Longing for a simpler faith

[Teneas]

Our family has been invited to a breakfast at the small community church where my teenagers attend a non-denominational youth group. Sadly, our parish is lacking in youth activities. My teenagers are totally turned off to the Catholic faith. My daughter tells me that other Christians are more enthusiastic about God and Jesus. She thinks that most people in our church are dead in their faith. She says the youth group never says anything negative about the Catholic faith, by the way. I believe her on that, she’s a very forthright young lady. In actuality, our parish does seem dead.

Even though I’ll always love aspects of the Catholic faith and will always consider myself Catholic, I think it’s too complicated. I’ve read a lot here at this site that confirms that thought. I really don’t want to deal with so much complication in my relationship with God right now. I don’t feel like dragging my children to Mass anymore. We haven’t gone to Mass much in the last 6 months. I think our family will be looking for a simpler faith.

Once truth is known, it is not looked upon kindly by our Lord when thrown away, or turned away from.

That being said, I greatly understand your feelings. My wife and I struggle with our parish as well. It is “dead” as you have said yours is. I would recommend another parish. Seek out one that has Life Teen in it. That is a great program for the kids. Also, there are two things that you are at mass for. The word, and the Eucharist. Sometimes, however, the word is kinda dead when a homily isn’t any good. We suffer from that at our parish now. The homilies are not challenging enough, nor that filled with true feeling. At least that is what we feel.

Our faith can be very very simple if you allow it to be. Just trust in the ways of Christ and his church, and don’t get your head all around the rest. Have Faith, and do not succumb to temptation to find a faith that is “easier” so to speak. This would be a mistake imo.

I will pray for you however, and your family. These type of things can be hard ones for Catholic families. Best of luck out there!

 

[Middleman]

Once truth is known, it is not looked upon kindly by our Lord when thrown away, or turned away from.

That being said, I greatly understand your feelings. My wife and I struggle with our parish as well. It is “dead” as you have said yours is. I would recommend another parish. Seek out one that has Life Teen in it. That is a great program for the kids. Also, there are two things that you are at mass for. The word, and the Eucharist. Sometimes, however, the word is kinda dead when a homily isn’t any good. We suffer from that at our parish now. The homilies are not challenging enough, nor that filled with true feeling. At least that is what we feel.

Our faith can be very very simple if you allow it to be. Just trust in the ways of Christ and his church, and don’t get your head all around the rest. Have Faith, and do not succumb to temptation to find a faith that is “easier” so to speak. This would be a mistake imo.

I will pray for you however, and your family. These type of things can be hard ones for Catholic families. Best of luck out there!

Thank you for your good wishes. We are doing the best we can. I wish we had lifeteen here, but we are isolated.

 

[KathleenGee]

What I would recommend…as this is what happened to me…I worked overseas, and came home to my diocese that ended up being one of the most controversial in the world…one nun told me they were deliberately chipping away at the liturgy…so many kids were not taught the mortal danger of sin and were led astray…behind the parents’ back.

And we live in a culture now…where I can now see how much my kids were being told by the secular world that they will be adults in just 2 or 3 years so they are already trying to take the first step…

Anyway, what help me get grounded was the lives the saints. You read their testimonies in how they survived their faith in the times they lived in…the other is to study classical spirituality in the walk of perfection…it is not what you think…it is going deeper and more mystical into the spiritual life in this present desert of the world we live in.

‘The Dark Night of the Soul’, by St. John of the Cross, works of St. Theresa of Avila, St. Catherine’s ‘The Dialogues’ which helped me the most to get anchored and to take hold of things around me through detachment and union with Christ…so, if you have time, make use of it by growing closer to Christ with the saints.

You can go online and visit different parishes throughout the world and see the great fraternity.

This is terrible, but the more material things we have, the more time we spend taking care of them…we all know the present state of the economy…perhaps this is the work the Lord is now doing with us…giving us more time with Him and our neighbor and helping one another to get through this life in a more simple way…

May be the simplicity isn’t dealing with the weakness of the church parishes…may be we need to make time for the Lord in adoration and the service of others.

Depend more on Christ, assert yourself in Him, and not expect the parish leadership to be all for everyone…they are already overworked.

Happy New Year!

 

[Lib_Christian]

For a second i had to check and see if I posted on the wrong thread…nope, its not on topic. The Apostolic Succession of a Church is not the issue here.

Well in a way it is. All the added things, requirements, rules. the successors have added to the faith Christ gave us in Scripture. Yes I know bind and loose and keys and all of that. But there have been plenty of people who have had their lives destroyed by blind faith in another human being.

 

[Lib_Christian]

Our family attended a Community Church for Christmas. Our teenagers felt much more comfortable. The music was excellent and inspiring, we knew people there, the kids had friends there too. The kids have rejected the Catholic Church, mostly because of the deadness of our parish, the only one in our rural area.

