Longing for a simpler faith

[gurneyhalleck1]

Depending on the Catholic parish, not all are envigorating, exciting, enthusiastic places of worship. While I am not always thrilled with my parish in every respect, I am pleased that we have at least four priests hearing confessions twice a week and you can bet your bottom dollar that the lines are LOOOONG. It’s great. And we have Eucharistic Adoration in a lovely chapel 24/7 that has breathed real life into the parish. We have a great school, a strong music ministry, a solid youth group, and five priests.

I have left the Catholic Church before and both times it was for emotional, selfish reasons, trivial ones at that. I have always left feeling empty and knowing that I left behind the REAL Church that Christ Himself built on the Rock of Peter. Walking away from Catholicism to the Anglican Church I left a Church that:

has apostolic succession and thus valid sacraments
Peter (where there is Peter, there is the Church)
has confession and reconciliation
has Eucharistic Adoration
has Marian devotion in a deep, meaningful way
the catechism and the truth spelled out
dogma, theology, doctrine, order, coherence
2,000 years of rich tradition, devotion, and truth
an all-male priesthood that understands the nature of said priesthood
a holistic faith that teaches scripture, tradition, magisterium together not separate

And what I left it for was a fill-in-the-blank church that lacked these things. No one could agree on squat and the whole thing was icing with no filling.

Be careful in leaving. I left twice, regretted it both times and felt apart from Christ in a sad way. Don’t depend on youth groups and bible study folks to motivate your kids about what it means to be Catholic. I read books on Catholicism and Bible stories to my three little ones constantly, teach them their prayers, explain everything at Mass, we drive across California looking at the magnificent Spanish California Missions. We watch DVD’s on the life of Christ, I watch EWTN and they see me into my faith. I take them to Mass and we go to Adoration. I expose them to priests and people of faith. Your kids don’t need youth groups. Expose them to Catholic media, rely on the Holy Spirit and yourself to get them into their faith. I really pray for you and caution you about exposing them to Protestantism in any form.

 

[yellowbird]

Middleman,
You said in your heart you were Catholic and always would be. It sounds like your faith in the Church is certain? Did you grow up Catholic? If so, how did your parents do it? Did you go to thriving youth groups as a young Catholic? Because it seems like that’s a fairly recent reason why parents our age with teenagers leave the Catholic Church? I just can’t imagine Catholic parents 50 years ago saying to each other, "Well, we know this is the true church, but for the sake of the kids let’s go be Baptist because they have the fun Sunday School Classes? What’s up with parents of today… willing to walk away from the Eucharist so easily for their kids? You aren’t the only parent I know who has suggested this… is our generation of parents just that superficial?

 

[KathleenGee]

I am a Catholic parent trying to pass my faith on to my children with so much opposition from the world, both up front and behind the scene. They were very high in their faith and came down for a number of reasons.

The deacon who headed evangelization in my diocese said his kids wouldn’t listen to him…

Kids just don’t mind their parents. This relationship needs constant work, this ongoing renewal of respect and love.

I am finding that for my kids to get strong again in their faith…they need to see me witness.

Some women, affluent, upper middle class, invited me to pray at an abortion center. I was scared. My pastor went the first time. As we were finishing, I saw a familiar person smile at me and walk on. Later that day, my son called in shock that he had heard what I did and then I remembered that man was the dean of students at the school…He always smiled at me since then.

Now that they are on their own, and I have been very, very, very burned out…where I can’t attend children’s Masses, I am recuperating. This New Years I shared a little testimony, and saw that it had strengthened them. I am hoping to learn how to use my new digital camera so I can take pictures of the school bus with kids in it going through the porn shop parking lot to pick up the children who live next to it, Our state has a low moral fiber and nobody around me even cares…so I am sticking my neck out.

People need to get more training on the liturgy and sacraments…you have to work at participating in it and learn more about your faith…ongoing!

 

[Teneas]

As with the person that started this thread, as I have said already, my wife and I have a hard time with our parish. It doesn’t feed us both in the word and the Eucharist. We decided to finally go to the third parish in the area to try it out. Well, we all were almost weeping this morning, at our first mass there. My mother, father, myself, and my wife all had tears in our eyes. It felt like home. Now time will tell how it will work out, but the point is this: Step outside what you normally would do, I do not mean leave the Church, and rely upon Christ. Put faith in him, and try another parish, even if you have to drive for 30 mins or so to get there.

It just might pay off.

We are just so happy to have found what we think is our new home.

 

[Carlan]

As with the person that started this thread, as I have said already, my wife and I have a hard time with our parish. It doesn’t feed us both in the word and the Eucharist. We decided to finally go to the third parish in the area to try it out. Well, we all were almost weeping this morning, at our first mass there. My mother, father, myself, and my wife all had tears in our eyes. It felt like home. Now time will tell how it will work out, but the point is this: Step outside what you normally would do, I do not mean leave the Church, and rely upon Christ. Put faith in him, and try another parish, even if you have to drive for 30 mins or so to get there.

