Has anyone regretted entering the Church?

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dei_gratia15

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So I entered the Church this Easter and was baptized, confirmed, and received my first Holy Communion. I love the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist more than any other thing and believe what the Church teaches, however, I find myself with doubts more often than not and wonder if I was ready to take this stuff and think that maybe I should not have converted so soon. While my love for the Church is great, I find myself worrying constantly about committing sin, disappointing God, and going to Hell and it causes me so much anxiety that I do not know how long I can bear it. I thought I clearly understood the difference between mortal and venial sin before becoming Catholic, but now it’s like it all just runs together and I can’t seem to distinguish anything. Because of this, I have yet to go to confession because if I do go, I have no idea what I will even say because I feel like I have committed so many sins when I don’t actually know if I have committed these sins or not and I feel like this makes telling the number of times nothing but a guessing game and this just scares me even more and makes me worry about making a bad confession. I constantly wonder if I should stop receiving the Eucharist and this breaks my heart because it’s the last thing I want to happen. I’ve tried to maintain the prayer life I had before coming into the Church but in the last couple of months I’ve just felt like God is getting farther and farther away from me and I don’t know how to change it.

If anyone has experienced any regrets about converting or gone through something similar, please feel free to leave any advice. I don’t know where to go from here, but I know with God I can hopefully get back on the right path.
 
I am sorry you feel as such since entering the Church. I think it might be a good plan to make an appointment and speak to a priest about this issue and let him guide you a little more in the Faith.

Just my thought,

Mary.
 
MaryT777 said:
I am sorry you feel as such since entering the Church. I think it might be a good plan to make an appointment and speak to a priest about this issue and let him guide you a little more in the Faith.

Just my thought,

Mary.
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Agreed. One does not magically understand everything about the Lord or the His Church after RCIA. It’s a lifelong process of prayer, study and discernment.
I also believe that you simply need a friend for the journey and a good spiritual director.
Make and appointment with the Pastor, or the RCIA Director and work through your questions.
Praying for you and your intentions.
 
I agree with the others. Make an appointment with your priest and talk with him. Conversion is a life long process, and even though you entered the Church at Easter, you will still sin. It’s to be expected.

You also may be struggling with scrupilosity (sp?) which your priest can help you with.
Your priest is there to help you, to guide you, thru all of this. Avail yourself of his help. 🙂

God’s blessings.
 
dei_gratia15 said:
Please move this post if it is in the wrong place.

So I entered the Church this Easter and was baptized, confirmed, and received my first Holy Communion. I love the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist more than any other thing and believe what the Church teaches, however, I find myself with doubts more often than not and wonder if I was ready to take this stuff and think that maybe I should not have converted so soon. While my love for the Church is great, I find myself worrying constantly about committing sin, disappointing God, and going to Hell and it causes me so much anxiety that I do not know how long I can bear it. I thought I clearly understood the difference between mortal and venial sin before becoming Catholic, but now it’s like it all just runs together and I can’t seem to distinguish anything. Because of this, I have yet to go to confession because if I do go, I have no idea what I will even say because I feel like I have committed so many sins when I don’t actually know if I have committed these sins or not and I feel like this makes telling the number of times nothing but a guessing game and this just scares me even more and makes me worry about making a bad confession. I constantly wonder if I should stop receiving the Eucharist and this breaks my heart because it’s the last thing I want to happen. I’ve tried to maintain the prayer life I had before coming into the Church but in the last couple of months I’ve just felt like God is getting farther and farther away from me and I don’t know how to change it.

If anyone has experienced any regrets about converting or gone through something similar, please feel free to leave any advice. I don’t know where to go from here, but I know with God I can hopefully get back on the right path.
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I would say what you are experiencing is not super-rare, even for life-long Catholics.

Listen, you need some kind of spiritual guidance, and by that I mean **seeing a priest in person. **

Please don’t think you can settle this by looking on-line. I’ve been there, and there’s too much conflicting information.

From reading the spirit of your post, it really isn’t supposed to be difficult like this.

And if you can’t remember the number, just say a few or several times throughout my life. 👍

You can do this, my friend. 👍👍👍
 
MaryT777 said:
I am sorry you feel as such since entering the Church. I think it might be a good plan to make an appointment and speak to a priest about this issue and let him guide you a little more in the Faith.

Just my thought,

Mary.
Click to expand...
I agree with the above. Of course the evil one is great at “confusion” and wants you to leave Christ’s Church … that I too have experienced but you must recognize this and reject it.

