Lost faith, having problems with what happened before I came back

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Throwaway15r

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Just over a year and bit ago, I experienced something incredibly traumatic. I almost died. This left me I an incredibly depressed state for months, unable to motivate myself to do anything, and apathetic in feeling, decisions and difficulty in mental processes, feeeling easily confused and distraught. I lost direction in catholic faith and vocation. During this time I explored other religions and doctrines. Unfortunately during this time I said yes in a very private meeting to embracing a new faith, although I felt as I’ve described, feeling pressured by those around me, not exactly understanding everything about that faith and not fully wanting to join it. I guess that because I was confused and frustrated I just wanted to disassociate from Christianity. I have been to confession and repented, pretty much immediately afterwards, but I need to know if this would be considered as having legitimately converted to another religion and left the church? It’s causing me real distress.
 
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Please don’t distress yourself. You have been through a great deal.
You confessed, and now please allow yourself to move forward.
After suffering depression, the last thing you need is the stress of worry and guilt feelings.
You were misled when you were depressed and vulnerable.

Having gone to Confession and confessed to the priest, be sure of God’s forgiveness.

God has given you the grace to return to Him and you accepted that grace.
May God grant you many blessings in your new beginning within the Church.
The past is done and forgiven in the Holy Sacrament.
 
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True repentance brings what you are suffering right now. Sorrow for your sins. Here is something that might help you…

http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/BEATITUDES/Lesson_4.htm
Matthew 5:4: Blessed are they who mourn .

When we become “poor in spirit,” we admit we need God. We realize that we are insufficient without Him. “Poverty of spirit” expressed in childlike faith defines our relationship and brings us into the presence of the One True and Holy God. As we yield to spiritual childhood admitting poverty of spirit and kneel in His presence, the more clearly we see God. The more clearly we see God, the more we become aware of our imperfections. We become humbled in His holy presence and we feel the burden of our sins. The result is that in becoming aware of our sins "we mourn our transgressions. To repent and feel genuine sorrow for our sins is a natural outflow of surrender to God through “poverty of spirit.” There can be no forgiveness of sin without true repentance. In 1 John 1:9 the Apostle wrote: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We yearn to be purified in His presence and our cry becomes the cry of the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5
Click to expand...
 
The Lord has forgiven you, now you must forgivexyourself and move on…
 
I was faltering in faith, but I knew the Church was the one true Church. I was in a state of carelessness towards sin and was very spiritually slothful. I fell deep into sin, but I rebounded and my faith has been increased through God’s grace and the Bible. I’m bad at praying, but the Bible is something that helps me greatly.

If you are faltering in faith try this: try cutting secular entertainment out as much as possible. Read the Bible daily for at least 30 minutes and pray the Rosary.

You will be tempted to stop reading the Bible. Don’t give in! Read it for your love for God. Ask God to help you understand and take to heart what was read. Ask God to help you hate sin and love Him greatly. Even offer up your reading time as a prayer.

These have worked for me, but I’m not sure it’ll work for you as we are all different. Trust in the Lord, for nothing is impossible with Him.
 
During the time of the harsh persecutions of the Roman Empire, there were many apostates. Novatian believed they could not be forgiven if they choose to return. St. Ambrose wrote, On Repentance, to counter those errors of the Novatians. In the same sense, you may receive the assurance that you seek.
 
As a baptised Catholic you have an indelible mark of Grace which can never be removed from you. Even if you were to write to your bishop with your intent to leave the church and ask to be stricken from any formal recognition of your Catholicism, this would still not be sufficient to remove the Grace of God which flows through the church by your baptism to you. You might choose to resist or reject this grace, but it doesn’t change its presence or the fact that said Grace is the mark of the church and it’s new covenant with God.

You’ve confessed and returned. That’s that. If you still feel distressed perhaps you could assign yourself a reconciliatory penance, such as spend time in thankful prayer that God’s grace continued to act on you while you wandered and brought you home. By spending time in prayer, you may come to understand and appreciate more fully that, like the prodigal son, God never stopped His love and blessings for you.

All that said, welcome back home! Peace and love be with you!
 
You can never really leave the Church. In baptism, you are claimed for Christ for all time and your soul is permanently marked out accordingly. You can be non-practicing, or even actively practicing a different faith. But all that is required by the Church is for you to come to confession and to resume the Catholic life.
 
I legit LOL’d at this. When my husband and I were dating we went through a time of visiting other churches. His mom’s exact words (said in a thick Italian accent), “You can say you are whatever you want but you’ll always be Catholic.”

Boom. Done.
 
my biggest advice to you, is no matter what happens, no matter what incident or life traumatic event occurs, dont let it ever stray you from the truth, I too was involved in something serious over a year ago and sought help from professionals, none which were catholic, and i noticed they did nothing but give me bad advice, there is a lot of advice out there in the free world, but the truth will never go away… the truth is catholicism, the best thing you can do is go to confession and go to church, that will give you your resolve, im not saying dont listen to professionals, but dont let them take you away from the faith just because they dont practice
 
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