I fear I'm losing my faith

[D7st]

Hello all,
First post here, not sure if this is the right location though. I’ll just dive on in though. I am a young (early 20s), baptized, confirmed Catholic and lately I have really been “slacking” in my faith- not attending mass every Sunday going for days without serious prayer, etc. I feel like I’m slowly sliding away from my faith. I wouldn’t say that I ever was a model Catholic, but for a while I made it to Mass every Sunday and prayed well basically every day. Sometimes I feel like I’m just talking and nothing is happening (I’m not all ticked off that when I pray for a shiny convertible only to awake the next day and find my driveway empty- even when I pray for guidance or just one of those “chatty” prayers I sometimes feel just emptiness).

How do YOU pray or otherwise get closer with God? Who else has ever felt like this and what part of your life did you change in response? I know this is all very personal information and everybody situation is different, but I’m just looking for insight.

Thanks

 

[dedo]

When I was in my 20’s I was not really “sure” about God etc. However, I was diligent about attending Mass. I did not have a daily walk with seeking God.

I developed a daily habit of seeking God later in life.

In retrospect, I wish I had started seeking God daily at a younger age.

I sometimes tell a niece or nephew when I write one of those retreat / confirmation letters that I attribute my every success to not missing Mass when I was young. I attribute my every mistake to an inadequate daily walk with God.

So I would say to stop missing Mass. Join a local church. Get to reconciliation. Start each day with prayer and Bible study. Then if you can work in more time later in the day, Rosary time, or daily Mass, that would be the next level. Don’t miss days.

 

[Bravo_6]

Hello all,
First post here, not sure if this is the right location though. I’ll just dive on in though. I am a young (early 20s), baptized, confirmed Catholic and lately I have really been “slacking” in my faith- not attending mass every Sunday going for days without serious prayer, etc. I feel like I’m slowly sliding away from my faith. I wouldn’t say that I ever was a model Catholic, but for a while I made it to Mass every Sunday and prayed well basically every day. Sometimes I feel like I’m just talking and nothing is happening (I’m not all ticked off that when I pray for a shiny convertible only to awake the next day and find my driveway empty- even when I pray for guidance or just one of those “chatty” prayers I sometimes feel just emptiness).

How do YOU pray or otherwise get closer with God? Who else has ever felt like this and what part of your life did you change in response? I know this is all very personal information and everybody situation is different, but I’m just looking for insight.

Thanks

You may be just falling in to old habits,the life you lived before you started attending mass and regular prayers(again)?Understand that the faith does not always come in the same dosage, circumstance,impact and/or light as it did for others.Some make a gradual come-back from being absent for many years.Some are converted by apologetics,some by saint stories,others by the example of model Catholics,etc.The impact it has,varies from person to person,hence,your partial converts,all-or-nothing converts,"trial converts,"etc.

Keep in mind we are not a faith,even less a religion of charismatics.This is very important that you understand this.Your joy and consolation will come in sacrifice and service to God.You may not understand it yet,but it will come.Take my advice - Learn your catechism,then slowly learn other aspects to gain knowledge to support and nurture your faith.How is it you can love something(faith)if you don’t even know it?You must have a knowledge of something[anything]in order to even give it the slightest consideration.

Learn and study the faith.

God bless,

JMJ

 

[Domiy]

What you’re feeling is normal.

You feel no grace or sign from prayer because you heart is not in the right place towards God. You have sinned and turned your back on Him, and this diminishes your relationship with Him. Things change when you go to confession, repent for your sins, get cleared, and become closer to God again. I’d start with that. Start by going to mass, it’s one of the most important yet by far the easiest aspect a practicing Christian can do. Start going every Sunday, and if you can find the time even during the week. The more the better.

Read the Bible also. It’s not only full of what you should and shouldn’t do (particularly the Gospels in the New Testament), but also of encouragement and basically anything else the modern man suffers. I’d recommend you at least start by flicking through the book of Job or the Psalms, they’re great ‘instant-boosts’ to ones spirituality and offer many words of encouragement and comfort.

