and Protestants. It is blatantly not the case. I am not a Roman Catholic but I certainly do believe that Jesus is present at Communion under the appearance of bread and wine. I am not an exception either.
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latingirl
Guest
Actually some individual Protestants do believe that Jesus is truly present in the bread and wine, I acknowledge that. However that doesn’t detract from the fact that this is not a doctrine Protestantism believes in. I knew a Baptist woman who believed in Christ’s real presence in communion even though it was against her church’s official beliefs. It is against most of their official doctrines which condemn transubstantiation in glaring terms.
Not to mention that a valid Eucharist goes hand-in-hand with apostolic succession, something else Protestant reject or falsely believe that they have. I would suggest a study of church history to see how not having apostolic succession impacts the sacraments.
I tried being ecumenical, being a former-Protestant myself, and tried to minimize the divide, I got burned really bad. I had to learn the hard way that Protestants do not believe what we believe. I’m not trying to be a jerk but there is a divide, that is the sad truth, or else we would all be Catholics. And if someone honestly believed in the real presence of Jesus Christ in communion, they they should re-join in communion with the apostolic churches. I know this comes off as mean but I am just trying to give facts, no matter how cold and hard they may be.
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Journey322
Guest
He isn’t missing…
Turn your heart in His direction and you will find Him. Pray/meditate on scripture, attend mass, surround yourself with those who have the kind of relationship with God that you want (the Spirit of God inhabits His children), make an appointment with a Priest for spiritual guidance. These are some things you can do help…
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marysfiat
Guest
To be specific: having a relationship with God that you can’t see, is just like a long distant relationship with someone you know to be real and love♥ God responds with the Holy Spirit. In thouhts, people and His creations…that is why so often you will hear catholics say…“that was a sign”…its a pèrsonal relationship. In the eucharist, its just as beautiful as the miracle of our Lord’s. Flesh in the belly of Mary!! The bread and wine is His flesh in our belly…as food for our soul♥
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waterbrook
Guest
You make some good points however there are churches which I suspect you would call Protestant that do teach the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, my church, the Church of England teaches the real presence, although it does not use the word ‘transubstantiation’ . (The catechism of the Catholic Church only goes as far as saying 'this is best described as transubstantiation). I believe Lutherans also believe in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
With regard to apostolic succession, as I understand it Anglicans believe that they can claim apostolic succession in 2senses: that they hold beliefs in the tradition of the apostles but also that given their history there is a the link of ‘ordination’ to the apostles. It was the Catholic Church that decided that the wording of the service made Anglican orders invalid in their eyes.
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latingirl
Guest
It doesn’t matter what you believe. What matters is the legitimacy of the sacrament. Lutherans can believe till they turn blue that the Eucharist is Christ’s true body and blood, still doesn’t mean they didn’t put themselves deep in heresy and split off from the Church.
I am sorry, if you claim to have apostolic succession, that doesn’t mean you have it either. It’s not the wording of the service that makes Anglican Mass invalid, it;s the fact you guys separated and rejected the papacy and rejected the Catholic Church. It is the fact that a monarch heads your church. From the earliest days, the Church had power to excommunicate. They had every right- and necessity to exercise it in the case of the Anglicans.
Can I ask, why if you think you have real apostolic succession, do you ordain women priests? Do you think orders are valid for women? If it is not, then is this any way to treat the holy sacrament of orders?
I’m not trying to be a jerk and I actually hope you guys reunite with us. But there is much I don’t understand.
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detoutcoeur
Guest
.Invite Him. Ask Him to make Himself known to you.
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eyesopening
Guest
You rock, Latingirl!
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latingirl
Guest
Thanks. Reading “The Crucified Rabbi” by former Anglican, Taylor Marshal has brought alot of these questions to mind.
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brian24
Guest
Brother/sister, this is part of the problem with using the word “real presence.” Jesus is always “really present” everywhere. There is no denying that. When Catholics use the terminology “real presence” they do not merely mean that Jesus is there, as Lutherans do. Catholics believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine are substantially changed into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. In my quick research, I did actually find that High Church Anglicans do believe in transubstantiation. But Low Church Anglicans do not. The only issue with this is the lack of apostolic succession, which latingirl already mentioned. Pope Leo XIII declared in Apostolicae Curae in 1896, that Anglican Orders are invalid for extrinsic and intrinsic reasons. This is where your belief in transubstantiation is misguided. I wish that you did have the sacrament of the Eucharist.
It reminds me of the discernment book I was reading, To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide to Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan Priesthood. In it, a recently ordained Deacon receives a call from a parishioner who has a dying relative and needs a priest to administer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. The parish priest was away and was not able to administer the Sacrament. So, the Deacon went and administered the Sacrament. He called his priest afterwards and told the priest how he performed the Anointing. The priest responded by saying “No, you actually didn’t perform it. You went through the motions, but nothing happened. You have to be a priest to do that.”
Yes, Anglicans call their ministers “bishops” and “priests.” But I’ve seen Baptists who have the title of “Bishop” and surely they are not bishops. This is why having the root in the Church founded by Jesus is so important. To break away and still claim authority is mistaken. I respect Anglicans because they are so close to being Catholic. Christ founded his Church with the idea of it being One, and to be more than One is against Jesus’ prayers.
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jhyer
Guest
He is not hiding, He is with you right now. Open your heart and He will show you His love…God Bless my friend…
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quiet52
Guest
Through the Scriptures God has revealed to us that he desires to have an unbreakable covenant relationship with us, and He has used the image of a marriage relationship to illustrate His desire for a deeply personal and permanent relationship.
A groom and bride – a husband and wife – need to work on their relationship to make it work. It doesn’t just “happen.” They talk, they enjoy each other’s presence. They make constant decisions to love each other. They trust in each other’s love, and they rejoice.
Christ is our bridegroom – the Church is His bride.
Christ is there for you, just waiting for you to open your heart. He is present, inviting us all to be present to Him.
Prayer is therefore essential to maintaining an intimate relationship with Jesus. Talk to Jesus, listen, simply “be” in His presence. There are many ways to pray individually and communally. Trust that the Holy Spirit will help you to pray. Trust that He will help you endure each trial, especially if you seek His help.
We don’t walk this journey alone – the Scriptures tell us we don’t truly love the Father unless we love each other. Let the Church help you (e.g., priests, lay people, the Mass, other liturgies, devotions, and prayer traditions).
A groom and bride – a husband and wife – need to work on their relationship to make it work. It doesn’t just “happen.” They talk, they enjoy each other’s presence. They make constant decisions to love each other. They trust in each other’s love, and they rejoice.
Christ is our bridegroom – the Church is His bride.
Christ is there for you, just waiting for you to open your heart. He is present, inviting us all to be present to Him.
Prayer is therefore essential to maintaining an intimate relationship with Jesus. Talk to Jesus, listen, simply “be” in His presence. There are many ways to pray individually and communally. Trust that the Holy Spirit will help you to pray. Trust that He will help you endure each trial, especially if you seek His help.
We don’t walk this journey alone – the Scriptures tell us we don’t truly love the Father unless we love each other. Let the Church help you (e.g., priests, lay people, the Mass, other liturgies, devotions, and prayer traditions).
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