To me it seems that you are having problems understanding sin and confession. This is where you will get much support from your priest. Never be afraid to go and let the priest know that you are uncomfortable and a bit confused about sins. Honestly going more frequently has helped me considerably. The next best thing next to Mass is going to Adoration once a week…WOW, doing this is something that is extremely valuable to growing in faith and helps me stay faithful. It “clears my head” and helps me know from our Lord how HE sees things and the Holy Spirit guides me in my thoughts…even when I’m confused. Sitting before the Blessed Sacrament is powerful! I would go to confession at least once a month and Adoration weekly. Pray daily. (even if you don’t “feel” like it) Talk to our Lord as your very best friend. Seek the fellowship of other sincere Catholic faithful. I will pray for you. PM me if you need to.
My love in Him, a convert also,
mlz
 
I don’t regret a thing.

Leading up to my confirmation, I was getting more and more excited for the big day. The two weeks leading up to Easter this year were some of the most exciting in my life. It’s easy after converting to reach a spiritual plateau. In fact, I remember telling my priest: “well, I’m Catholic. Now what?”

I also have a hard time distinguishing between Mortal and Venial sin. But, I keep from becoming scrupulous simply by trusting in the mercy of God. He understands. I simply confess my sins to the best of my ability. If you are unsure, the priest is there to help.

The Eucharist is very important to me as well. Over the summer, I’ve been going to a different church. I don’t know anybody and sometimes I feel like an outsider. However, I focus on receiving the sacraments- especially Christ’s Body and Blood. This is my motivation; let it be yours.

Continue to persevere in your prayer life. This will make all the difference. We all have highs and lows in our spiritual journey, and the lows will be made easier by strong, consistent prayer.

Best wishes,
ctb95
 
dei_gratia15 said:
Please move this post if it is in the wrong place.

So I entered the Church this Easter and was baptized, confirmed, and received my first Holy Communion. I love the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist more than any other thing and believe what the Church teaches, however, I find myself with doubts more often than not and wonder if I was ready to take this stuff and think that maybe I should not have converted so soon. While my love for the Church is great, I find myself worrying constantly about committing sin, disappointing God, and going to Hell and it causes me so much anxiety that I do not know how long I can bear it. I thought I clearly understood the difference between mortal and venial sin before becoming Catholic, but now it’s like it all just runs together and I can’t seem to distinguish anything. Because of this, I have yet to go to confession because if I do go, I have no idea what I will even say because I feel like I have committed so many sins when I don’t actually know if I have committed these sins or not and I feel like this makes telling the number of times nothing but a guessing game and this just scares me even more and makes me worry about making a bad confession. I constantly wonder if I should stop receiving the Eucharist and this breaks my heart because it’s the last thing I want to happen. I’ve tried to maintain the prayer life I had before coming into the Church but in the last couple of months I’ve just felt like God is getting farther and farther away from me and I don’t know how to change it.

If anyone has experienced any regrets about converting or gone through something similar, please feel free to leave any advice. I don’t know where to go from here, but I know with God I can hopefully get back on the right path.
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Welcome home and congratulations for making it through RCIA and receiving the Sacraments of Initiation. If I may offer a different perspective: completing RCIA and receiving the Sacraments of Initiation is sort of like going to a party, knocking on the door, and the host greeting you with a big smile. Don’t stand there at the door! Go in. Introduce yourself to others and chat with them. Some people you’ll find are perhaps better suited to others for conversation so keep moving (with a smile) until you find a group or a couple of people you find you feel comfortable with. The church is HUGE and you’re sure to find others with similar experience and thoughts. Recognize that everyone at the “party” was invited (by God) and that they were all let in despite their sins. No one crashes God’s party! We’re invited to the party but we stay because ultimately we love God. Even if we accidentally spill our drink on the carpet (sin), we repent, God forgives, and we can stay at the party. If we leave the party because we feel we’re not worthy, God will wonder what happened to make us leave and we’ll be outside looking in. The Real Presence? You guessed it: that’s the buffet table! God gives Himself so we can live forever; all He asks is that we live in Him. He knows we’re sinners but we can resist sin with all our will; some are better than others. But, if we falter, we sincerely repent. God is merciful at all times.

Be glad, faithful one, you are in the House of the Lord! God Bless you.
 
808Catholic said:
Welcome home and congratulations for making it through RCIA and receiving the Sacraments of Initiation. If I may offer a different perspective: completing RCIA and receiving the Sacraments of Initiation is sort of like going to a party, knocking on the door, and the host greeting you with a big smile. Don’t stand there at the door! Go in. Introduce yourself to others and chat with them. Some people you’ll find are perhaps better suited to others for conversation so keep moving (with a smile) until you find a group or a couple of people you find you feel comfortable with. The church is HUGE and you’re sure to find others with similar experience and thoughts. Recognize that everyone at the “party” was invited (by God) and that they were all let in despite their sins. No one crashes God’s party! We’re invited to the party but we stay because ultimately we love God. Even if we accidentally spill our drink on the carpet (sin), we repent, God forgives, and we can stay at the party. If we leave the party because we feel we’re not worthy, God will wonder what happened to make us leave and we’ll be outside looking in. The Real Presence? You guessed it: that’s the buffet table! God gives Himself so we can live forever; all He asks is that we live in Him. He knows we’re sinners but we can resist sin with all our will; some are better than others. But, if we falter, we sincerely repent. God is merciful at all times.