It just might pay off.

We are just so happy to have found what we think is our new home.

We live in such a noisy society this day and time. Can’t the last two gernerations accept that we attend mass to worship and not to be entertained. Escape to Mass and Eucharistc adoration and be with the Lord. It is up to today’s parents to teach and lead their family just as we parents did 60 years ago:doh2:.:sad_yes:Carlan

 

[Revert_43]

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.

Been there, done that. Left the Catholic Church for 6 years to a local small Evangelical Church (Christian and Missionary Alliance) for many of the same reasons you stated. Returned to the Catholic Church 3 years ago with a renewed faith and a deep longing for a richer relationship with God and the Traditions of the Catholic Church.

Here are my observations

• Folks in other churches are equally dead, no matter what Church, faith or denomination you belong you are responsible for your own faith building. This is important: the Catholic Mass is for Worship, the Evangelical Services I attended were for Teaching, big difference in the intent. So based on your quote do you think it’ll be easier at a different Church?
• The fellowship appears nice but it’s (or was in my case phony) for example, in 6 years I was a bunch of different small groups many of them were dissolved due to the disinterest of the members. Of course this doesn’t even include info discussed in the small groups was fuel for the latest church gossip…
• After the initial novelty wore off I was bothered by the lack of unity in basic doctrines. For example: some people (in the same church) believe OSAS, others didn’t. some believed Baptism was required, others didn’t. there were other issues also but these are basic doctrinal issues and members of the same church couldn’t agree.
• Many (NOT ALL) of these Churches are focused on growth period! Even if that means “sheep stealing” and poorly catechised Catholics are a targets. At the aforementioned church the leader was very frustrated because while the church had grown quite a bit 700+ members very few were new Christians, half the congregation was comprised of Church shoppers that liked the Pastors sermons and (half) were former Catholics.
• One more point, for those folks that attend these Churches for the Pastor’s Sermons… What happens when the Pastor retires, quits, feels called to some other location? The Church dies. Again the Evangelical Church I attended ended up with two separate buildings from the same denomination from previous churches that fizzled out (One of the buildings was the same building that planted the current Church). None of these buildings
  were in the town that the new Church wanted to build so this Church has two buildings that
  were being partially used, a Capital Campaign to buy land where they wanted to build and another Capital Campaign to build on that land. And you think the Catholic Church is complicated?

 

[KathleenGee]

Teneas,

I understand where you are, and thanks be to God for going that far…I drive about 8 miles…

I am so happy now after living in this new state without genuine Christian fellowship for almost 20 years…I know alot of people…but it is different when you share the same level of faith with others. This parish is 1/3 affluent but all wanted to start a new parish where all we see is the face of Christ in each other…and our pastor just focuses on the apostolic tradition in all his sermons and the saints in context of the liturgy…

Simple.

 

[peary1]

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.

It takes guts to be a Catholic Christian.

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.

Why is the Faith so complicated for you? What exactly is complicated? You pray, you go to Mass on Sundays, you live a Christian life as best you can. so, please tell me, why is that so complicated???

 

[Teneas]

We live in such a noisy society this day and time. Can’t the last two gernerations accept that we attend mass to worship and not to be entertained. Escape to Mass and Eucharistc adoration and be with the Lord. It is up to today’s parents to teach and lead their family just as we parents did 60 years ago:doh2:.:sad_yes:Carlan

Well considering I am 31 years old now, I don’t know how it was done 60 years ago. But, I do feel that a parish should feed it’s members with the word and the Eucharist. I don’t have to be entertained, I want to be challenged. I want to hear the truth, not some watered down PC stuff. I don’t care to have a priest that is to afraid to say it like it is. I want what you guys had back 60 years ago. I think the world would be better off these days, if people weren’t so dang “sensitive” about stuff. The Church does have a responsibility to speak the truth, and to feed us with the homilies as well as the Eucharist. It’s a rare thing these days though. I work a great deal with the Catholic young adults, 20-40 years of age, here in Atlanta. I am very involved in my community here. Hearing something firm, passionate, and driven is something I enjoy. It helps my faith.

Edit: I should add I am not asking to be entertained, as I have gone to a parish for the last 6 years or so that wouldn’t entertain a chimp. I have gone for the Eucharist and the word, of course. I just can’t take bad homilies with no feeling. Generic dribble. Priests deserve great respect, but they also should be held at a higher standard to teach us, drive us, and keep us moving forward. Not make us feel all warm and fuzzy, unless that just happens to happen, in which case, more power to it.

 

[ConfusedTim]

I dont understand comments about “not being fed” - as far as i am concerend going to mass is about praising God not about entertaining me.

 

[Carlan]

Well considering I am 31 years old now, I don’t know how it was done 60 years ago. But, I do feel that a parish should feed it’s members with the word and the Eucharist. I don’t have to be entertained, I want to be challenged. I want to hear the truth, not some watered down PC stuff. I don’t care to have a priest that is to afraid to say it like it is. I want what you guys had back 60 years ago. I think the world would be better off these days, if people weren’t so dang “sensitive” about stuff. The Church does have a responsibility to speak the truth, and to feed us with the homilies as well as the Eucharist. It’s a rare thing these days though. I work a great deal with the Catholic young adults, 20-40 years of age, here in Atlanta. I am very involved in my community here. Hearing something firm, passionate, and driven is something I enjoy. It helps my faith.

