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twoangels
Guest
That’s a very old article but this is particularly shocking
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tryphon
Guest
please watch this.
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on_the_hill
Guest
It’s called having faith. I don’t know how it works. I can’t prove it works. I have faith that it does.
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steve-b
Guest
sounds like this episode
Jn 6:
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”[d] 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.”
AND the results?
60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?[e] 63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you that do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that should betray him. 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.
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KAMMYXPXP
Guest
Thank you. I am going on the 4th anniversary of my baptism into the Church. Prior to that, I studied several different religions and then eventually turned to the world. I was not an atheist, because, being too honest, I could not deny the existence of God - it takes a lot of faith to not believe that He even exists.
Years later, He, through the power of the Holy Spirit, brought me here to the Church.
In RCIA, I read all the materials, asked lots of questions, prayed, and double-checked the materials with Holy Scripture. It was my choice to be in RCIA but, having been raised anti-Catholic (adamantly, overtly) for the first 50 years of my life, I wanted to go in with my eyes wide opened. I hungered for Truth.
The evening of my Baptism is still fresh in my memory; how happy I felt. Looking back over the short time I have been a member, I must admit that I was wearing blinders to certain realities within the Church. Eventually, they were torn off.
For instance, when my roommate started sleeping with her boyfriend every night, I eventually begged her to stay home; it wasn’t easy to do this but as a sister in Christ I was obligated. Her behavior was stumbling a lot of believers. She told me it was none of my business. At the time we were both working in a private Catholic school; we publicly signed contracts that we would live by the tenets of the Church. Other people got involved, nd made me look like the bad guy - these were members who had positions of power and used it wrongly. Boy did that sting.
Finally, as a single and new Catholic, and having just learned about Sacramental marriage, I began thinking about how wonderful it would be to find someone who really believes and wants to love and help another in their quest for Christ. Of the few I dated, I was so turned off because they did not treat me any differently than the men in the world.
So, why share all this, especially since I do not know what it actually is that has soured you to the Faith? Well, I still believe you to be my brother, and I, like so many here, are trying to keep you safe within the Fold where we seek only to hear the Voice of the Good Shepherd and to follow Him.
You will find lots of things to disagree with, I am sure, particularly with our brothers and sisters (including me!). But if you disagree and see that even our Lord Himself disagrees, you are on the right path.
One final thought, remember the parable of the seeds that Jesus tells us in Holy Scripture? Read Luke 8. 4-15. I see myself having experienced all of those different kinds of soils as a seed. But now, I know that I am in the good soil.
By the way, I am a gardener; it’s HARD work and oh, so rewarding. In reference to the parable, thorns and rocks can be removed; the dry places can receive extra water. Soil can be amended with all kinds of good nutrients and materials. God did that for me. I called out, “Jesus, help me!” He did.
You no longer believe the Church to be true. How tumultuous a state to be in. I am incredibly sorry. I hope you have taken your doubt and placed it before God and asked Him to help you in your unbelief.
May He bless you richly and may His Grace rain down on you.
Years later, He, through the power of the Holy Spirit, brought me here to the Church.
In RCIA, I read all the materials, asked lots of questions, prayed, and double-checked the materials with Holy Scripture. It was my choice to be in RCIA but, having been raised anti-Catholic (adamantly, overtly) for the first 50 years of my life, I wanted to go in with my eyes wide opened. I hungered for Truth.
The evening of my Baptism is still fresh in my memory; how happy I felt. Looking back over the short time I have been a member, I must admit that I was wearing blinders to certain realities within the Church. Eventually, they were torn off.
For instance, when my roommate started sleeping with her boyfriend every night, I eventually begged her to stay home; it wasn’t easy to do this but as a sister in Christ I was obligated. Her behavior was stumbling a lot of believers. She told me it was none of my business. At the time we were both working in a private Catholic school; we publicly signed contracts that we would live by the tenets of the Church. Other people got involved, nd made me look like the bad guy - these were members who had positions of power and used it wrongly. Boy did that sting.
Finally, as a single and new Catholic, and having just learned about Sacramental marriage, I began thinking about how wonderful it would be to find someone who really believes and wants to love and help another in their quest for Christ. Of the few I dated, I was so turned off because they did not treat me any differently than the men in the world.
So, why share all this, especially since I do not know what it actually is that has soured you to the Faith? Well, I still believe you to be my brother, and I, like so many here, are trying to keep you safe within the Fold where we seek only to hear the Voice of the Good Shepherd and to follow Him.
You will find lots of things to disagree with, I am sure, particularly with our brothers and sisters (including me!). But if you disagree and see that even our Lord Himself disagrees, you are on the right path.
One final thought, remember the parable of the seeds that Jesus tells us in Holy Scripture? Read Luke 8. 4-15. I see myself having experienced all of those different kinds of soils as a seed. But now, I know that I am in the good soil.