Be glad, faithful one, you are in the House of the Lord! God Bless you.
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Wow! Brought tears to my eyes. THANK YOU.

808 Catholic you’ve received great advice. The only thing I can add is this: Find a priest you can talk to. He can even be from another parish. For instance, go to different masses till you find one you can connect with. I’m involved with three different parishes and I can attest to this. Each priest is different in how he handles things.

Also, (this might just be MY experience) priests don’t ask anymore how many times you’ve commited a sin. They want to concentrate on your HEART condition and not on how many times you’ve commited any particular sin. That DOES make you concentrate on sin, as you say, and it is not healthy spriritually-wise.

RCIA is a little bit like learning how to drive. You have to learn all the book things first, then you have to drive - getting to know your car, getting to know the road, learning to become confident.

Also, remember from your RCIA that it’s not easy to commit a mortal sin and veniel sins can be forgiven with just a prayer; although it’s suggested that you go to confession at least once a year especially at Easter time. Also, have you remembered that at the beginning of every Mass we have the Penitential Rite? This is confession! (not for mortal sins). Please remember too, that receiving the Eucharist actually forgives sins.

So, yes. Let’s do our best to keep the commandments (I tell my catechism kids to GET UP when they fall down and keep going!), keep our heart loving Jesus who died for us, not worry too much or we’ll miss out on the Love and the Grace that God has for us!

God loves you - don’t worry so much!
Fran
 
Oops.

My post was directed toward dei_gratia 15.
But my comment was for 808 Catholic.

I like to make a confusion every now and then!

Sorry.
 
This definitely sounds like scruples.

This doesn’t just affect Catholics, but people of different denominations and even religions as well. It often manifests as anxiety for people in general. Plus, being in a new faith and member of the Church (welcome!) can also be a topsy turvy time.

I used to struggle with scruples, but it can be combatted by forming a correct conscience, one that is neither too lax nor too harsh and stringent. Like others on here have said, scrupulants also benefit from a spiritual director or a good priest to provide some guidance as well.

mission.liguori.org/newsletters/scrupanon.htm
 
I agree with the others who recommended talking with your priest. One-on-one with someone you know and trust will be the best way to go.
dei_gratia15 said:
While my love for the Church is great, I find myself worrying constantly about committing sin, disappointing God, and going to Hell and it causes me so much anxiety that I do not know how long I can bear it.
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Perhaps there’s some grace mixed with the fear. Clearly your heart is focused on God and wanting to love him and please him. That’s wonderful! I hope your heart will also be open to the idea that God loves you more than you can imagine. It’s a relationship that goes both ways – loving and being loved.
 
dei_gratia15 said:
Please move this post if it is in the wrong place.

So I entered the Church this Easter and was baptized, confirmed, and received my first Holy Communion. I love the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist more than any other thing and believe what the Church teaches, however, I find myself with doubts more often than not and wonder if I was ready to take this stuff and think that maybe I should not have converted so soon. While my love for the Church is great, I find myself worrying constantly about committing sin, disappointing God, and going to Hell and it causes me so much anxiety that I do not know how long I can bear it. I thought I clearly understood the difference between mortal and venial sin before becoming Catholic, but now it’s like it all just runs together and I can’t seem to distinguish anything. Because of this, I have yet to go to confession because if I do go, I have no idea what I will even say because I feel like I have committed so many sins when I don’t actually know if I have committed these sins or not and I feel like this makes telling the number of times nothing but a guessing game and this just scares me even more and makes me worry about making a bad confession. I constantly wonder if I should stop receiving the Eucharist and this breaks my heart because it’s the last thing I want to happen. I’ve tried to maintain the prayer life I had before coming into the Church but in the last couple of months I’ve just felt like God is getting farther and farther away from me and I don’t know how to change it.

If anyone has experienced any regrets about converting or gone through something similar, please feel free to leave any advice. I don’t know where to go from here, but I know with God I can hopefully get back on the right path.
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I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy. (1059)

divinemercy.com/faustina/
 
I definitely appreciate all of the advice from each of you. I do hope to find a priest/spiritual director that I feel comfortable with soon. I’ve been out of town recently and it may be at least a couple more weeks before I’m back home and it is possible to meet with anyone but I pray that I can find the strength to trust in God’s mercy and love until then. May God abundantly bless each one of you for your help and prayers!
 
dei_gratia15 said:
Please move this post if it is in the wrong place.