Edit: I should add I am not asking to be entertained, as I have gone to a parish for the last 6 years or so that wouldn’t entertain a chimp. I have gone for the Eucharist and the word, of course. I just can’t take bad homilies with no feeling. Generic dribble. Priests deserve great respect, but they also should be held at a higher standard to teach us, drive us, and keep us moving forward. Not make us feel all warm and fuzzy, unless that just happens to happen, in which case, more power to it.

I’ve yet to hear priests preach generic dribble. Always the truth, maybe not in the eloguent style you would prefer and all are not as gifted as Father Corapi.Carlan
eloquent

 

[Justin_Mee]

Middleman, I’m sad to hear that

I can’t describe what I felt when I discovered the Eucharist. THIS is what I longed for as a Protestant! all those times I worshipped God at my church and wanted to be closer to Him… unknowingly, this is what I wanted… and it was in the Catholic Church across the street! I was surprised to find out that in the Eucharist, Jesus unites Himself with us in such a substantial, intimate way… NOTHING I ever experienced in the Protestant church was like this. And I went to youth group, Sunday services, services, “revivals”, etc… all those times I felt God’s presence, they were like 1% of what I found in the Eucharist. That’s why whenever I hear someone say they want to leave the Catholic Church, I have to ask them… are you sure you know what you will be missing, if you leave have you ever read the writings of the Saints and how they spoke of the Eucharist? If you haven’t, here’s something: catholictradition.org/Classics/imitation4-1.htm#1

God bless

Right you are. If I did not believe that Jesus was present in body, blood, soul and divinity at the Eucharist, I would not be there. If you do, what could possible keep you away? Not fun and social hour at the local Protestant church, that’s for sure.

 

[Teneas]

I’ve yet to hear priests preach generic dribble. Always the truth, maybe not in the eloguent style you would prefer and all are not as gifted as Father Corapi.Carlan
eloquent

Yeah, not knocking them so to speak. Just can speak more as my blunt self on such a thread. I can be all kinds of nice and patient on other threads where it calls for it. Here, I can be the Catholic that I truly am.

I respect every single priest that there is. I look up to them greatly. I might be spoiled, as I had a very good friend of mine that was my priest for a long time, and it greatly helped my faith having a no nonsense type of guy as my pastor. I am a no nonsense type of guy as well.

Now I feel bad…those other priests that aren’t as passionate, or not as gifted in homilies are great to. I promise I mean that.

 

[Carlan]

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.

Please consider deeply what you are giving up,go here for a look at the truth.Carlan

 

[crm114]

Complicated? I don’t think so. Our Lord managed to summarize the entire law of the Torah in two Great Commandments! He summarized the most important of his teachings in the Beautitudes and the Our Father.

With that handful of bible stories, and a childlike faith in the sacraments, which are not available at megachurches, you have all of the necessary ingredients for a happy – and simple – Christian life.

Now when I Iisten to Pastor Hagee synthesizing end times fantasies from carefully selected and elaborately assembled fragments of the book of Daniel, the Apocalypse and a half dozen epistles, THAT is when I yearn for simplicity!

 

[Lib_Christian]

I think maybe what some find complicated is all the additions, rules, and regulations found in dogma and not in Scripture. How rules change. And they don’t believe Christ meant for it to be so complicated.

If I go to another parish it will be the 4th in my area. And driving 30 miles every wk is not really a feasible option for me personally.

 

[Lib_Christian]

What happens when the Pastor retires, quits, feels called to some other location?

You don’t think the face or persona of a parish can change when a priest leaves?

 

[Lib_Christian]

I respect every single priest that there is. I look up to them greatly

Even the child molesters? Ok you’re free to do so.

 

[ConfusedTim]

I think maybe what some find complicated is all the additions, rules, and regulations found in dogma and not in Scripture. How rules change. And they don’t believe Christ meant for it to be so complicated.

If I go to another parish it will be the 4th in my area. And driving 30 miles every wk is not really a feasible option for me personally.

LibChristian you seem a tortured soul and i pray that God guides you. I have never come across anyone who seems to focus more on the congregation and pastor rather than the personal worship of Jesus. You need to let Christ into your life.

 

[Revert_43]

You don’t think the face or persona of a parish can change when a priest leaves?

Did you read my entire thread?

The Evangelical Church I was attending was looking to build another Church building while in possession of two other physical buildings that had fizzled out. What happened to those Churches? What about the replacement pastors? The persona of those churches certainly changed…

My point being many non-Catholics go Church shopping and attend a Church based on the pastor, when the pastor leaves, for whatever reason, many members pack up and move on to the next “cool” pastor… It happens all the time, read the threads on CA.