We plan to seek spiritual nourishment at the Community Church from now on. The alternative is that the kids become more and more alienated.

I think what kept us in the Church previously are the endless mandatory rules made to bind Catholics to the Church and not seek out alternatives. This gives the Church a monopoly on our spiritual lives, yet allowing them to deliver a low quality product. We have been very faithful over the years, always participated when there were feeble attempts to get programs started.

This Community Church has a bible study for teenagers at the 10 AM Sunday service taught by the mother of my daughter’s best friend. She’s excited about it.

Another thing that clarified things, sad to say, was all the negativity at this site. There’s a lot of anger right now in the Catholic Church. I don’t like the spirit of the Traditionalists, they seem to want the Church to be a museum and find anything contemporary an anathema.

My children really like the life teen Masses but they are too far away for us to drive to. People here seem to think they are offensive to God. I think that’s a shame.

Middleman, I completely understand where you are coming from. I’ve been a non practicing Catholic for a long time in the eyes of the Church. I long too for a simpler faith without all the added rules and regulations I can’t seem to find in Scripture. There are of course a lot of examples. But for instance I know the Bible speaks of fasting. But I can’t find where it says we are required to fast on specifc days. Or where we were not allowed to eat meat on any Fri of the yr at one time but now only on Fridays of Lent. To me fasting should not be forced on certain dates but should come from within our hearts Where mortal sins vs venial are defined. Where it’s a mortal sin to miss Mass but something else is venial. Where today a Friday is a holy day of obligation because someone said it’s a holy day of obligation. Where while Christ obviously allowed Peter to be married suddenly someone at some later date in history decrees otherwise.

If someone decides to tell me to jump off a bridge and I don’t swim, I’m going to think twice. But that’s me.

I also see your point about the “traditionalists”. But oh well. We each do the best we can on our walks with Christ. Blessings in your new spiritual home. Christ may be in the RCC for many but Christ is in your new home too. May he nourish you abundantly. God bless you.

 

[that_name]

Satan has a slick marketing manager and Madison Ave ad campaign. he can draw em away from Jesus so easily.

Prayers that you come home to the practice of Christianity, the Holy Catholic Church.

 

[Lib_Christian]

Satan has a slick marketing manager and Madison Ave ad campaign. he can draw em away from Jesus so easily.

Prayers that you come home to the practice of Christianity, the Holy Catholic Church.

I know the current Pope has used the term “ecclesiastical communities” but when did the Church quit referring to others as not Christian? The Church doesn’t believe any longer that non Catholic Christians are Christians? But doesn’t she accept baptisms performed in other Christian churches?

 

[that_name]

The OP is the one who used the term Christians to apply to non-Catholics. He needs to know that the first and true Christians ARE Catholic.

 

[Lib_Christian]

The OP is the one who used the term Christians to apply to non-Catholics. He needs to know that the first and true Christians ARE Catholic.

Name, ok. I think you’re saying your belief is they are indeed practicing Chrisianity then just not fully. Thanks. For a moment there I thought when you said to come home to Christianity that you were saying they weren’t Christian.

 

[Middleman]

Middleman, I completely understand where you are coming from. I’ve been a non practicing Catholic for a long time in the eyes of the Church. I long too for a simpler faith without all the added rules and regulations I can’t seem to find in Scripture. There are of course a lot of examples. But for instance I know the Bible speaks of fasting. But I can’t find where it says we are required to fast on specifc days. Or where we were not allowed to eat meat on any Fri of the yr at one time but now only on Fridays of Lent. To me fasting should not be forced on certain dates but should come from within our hearts Where mortal sins vs venial are defined. Where it’s a mortal sin to miss Mass but something else is venial. Where today a Friday is a holy day of obligation because someone said it’s a holy day of obligation. Where while Christ obviously allowed Peter to be married suddenly someone at some later date in history decrees otherwise.

If someone decides to tell me to jump off a bridge and I don’t swim, I’m going to think twice. But that’s me.

I also see your point about the “traditionalists”. But oh well. We each do the best we can on our walks with Christ. Blessings in your new spiritual home. Christ may be in the RCC for many but Christ is in your new home too. May he nourish you abundantly. God bless you.

Thanks for the well thought out post. I agree totally.

 

[Ignatius]

The Church doesn’t believe any longer that non Catholic Christians are Christians?

Never has. You have been gravely misinformed.

But doesn’t she accept baptisms performed in other Christian churches?

You are sadly once again misinformed. The Church has always accepted valid baptisms from other Christian churches.

When you are told something about The Catholic Church, the best way to do a quick fact check is to look it up in The Catechism of The Catholic Church. amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-U-S/dp/0385479670

 

[Lib_Christian]

Never has. You have been gravely misinformed.