So I entered the Church this Easter and was baptized, confirmed, and received my first Holy Communion. I love the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist more than any other thing and believe what the Church teaches, however, I find myself with doubts more often than not and wonder if I was ready to take this stuff and think that maybe I should not have converted so soon. While my love for the Church is great, I find myself worrying constantly about committing sin, disappointing God, and going to Hell and it causes me so much anxiety that I do not know how long I can bear it. I thought I clearly understood the difference between mortal and venial sin before becoming Catholic, but now it’s like it all just runs together and I can’t seem to distinguish anything. Because of this, I have yet to go to confession because if I do go, I have no idea what I will even say because I feel like I have committed so many sins when I don’t actually know if I have committed these sins or not and I feel like this makes telling the number of times nothing but a guessing game and this just scares me even more and makes me worry about making a bad confession. I constantly wonder if I should stop receiving the Eucharist and this breaks my heart because it’s the last thing I want to happen. I’ve tried to maintain the prayer life I had before coming into the Church but in the last couple of months I’ve just felt like God is getting farther and farther away from me and I don’t know how to change it.

If anyone has experienced any regrets about converting or gone through something similar, please feel free to leave any advice. I don’t know where to go from here, but I know with God I can hopefully get back on the right path.
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I was a born and brought up Methodist. In 1992 at the age of 44 I converted to the Catholic faith and I have never regretted it and never had any doubts.
 
dei_gratia15 said:
I definitely appreciate all of the advice from each of you. I do hope to find a priest/spiritual director that I feel comfortable with soon. I’ve been out of town recently and it may be at least a couple more weeks before I’m back home and it is possible to meet with anyone but I pray that I can find the strength to trust in God’s mercy and love until then. May God abundantly bless each one of you for your help and prayers!
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Good for you! 🙂 I also recommend the Divine Mercy devotion - it can bring much comfort and reassurance while you wait. Scruples happen for some new converts and even for us cradle Catholics when we undergo a “reconversion” if we’ve fallen off track. I guess it’s because we want so badly to “get it right” but remember, God is there to help us. Alone we are not strong enough or wise enough and the devil will try to confuse us and cause us that anxiety and doubt.

And when you’re new to all these Catholic concepts you can’t expect to nail it down just like that. Conversion is an ongoing process - for everyone. RCIA and Easter Vigil are just the beginning. I’ll say a prayer for you to have peace and be okay. 🙂
 
Mark 2
16.* When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?”
17.* And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Hebrew 4
15.* For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,…
16.* Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
 
3DOCTORS said:
Good for you! 🙂 I also recommend the Divine Mercy devotion - it can bring much comfort and reassurance while you wait.
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When you say the Divine Mercy devotion, are you referencing the Divine Mercy Chaplet or something else? Sorry, I’m not very familiar with this!
 
You did something that ticks the devil off…you found the one true faith taught by Jesus Christ – the Catholic Church. he would love for you to just remain as a “comfortable” Christian, not worrying about sin, confession, obligation to go to Sunday Mass, devotions to the saints, etc. But you went and upset the applecart (so to speak).

Well guess what? satan is ticked off! And he’s trying his best to hackle you with worry, fear, over-scrupulous thinking, confusion…sound familiar?

God knows what you’re going through. He knows that you’re only human, and He is not the harsh judge that you picture Him to be. He is your loving Father – your Savior – and He wishes only that you find your peace in His love.

Relax, and go to confession. Talk to the priest and explain your concerns. They’re great at giving advice and spiritual guidance! And remember…if you’re not sure whether it’s a sin…it’s not. Remember the 3 conditions necessary for a sin…to be…a sin. If you haven’t satisfied all 3 conditions…it’s not a sin, as far as your case is concerned.

And after making a good confession, to to Mass – even every day, if possible. Receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Get yourself involved in devotional prayers, like the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and/or Novenas to the saints. God will lead you. And He will give you His peace.
 
I struggle with this stuff also—I was a “protest”-ant for many years, and can tell you that if God saves them because of their “limited” knowledge of the truth, then those who believe in “sola scriptura” as I did are having a LOT easier time of salvation than we are–for example, the Bereans believe that on the matter of contraception, God is silent about it, so we shouldn’t be “putting words in God’s Mouth” that aren’t in scripture; thus it should be up to the conscience of the people involved. That is the belief and teaching of the Bereans, who love Jesus dearly, and if they are saved by their “limited” knowledge of the truth, then they have it WAY easier than us. I am now a true-blue confession- going Catholic, but I have spent YEARS in the “protest”-ant ranks, in several denominations, with a whole lot less guilt than my return to the Catholic church. Classicar.😦
 
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