I believe. Help my unbelief

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Morales

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I’m Baptist and for the last few years have felt a pull to the Catholic Church.

My fiancé is Catholic (although not super serious about it) and recently we went to Mass for Our Lady of Guadelupe. It was soooooo beautiful. Something about the rituals and all the things that go along with Catholicism is very appealing to me.

So long story short. I’ve been doing a lot of reading about the Catholic Church and the more I read, the more it makes sense. Even the harder things to swallow like Mary and the Saints…I get it…but there is a part of me that feels guilty about it if that makes sense?

I want to start RCIA but part of me is still wondering if it’s right for me to convert. I’m not sure what to do at this point. I know pray about it, but I haven’t felt a very close relationship with God recently and I don’t know if I would hear him if he spoke.

Any help, advice, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
You are able to go through RCIA meetings & classes even if you haven’t entirely decided to become Catholic. Many people do this. I think this would be a good next step.

Peace.
 
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I think RCIA is your best move. It will give you a chance to learn about Catholicism and pray about your future. There’s no pressure to enter the Church if you’re not ready to make that commitment.
 
Pray! He loves you as the father of the Prodigal Son loved him, so much that he ran out to greet his son when the son came into view!

If you feel drawn to the Catholic Church, why would you feel guilty?
 
Go with wherever the Lord leads you. God takes His worship very seriously, so His answer will be abundantly clear to you. Keep on praying and He will respond.
 
RCIA puts no pressure on you to convert. Go through it and ask many questions. You can also ask questions here.

The Mass is beautiful not so much because of ritual, but because it is saturated in scripture. I was a biblicaly grounded non-Catholic when i started really attending Mass and was astounded by how much of the Word is in the liturgy.

You have been conditioned to think a certain way about death, about the saints, about soteirology, about Communion, etc. It takes time to step out of the forest and re-evaluate your positions.
 
RCIA classes will help.

You might find confessing to a priest, if you’ve never done it, strange but it can be helpful.

As for praying to Mary or Saints it’s not a requirement, not all Cathoics pray to Mary or Saints, that’s perfectly acceptable.

Trust in the Lord, He will guide you.
 
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Continued prayer. Only You will know when the time is right, and all your questions are answered. Jump into a local RCIA program if you are able. They may be midway through, but interacting with the leader, other Catholics, and those attending would give you another perspective on the faith in addition to your studies.

One thing, in addition to the good suggestions others have made, might be to see if there is a men or women group (book study, fellowship, etc.) to interact with those serious about their faith.

Prayers for your journey.
 
Morales said:
Even the harder things to swallow like Mary and the Saints…I get it…but there is a part of me that feels guilty about it if that makes sense?
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Given that you have a Baptist background, I get what you are saying. As others have said, there is no commitment with RCIA. If you start and then suddenly feel like it was a mistake and want to drop out, you are perfectly free to do that.

One thing I would recommend is to call the parish you think you will attend and ask for a meeting with the priest. Explain your situation. The priest can answer all your questions and give you guidance. Just be patient, it may take a bit of time to get a meeting.

CAF can be an excellent resource for you. If you have questions about scripture from a Catholic perspective, book recommendations, devotions, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask!
 
The Holy Spirit is moving you to the Truth. Follow your heart and have no fear. God always helps.
 
The most important thing is to pray for wisdom and ask for help/advice from people in the Catholic faith. There’s no point in leaping into Catholicism if you’re still a Baptist at heart. Feel free to ask as many questions as you have here 🙂
 
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I’m a former Baptist and recent convert. I felt the Holy Spirit leading me and spent several years researching (reading, etc.). I see verses in the Bible that I swear were never there before! RCIA was wonderful and much of my education came from watching EWTN and listening to programs on Catholic radio. Trust that God is leading you.
 
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