You are sadly once again misinformed. The Church has always accepted valid baptisms from other Christian churches.

Ignatius, you may have misunderstood my post. I was probably unclear. I was asking… Doesn’t the Church believe other Christians are Christians? And you said never has. Am I understanding your answer correctly? I’m sorry. I must have been misinformed because I thought the Catholic Church has at least considered other Christians as Christian. And I was surprised that_ name said to return to Christianity.

And I was asking… Doesn’t the Church recognize other Christian baptisms? You said yes which is what I thought. Which was my point. I didn’t understand why that_name said to return to Christianity if other Christian baptisms are accepted which we agree they are.

Thanks for the links though. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Bbigam]

Middleman, your parish may be dead in many ways, and if so, that is sad, and it’s a shame there aren’t other parishes nearby.

But at your Catholic parish you can receive the Sacraments - most especially, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord in the Eucharist. You simply can’t get that in the community church.

I know others have touched on this but I just wanted to emphasize it.

 

[Answersplease]

Our family attended a Community Church for Christmas. Our teenagers felt much more comfortable. The music was excellent and inspiring, we knew people there, the kids had friends there too. The kids have rejected the Catholic Church, mostly because of the deadness of our parish, the only one in our rural area.

We plan to seek spiritual nourishment at the Community Church from now on. The alternative is that the kids become more and more alienated.

I think what kept us in the Church previously are the endless mandatory rules made to bind Catholics to the Church and not seek out alternatives. This gives the Church a monopoly on our spiritual lives, yet allowing them to deliver a low quality product. We have been very faithful over the years, always participated when there were feeble attempts to get programs started.

This Community Church has a bible study for teenagers at the 10 AM Sunday service taught by the mother of my daughter’s best friend. She’s excited about it.

Another thing that clarified things, sad to say, was all the negativity at this site. There’s a lot of anger right now in the Catholic Church. I don’t like the spirit of the Traditionalists, they seem to want the Church to be a museum and find anything contemporary an anathema.

My children really like the life teen Masses but they are too far away for us to drive to. People here seem to think they are offensive to God. I think that’s a shame.

Our family attended a Community Church for Christmas. Our teenagers felt much more comfortable. The music was excellent and inspiring, we knew people there, the kids had friends there too. The kids have rejected the Catholic Church, mostly because of the deadness of our parish,

The Man of Sorrows

The Suffering Servant

Do you pick up your cross daily and follow The Lord?

Should not “Christians” be like Christ?

Or would you rather dance and sing with your new found “friends”? What does it profit you or your family to gain the world and lose your souls?
The Catholic Church is the Church that is most attacked by the secular world. If the world hated Jesus The Christ, then they will also hate His servants.

1 John 4:5-6
They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

1 Corinthians 11:19-20
No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.
When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat,

1 Corinthians 11:22
Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

John 6:51-55
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, **“How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?” **
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
**For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. **

John 6:60-61
Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you?"

John 6:66-68**
As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. **
Jesus then said to the Twelve, **“Do you also want to leave?” **
Simon Peter answered him, **"Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. **

John 10:25-27
Jesus answered them, **"I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. **
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
**My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. **

Matthew 13:9
He who has ears, let him hear."

 

[Church_Militant]

Sadly, our parish is lacking in youth activities.

Every time I hear something like that my first thought is ,“Well, why in God’s name don’t YOU do something to help with that?!” Why is it the pastor’s job or the head of religious education. IMO it’s lame for people to decry a lack in their parish when they themselves aren’t willing to answer the need and (as Our Lord told St. Francis of Assisi) build His Church.

My teenagers are totally turned off to the Catholic faith. My daughter tells me that other Christians are more enthusiastic about God and Jesus. … She says the youth group never says anything negative about the Catholic faith, by the way. In actuality, our parish does seem dead.

Because you pew warming people won’t get off your cans and make the effort to do what is needed to teach your own kids the truths that make the Catholic faith and volunteer so that your own and everyone else’s kids benefit.

It’s probably too late for you guys…but I’m gonna lay down this “rant” and I want you to remember this down the road when you get a real look at what goes on behind the scenes in that happy clappy church that you are leaving the one true faith for. I know…I already been there and got all the tee shirts that are now car wash rags…
My Testimony

Even though I’ll always love aspects of the Catholic faith and will always consider myself Catholic, I think it’s too complicated.

[sign1]BINGO!!![/sign1] There’s the whole crux of the matter.

Christian TRUTH is never as simple as all these sparkly comunities try to make it out to be and anyone who tells you that is either grossly ignorant of the Word of God (all 73 books of it!) or has already been deceived into “the simplicity of the Gospel”, an error that is nowhere found in the Bible. It’s a complete myth that has only existed since sometime after the “Reformation”.