In regards to prayer, again, very normal what you feel. Find yourself a private, uninterrupted place, and not only pray, but really meditate and focus on what you’re asking of God, and his glory. Ask our savior Jesus to put his strength and light into you, and thank Him for His death for our salvation. Again, more than simply asking, you need to really meditate and focus on it, each and every word. The Our Father is a perfect example of this, go through it slowly and meditate.

“…YOUR will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven…
…Give us this day our Daily Bread (graces)…
and forgives us our trespasses (sins),
as we also forgive those who trespass against us
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver from evil!”

 

[St_Francis]

Yesterday my daughter dragged me out of tye house and threw me on a bicycle… well, not really but I sure did lack enthusiasm!

It’s been years since i rode a bicycle, and it was embarrassing how wobbly my take-offs were, and how sluggish the bike felt, and now how sluggish I feel!

In the same way, when we don’t “practice” our Faith, we become wobbly and sluggish. It feels like we are “losing” our faith, just as it felt like I had lost my ability to ride a bike!

My daughter assures me that if I exercise every day and ride the bike every other day, I’ll be able to accompany her on her 4-mile run (!).

I assure you that if you go to Confession, go to Mass once a week, and pray every day, that you will be able to accompany Christ

A book I am learning from and enjoying is Consoling the Heart of Jesus, by Fr Gaitley. It is giving me a new perspective on these matters, and is very explicit, which I really need sometimes

 

[Lady_Love]

When you go to prayer, think of Jesus, who He is, His personality, His appearance, the look in His eyes, the feel of His embrace, the sound of His voice, the very robust and masculine presence He has, the immovable rock-like stability of His character, the authority in His voice, the tenderness in His eyes. Think about and meditate about Him and see what happens.

Your prayer may be too self-centered and that is why it feels so empty.

 

[katy]

The spiritual life is a battle and a love story. Thinking about Christ’s love for us helps when life and/or faith seems more like a battle. What you are experiencing is indeed quite normal. Some of the saints (I forget which ones) have said that when we can’t pray well to just offer short prayers such as “Lord I believe; help my unbelief” or “Lord Jesus Christ, son of he living God, have mercy on me, a sinner”. Or just inwardly lift the heart and mind to God without words, if we haven’t any. He has heard your prayers and will answer them, but in his own time and way. He is the supreme commander, who sees the whole layout. We don’t.

 

[JRKH]

Hello all,
First post here, not sure if this is the right location though. I’ll just dive on in though. I am a young (early 20s), baptized, confirmed Catholic and lately I have really been “slacking” in my faith- not attending mass every Sunday going for days without serious prayer, etc. I feel like I’m slowly sliding away from my faith. I wouldn’t say that I ever was a model Catholic, but for a while I made it to Mass every Sunday and prayed well basically every day. Sometimes I feel like I’m just talking and nothing is happening (I’m not all ticked off that when I pray for a shiny convertible only to awake the next day and find my driveway empty- even when I pray for guidance or just one of those “chatty” prayers I sometimes feel just emptiness).

How do YOU pray or otherwise get closer with God? Who else has ever felt like this and what part of your life did you change in response? I know this is all very personal information and everybody situation is different, but I’m just looking for insight.

Thanks

Oooo…boy…When I was in my early 20’s I was drifting too…and trust me - you don’t want to go where I went…

Funny thing though…I never lost “faith” in “God”, though I must say I did a fair amount o redefining God and faith to suit me…
I have to say that the thing that I never lost was a sense of gratitude. I think that is something that we too often overlook or place too little emphasis on. Be grateful to God for all that he gives you - which is basically everything from sunshine to rain to health air friends - as well as challenges which in themselves are blessings (more on that if you wish) even suffering can be a blessing.
So my main suggestion to you is to cultivate gratitude. God Loves you and give you many great things. Thank Him regularly and profusely. Don’t ask anything for yourself…Just praise and thank Him.

