More Mormon looking to Catholicism questions...

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Welcome to CAF xpirategrrlx!
xpirategrrlx said:
As I read, I notice the two religions are very different (I grew up thinking the similar) and a few points confuse me. When it comes to the Trinity, I find the concept confusing. So, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three, but one? Or one but three? Am I just reading too much into it?
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God is one being; one substance. There is only one God. God consists in three persons. Each of these persons are in and of themselves God. I am one person who consists in one being. We must be careful not to think of the persons of the Trinity as “modes” of God, as in the Father has one task, the Son has another, and the Holy Spirit yet another, in regards to God’s relationship with humanity.
Also, when it comes to prayer, are all prayers memorized or do you freely speak with God?
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Catholics are urged to do both. Scripted prayers are especially good for two occasions: (1) public worship, and (2) situations in which our own words utterly fail us. I’ll usually mention personal petitions imbedded between scripted prayers during the times of day I specifically set aside for prayer, otherwise throughout my day there do come times when I find myself in sudden need of divine mercy. It’s during these times I’ll usually offer up a very impromptu, completely informal prayer. The choices are entirely yours.
Is there a certain way I should open and end a prayer?
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No. Unlike Mormonism, the Catholic Church does not teach that for your prayers to efficacious you must start with “Dear Heavenly Father” and end it in Jesus’ name. God hears us everywhere we are, and it’s our intention that matters. It’s customary to end prayers with a simple “Amen”, but even that is strictly not necessary. During liturgical prayers such as those you’ll hear at Mass, prayers are usually more formally addressed to God, and then closed using some form of the Trinity (or simply in Jesus’ name). Some examples you’ll hear are: “Through Christ our Lord, Amen.” or if explicitly addressed to the Father: “Through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit. One God for ever and ever. Amen”
What is the correct way to do the Cross? I used to do the cross after our dinner prayer as a child, but after my conversion, I stopped and it has been many years.
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There technically is no correct way, and the exact manner in which Christians sign themselves will depend on cultural traditions, family traditions, and quite often local traditions. Generally speaking, Western Christians (Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, etc.) sign themselves top-bottom-left-right, while Eastern Christians (the various Orthodox) sign from right to left. Among both groups I’ve seen two fingers, three fingers, three fingers in the shape of ICX, the pinky and ring finger folded to the palm with the other three to a point, all five fingers, among all other conceivable varieties. Each form typically carries with it its own symbolism. You may find this helpful en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_of_the_Cross#Gesture .
Do you pray directly to God or through saints?
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Both. I pray directly to God, and I also ask my friends in Heaven (the Saints) to pray for me to God. I also ask my friends on Earth to pray for me. Just as you were taught as a Mormon, technically speaking a Saint is any member of the Body of Christ. The Saints in Heaven (compared to the Saints on Earth) are, however, in a league of their own, as they’ve already endured to the end, and are reaping their celestial reward. As James 5:16 tells us, the prayers of the righteous are quite effective. We can’t think of anyone more righteous than a person already in Heaven.
I would ask my mother some of these things, but she is out and about and I’d rather not disturb her during her ME time!
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You’re a good kid 🙂
 
Thank you! And I try very hard to be a good kid, even in my adult years! (I guess it’s my way of making up for my smart-alek attitude during my teen years.) 🙂
 
kimg901 said:
Hey pirate, you have cometo the right place if you want questions regarding the Catholic Faith. It would also be wise to use the Ask An Apologist Forum. They are a great help. And if you want (which I strongly suggest) buy a Catechism Of The Catholic Church. Its a great book but a long read. May God Bless you.
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Yes, but you don’t have to read it all at once. God Bless, Memaw
 