By the way, I am a gardener; it’s HARD work and oh, so rewarding. In reference to the parable, thorns and rocks can be removed; the dry places can receive extra water. Soil can be amended with all kinds of good nutrients and materials. God did that for me. I called out, “Jesus, help me!” He did.
You no longer believe the Church to be true. How tumultuous a state to be in. I am incredibly sorry. I hope you have taken your doubt and placed it before God and asked Him to help you in your unbelief.
May He bless you richly and may His Grace rain down on you.
K
KAMMYXPXP
Guest
I just read your post about the Eucharist - the very reason I could not walk away from the church. The Holy Spirit will reveal this to you. Take it to Him. He wants you to discuss this with Him.
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Wesrock
Guest
What it is changes from bread and wine into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. And while it does this it retains the appearance of bread and wine.
It’s a divine action that’s impossible under the normal natural order. How are we supposed to explain how it works? There is no explanation according to the natural order of things.
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steve-b
Guest
consider this
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Wesrock
Guest
Yes. The OP is trying to understand the Eucharist through the flesh when it can only be accepted by the spirit, on the basis that only Jesus has the words of eternal life.
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yankeesouth
Guest
Did you enter the Church through RCIA? If you don’t understand this then what did you learn in RCIA?
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Angel_Bradford
Guest
You have only been Catholic for a year; you have not yet begun to scratch the surface of all there is to learn and understand. Many of the great theologians had doubts; it led to their search for the truth. It is okay to have doubts; what thinking person doesn’t? One of the oldest definitions of theology is “faith seeking understanding”. Don’t stop searching for your faith; when you find it, it will have been worth the search.
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steve-b
Guest
ANDsteve-b:
Yes. The OP is trying to understand the Eucharist through the flesh when it can only be accepted by the spirit, on the basis that only Jesus has the words of eternal life.
When Jesus said , “what I have spoken to you are Spirit and life”, there are no other realities. It covers EVERYTHING that is.
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njlisa
Guest
@CatholicDetroit:
In times like these, when your faith has collapsed, don’t rely on CAF posters for interesting perspectives or arguments. We don’t have all the answers. If you want to hang on to your faith, listen for the Divine. Psalm 46:11 tells us:
In times like these, when your faith has collapsed, don’t rely on CAF posters for interesting perspectives or arguments. We don’t have all the answers. If you want to hang on to your faith, listen for the Divine. Psalm 46:11 tells us:
Listen intently, as did the Prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19.
Quiet yourself. Listen to God. No matter your decision, may God bless you in all your endeavors.
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edward_george1
Guest
I don’t think we disagree here. You kind of make my point for me–if all the others fall short, then there has to be something of which they fall short, some standard of what is the whole truth by which we adjudge that the rest are somehow lacking in the truth. To say “I can’t join another faith because they’re not as true as Catholicism” requires the assumption that Catholicism is true, or at the very least more internally consistent.
But again, I don’t think the problem here is one of logic or doctrines. It’s not head knowledge, it’s heart knowledge. This is not a problem of the intellect so much as one of the will. The OP needs to pray for the grace of faith.
But again, I don’t think the problem here is one of logic or doctrines. It’s not head knowledge, it’s heart knowledge. This is not a problem of the intellect so much as one of the will. The OP needs to pray for the grace of faith.
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WingsOfEagles
Guest
This is a great Catholic Answers article on transubstantiation for one who may have doubts.
Eucharistic Miracles
Eucharistic Miracles
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Joann
Guest
You are not returning to Muslim are you?
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anna
Guest
You and I joined the forum at the same time, I have read alot of your posts and learned from them as I do from others…The fact that you are leaving the forum is one thing for I as well as others will miss you. The fact that you are leaving the Catholic church, well that’s another…I will not tell you why you should not, I think other members have expressed their views very well. What I will say is that I believe you are going on a journey, one that will take you to a place you probably have never gone before. You’ll know when you get there…, stay awhile… When your journey is over, may you safely come Home. God bless you .
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Dan_Defender
Guest
I would add that there are other mysteries of our faith we don’t understand such as the Trinity, the fully human and fully divine nature of Christ, the nature of glorified bodies. In the end, we accept them on faith, for our human minds are too limited to fully grasp such mysteries.
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Vbwc
Guest
Don’t go. Nothing is worth leaving the Church.
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CatholicDetroit
Guest
Thank you all for your responses. Just to be clear it wasn’t a new convert high or a puppy love phase. I simply began to question things and my beliefs began to unravel. I’ve read John 6. I’ve researched the Eucharist miracles.
Someone said it’s a heart decision and I don’t disagree.
Someone said it’s a heart decision and I don’t disagree.
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