Come to understand how the very core of our faith is Love…God Loves us and we need to Love Him - with all of our heart, mind and strength. (Mt:22-36-40). Consider how we love others. What we desire in a love relationship.
One thing is that we enjoy being with the other person, talking to them, sharing with them etc…even if we can’t physically be with them we still want to share - even if it seems like the other is not paying attention - we allow for that and continue to love them.
Mass is like this…It should stem, not from legal obligation, but from our desire to be near to the one we Love…to receive that Love in the most intimate way through the Eucharist. To carry that Love with us whether our Lover (God) feels close or not.

Sorry If I’m rambling…

The basic suggestion is to a) cultivate praise and b) develop the understanding of the love relationship between God and us.

Peace
James

 

[Sarcelle]

The spiritual life is a battle and a love story. Thinking about Christ’s love for us helps when life and/or faith seems more like a battle. What you are experiencing is indeed quite normal. Some of the saints (I forget which ones) have said that when we can’t pray well to just offer short prayers such as “Lord I believe; help my unbelief” or “Lord Jesus Christ, son of he living God, have mercy on me, a sinner”. Or just inwardly lift the heart and mind to God without words, if we haven’t any. He has heard your prayers and will answer them, but in his own time and way. He is the supreme commander, who sees the whole layout. We don’t.

You are on to something here. I could also say that the story of a Christian’s life is like a fairy tale, but instead of romantic love forming the backdrop, it is a divine, perfect, and all-abiding love. There is hope and faith, as well as battles, both exterior and interior, elements of the supernatural, both good and evil, and elements of the natural. There is beauty and ugliness, lies and truth. I believe J.R.R. Tolkien when he says that the essential elements of fairy tales point to an archetype of the fairy story which is the Gospel itself. The hero, Christ, undergoes trials to rescue Mankind, just like the Prince undergoes trials to rescue the Princess.

So, if the fairy tale ends well, the beloved, (the Christian) is united forever with the lover, (God), and they lived happily ever after.

 

[JRKH]

You are on to something here. I could also say that the story of a Christian’s life is like a fairy tale, but instead of romantic love forming the backdrop, it is a divine, perfect, and all-abiding love. There is hope and faith, as well as battles, both exterior and interior, elements of the supernatural, both good and evil, and elements of the natural. There is beauty and ugliness, lies and truth. I believe J.R.R. Tolkien when he says that the essential elements of fairy tales point to an archetype of the fairy story which is the Gospel itself. The hero, Christ, undergoes trials to rescue Mankind, just like the Prince undergoes trials to rescue the Princess.

So, if the fairy tale ends well, the beloved, (the Christian) is united forever with the lover, (God), and they lived happily ever after.

Peace
James

 

[Carolus_Martell]

Well your ‘lapse’ in faith may have many causes but I would NOT say you’re losing your faith…otherwise you wouldn’t care to write a post on your feelings. Sounds more like a malaise thing going on to me.

In other words this current funk could continue for another 5 or 10 years and you’d essentially feel the same and still consider yourself a Catholic, albeit a non practicing one. The problem with that status is your gambling with how you’ll spend eternity…and that’s the one thing you don’t want to be wrong about.

Some younger folks fall into that if things are going well and they’re not being pushed or tasked to preform to a specific standard. I suppose it’s normal by today’s standards.

Until you find a spiritual counselor, like a priest you can confide in perhaps you can pray a daily decade or 2 as thanksgiving for the status quo you find yourself in…as compared to those worse off than you. Maybe something small like that will spark some life back into your faith. Trust me things can go south very quickly.

There’s so much we should be thankful for if we just took the time to think about it. Imagine a world without a simple thing as a chap-stick like product?

Good luck D7st, if your serious about getting close to God try reading the Latin mass in english about 100 times. Start the next time your watching the TV, just mute the commercials and start a few pages at a time. When it come to getting close to God the Latin mass is as serious as a heart attack.