Want simplicity? No problem…

1. 
   *]You will no longer have to get your lazy carcass up and go to church every week. It’s no longer a sin to not attend church when you don’t want to. (Just ignore that 3rd commandment.)
   
   *]You no longer have to go to confession. You can just have a quiet time alone with God and everything is peachy keen jelly bean. (Just ignore all the New Testament scriptures that deal with the FACT that Our Dear Precious Lord specifically ordained the Church (His Church.…not those who separate themselves from it) to hear and forgive or retain sins. (Catholic Confession & Scriptures About Penance & “I Find No Sacraments In the Bible” he said.)
   ]Just try to ignore all the New Testament scriptures (as well the writings of the Early Church Fathers!) that specifically tell us about the Eucharist and how important to our spiritual lives. (John 6:53] 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 The Eucharist IS Scriptural
   ]Go ahead and believe (if you can) that all it will take for you and your kids to get to Heaven is for you to "confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" and just try to ignore the 25th Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel and the fact that Jesus Himself said in John 14, "15] "If you love me, you will keep my commandments"
   

   I’ve read a lot here at this site that confirms that thought. I really don’t want to deal with so much complication in my relationship with God right now.

   So for you it is easier to sacrifice truth for the sake of “simplicity” and a community that smiles and claps and plays almost rock and roll music for its “hymns” and nothing else matters? That’s pitiful IMO and I urge you to rethink your plans because you are making a very serious spiritual mistake. No one says that you and your kids have to be theologians, but your remarks show a lack of commitment to the truth.
   
   You very desperately need to check it all out and get the facts and make an informed decision. One that insures that you and your family are not misled by superficial things like music and “enthusiasm” into a community that actually has nothing else to offer.
   

   I don’t feel like dragging my children to Mass anymore.

   We haven’t gone to Mass much in the last 6 months. I think our family will be looking for a simpler faith.To me it’s pretty simple. What is Heaven worth to you and your kids?
   
   What is TRUTH worth to you? You want easy? Go ahead…but if you have any sense or interest at all in what is really true Christianity, then you’ll seriously reconsider what you are doing.

 

[Church_Militant]

Middleman, your parish may be dead in many ways, and if so, that is sad, and it’s a shame there aren’t other parishes nearby.

But at your Catholic parish you can receive the Sacraments - most especially, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord in the Eucharist. You simply can’t get that in the community church.

I know others have touched on this but I just wanted to emphasize it.

What’s it worth to you Middleman?

Look what suffering it was worth to Him.
http://www.themostholytrinity.org/images/crucifix.jpg

 

[Hiskid1973]

Our family has been invited to a breakfast at the small community church where my teenagers attend a non-denominational youth group. Sadly, our parish is lacking in youth activities. My teenagers are totally turned off to the Catholic faith. My daughter tells me that other Christians are more enthusiastic about God and Jesus. She thinks that most people in our church are dead in their faith. She says the youth group never says anything negative about the Catholic faith, by the way. I believe her on that, she’s a very forthright young lady. In actuality, our parish does seem dead.

May the Lord bless, guide and draw you all closer to Him in this next year…

 

[ConfusedTim]

My wife and kids went to an evangelical church when i was in my agnostic years. At the time they all said the church they went to never spoke against the Catholic church and that they saw everyone as Christians and “it didnt matter about religion”. My wife and kids accepted that and rolled with it because they liked the style of the service and fellowship.

Then i started showing more of an interest and with my wife began reading about the history of the church, the bible and the church fathers. As my wife and i learned more and asked more questions she realsied how wrong the evngelical teaching was and how important the sacraments were to her and so returned to the Catholic faith. However, because she had made so many friends in the church i suggested that she should continue to attend the evangelical church (she of course goes to mass) on ocassion to keep in touch. Two key things have happened:

1. many of the friends she though she had in that church were not really friends and some now completely ignore her because of her “lack of commitment”
2. She now sees the evangelical service with it 30 minute preaching, soft rock music and numerous video clips as shallow and tedious.

 

[Lib_Christian]

because she had made so many friends in the church i suggested that she should continue to attend the evangelical church (she of course goes to mass) on ocassion to keep in touch. Two key things have happened:

1. many of the friends she though she had in that church were not really friends and some now completely ignore her because of her “lack of commitment”
2. She now sees the evangelical service with it 30 minute preaching, soft rock music and numerous video clips as shallow and tedious.

Tim, trust me.a similar thing can be found in the Catholic Church. Probably all churches. Nowadays if a Catholic is less committed than another there are Catholics who will even go so far to say someone is not a Catholic when in fact according to the Church they are.

I would love soft rock. A relative attends Mass where guitar and drums are played. Supposedly a parish near me has contemporary music at one of their Sun morning Masses. I might check it out sometime.

 

[yellowbird]

How sad. I hope you remember you can always come back home.