OhioChristian:
am a cradle Catholic and have had faith formation from several different Christian denominations. I have had valuable experiences that have brought me closer to God in both Catholic and non-Catholic Christian denominations. The conflict in my heart is how to walk daily in a faith made up of two different foundations. I have respect and knowledge of God’s prescence in both places. I have been seeking peace with this daily walk and am now trying to teach these pricipals to my children who attend Catholic school and walk as Catholics.
I am a “convert” to the Catholic faith who has experienced many Protestant churches from high Episcopal to Pentecostal and gained much in each of them, too. The difficulty I think you are having stems from the various world views of each group, being that they are very different from each other. That’s only natural, though because what we believe colors everything we see and do, doesn’t it?
You don’t have to throw out the good things you learned or experienced in Protestant churches. If you had great fellowship, treasure that, and take it with you to your Catholic parish. Get involved with a small group at your parish or a ministry of some sort. Once you meet other people with a common goal I think you will find that they are just as committed to Christ as you are, but that they simply express that commitment in a more subdued way, since the interior life of the Catholic faith isn’t emotion-based, but based in truth and sacrifice–a whole different concept from Evangelical understanding of our relationship with Christ.
I am not totally engulfed in the Catholic Church knowing the genuine experiences I have had to grow in a personal relationship with Jesus through other denominations. I am not totally committed to these other places either because of true Catholic experiences. I want my children to know Jesus as I have come to know him through all of my experiences. It has been difficult to find peace in either place because of a feeling of not belonging. I appreciate Christians and the true way they live their faith. Many of the Catholic groups I have tried to involve myself with are lacking in this area. Have any of you reconciled this type of issue? If so, how?
You should read solid Catholic spiritual reading and immerse yourself in the teachings of the Church and the practices of the Church. Then, you will begin to take on the mantle of Catholic understanding. I would be helpful for you to do Morning and Evening Prayer, for example. Not the whole thing that priests and religious do, but a version meant for busy lay people. Your priest can recommend one or even give you one. Read the daily Mass readings and meditate on them, making them a part of your prayer life. Or pray 5 decades of the rosary each day or even one if that is all you have time for. Get some good Catholic books for children and read them along with your kids to help them understand their Catholic faith.
Also, there is no such thing as “Christians” and “Catholics.” Catholics are Christians–the first Christians. We can trace our Church from the Bible until now, so don’t let anyone tell you that being a Catholic isn’t being a Christian.
Thank you for your genuine answers and please pray for me as I try to find peace with my faith.
May God Bless You.
You’re entirely welcome. I will indeed pray for you, please pray for me, too!