T
tillerna
Guest
I was baptized as a boy but had grown out of my faith over the course of many years. Invariably, this led me to living a very secular life for many years, including fornication, an abortion (against my wishes), a marriage, divorce, and all the other pitfalls and trials a life without His presence results in. Years ago I found a wonderful woman, who is now my wife. While raised in a pseudo-Christian household (and having attended a Christian school), she also had lived a secular life, and had an infant son when we met. We are exploring adoption for my son now, and my wife and I have since had a daughter together.
In my struggles with depression over the past decade or so, I have sought counsel with a psychiatrist who has prescribed me medication, which has helped. However, as part of my soul searching process, I feel as if I have had an epiphany when it came to my depression and the heartache I’ve felt all these years. While returning from lunch one day at work, I saw a billboard for confession by my archdiocese. Something clicked. I felt as if God allowed me to turn my back on him, knowing that I would despair, and reappear at the moment I needed him most. I have now decided to accept Him back into my life with open arms, and have settled on the Catholic Church for a variety of reasons.
In researching Catholicism to deepen my understanding of my faith and learn how to become a more pious individual, I have discovered that a lot of what my Baptist upbringing had led me to believe was “allowable” were sticking points for the Catholic Church. Specifically, the concept of marriage, the use of contraceptives, and other things. My wife and I have discussed a conversion at some length, and I have recently taken to ordering two Ignatius bibles and rosary guidebooks, as well as a copy of the CCC for adults. We have located a parish near our house, but have been hesitant to take the first step.
I’m personally worried about the process. I know an annulment will be needed for my first marriage, and that shouldn’t be problematic (my ex-wife never intended to have children, but I was not aware of that fact – her and I have since spoken and she has agreed to participate in an annulment petition). However, for all this time since meeting my current wife, I was unaware we were committing numerous mortal and venial since by living together, sleeping together, using contraception, and not having God’s presence in our home all this time (but not actively denying Him either).
I want to be Catholic. I want to raise my children as Catholics. I have discussed NFP with my wife and she is open to it, which makes me happy. However, I fear the impact on our family life if, until we speak to a priest, my annulment comes through, we go through RCIA and are hopefully accepted into the Chuch, we are living in sin due to my previous marriage?
I understand being scrupulous, but I want to ensure a God-loving, faithful environment for my family that is right in the eyes of the Lord, and I am just hesitant to take the first step. Aside from the “How to Become a Catholic” posts (I’ve made “Ask an Apologist” a daily read for quite some time now), is there anything I should know, or information that could comfort me, before my wife and I undertake this process?
In my struggles with depression over the past decade or so, I have sought counsel with a psychiatrist who has prescribed me medication, which has helped. However, as part of my soul searching process, I feel as if I have had an epiphany when it came to my depression and the heartache I’ve felt all these years. While returning from lunch one day at work, I saw a billboard for confession by my archdiocese. Something clicked. I felt as if God allowed me to turn my back on him, knowing that I would despair, and reappear at the moment I needed him most. I have now decided to accept Him back into my life with open arms, and have settled on the Catholic Church for a variety of reasons.
In researching Catholicism to deepen my understanding of my faith and learn how to become a more pious individual, I have discovered that a lot of what my Baptist upbringing had led me to believe was “allowable” were sticking points for the Catholic Church. Specifically, the concept of marriage, the use of contraceptives, and other things. My wife and I have discussed a conversion at some length, and I have recently taken to ordering two Ignatius bibles and rosary guidebooks, as well as a copy of the CCC for adults. We have located a parish near our house, but have been hesitant to take the first step.
I’m personally worried about the process. I know an annulment will be needed for my first marriage, and that shouldn’t be problematic (my ex-wife never intended to have children, but I was not aware of that fact – her and I have since spoken and she has agreed to participate in an annulment petition). However, for all this time since meeting my current wife, I was unaware we were committing numerous mortal and venial since by living together, sleeping together, using contraception, and not having God’s presence in our home all this time (but not actively denying Him either).
I want to be Catholic. I want to raise my children as Catholics. I have discussed NFP with my wife and she is open to it, which makes me happy. However, I fear the impact on our family life if, until we speak to a priest, my annulment comes through, we go through RCIA and are hopefully accepted into the Chuch, we are living in sin due to my previous marriage?
I understand being scrupulous, but I want to ensure a God-loving, faithful environment for my family that is right in the eyes of the Lord, and I am just hesitant to take the first step. Aside from the “How to Become a Catholic” posts (I’ve made “Ask an Apologist” a daily read for quite some time now), is there anything I should know, or information that could comfort me, before my wife and I undertake this process?