TeenageConvert said:
I think the best analogy for the Holy Trinity has already been given so I’ll answer the other two.
I believe it was Thomas Aquinas who said that prayers(like Hail Marys) are a great way to prepare the mind for prayer(true communication with God).
You don’t have to use memorized prayers, nor do you have to make up your own in personal prayer, but I can’t imagine having a healthy prayer life if it’s missing either of those.
Catholics begin and end prayer with the sign of the cross.
And the sign of the cross is rather simple, forehead, heart, left shoulder, right shoulder. (in Orthodox/Eastern traditions, you go right to left)
After I make the sign of the cross, I always make a cross with my index finger and thumb and kiss it(It’s a tradition in several different cultures, and I really like it so I incorporate it)
There are a lot of traditions you can add to the regular sign of cross, none of them are necessary or make you holier than the next person though of course lol
As far as praying directly to God or to the Saints- it’s not a competition and neither one is mutually exclusive. You pray to the Saints to pray for you, may sound confusing, but how often have you asked a friend to pray for you? It’s exactly the same! The saints are alive in Heaven, and have experienced and overcome the trials of earth! Also, the prayer of a righteous man avails much!(somewhere in James 😊 ) You pray to God and also invoke the Saints to join you in prayer.

Hope I helped!
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And thank you for your analogy on praying to the Saints. It is just like asking a friend to pray for you!! That is so true!! Now, I know why we should pray to them to pray for us.
 
Or… God is a bit like an egg. An egg, is there to bring forth life, it is shell, albumen and yoke, three distinct parts but one egg and one purpose. The shell protects, the albumen enables the embryo to float and develop well, the yoke is sustenance, three but one. The shell alone is just that, as is the albumen and yoke, alone they do not make an egg. The three together do, it is complete, three in one.
Very simple I know, but it has helped me to understand.
Be careful if you ever use this analogy in childrens liturgy, it’s possible that one of the children may announce that today we learned that God is an egg…hemm
 
lynnettejane said:
Or… God is a bit like an egg. An egg, is there to bring forth life, it is shell, albumen and yoke, three distinct parts but one egg and one purpose. The shell protects, the albumen enables the embryo to float and develop well, the yoke is sustenance, three but one. The shell alone is just that, as is the albumen and yoke, alone they do not make an egg. The three together do, it is complete, three in one.
Very simple I know, but it has helped me to understand.
Be careful if you ever use this analogy in childrens liturgy, it’s possible that one of the children may announce that today we learned that God is an egg…hemm
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I remember in all my infinite childhood wisdom a lesson on tithing. That night, I got a jar for my tithe money and when mom asked why, I explained it was for tithing and God was going to come down and collect the money. I have no idea how I came to that conclusion!!!
 
xpirategrrlx said:
I remember in all my infinite childhood wisdom a lesson on tithing. That night, I got a jar for my tithe money and when mom asked why, I explained it was for tithing and God was going to come down and collect the money. I have no idea how I came to that conclusion!!!
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:rotfl: I remember one child who was watching his grandparent plant eggplants. Well, you get the picture. the child literally thought he could plant a chicken egg in the ground. lol.
 
Becca3 said:
:rotfl: I remember one child who was watching his grandparent plant eggplants. Well, you get the picture. the child literally thought he could plant a chicken egg in the ground. lol.
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Kids are too cute like that! At the speed my family goes through eggs, it would be nice to have a tree to grow them on though!
 
lynnettejane said:
Or… God is a bit like an egg. An egg, is there to bring forth life, it is shell, albumen and yoke, three distinct parts but one egg and one purpose. The shell protects, the albumen enables the embryo to float and develop well, the yoke is sustenance, three but one. The shell alone is just that, as is the albumen and yoke, alone they do not make an egg. The three together do, it is complete, three in one.
Very simple I know, but it has helped me to understand.
Be careful if you ever use this analogy in childrens liturgy, it’s possible that one of the children may announce that today we learned that God is an egg…hemm
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I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but this analogy is a very bad one, particularly so because it lead you to conclude the bolded part which, if applied to the Trinity, is actually heretical. Each person of the Trinity is fully God, in and of themselves. God the Father is fully God. Jesus the Son is fully God. The Holy Spirit is fully God. None of them rely on the others to be God, and they are not “parts” of God.
 
For me, the Holy Trinity is best understood in what God has revealed about Himself.

Father, who has revealed the Son, and the Son also reveals the Father. Father and Son who reveal the Spirit. The Spirit who reveals to each heart the Father and the Son.

God has revealed Himself as ONE. Mormonism attempts to explain ONE, in ways that divide God, and further define God as one of many possible gods (plurality of gods). God has revealed that there are no other Gods. There is only GOD. Mormonism also teaches that God becomes, while God has revealed Himself as God who is (I AM).

I accept what God has revealed about Himself, rationally. The how of the Holy Trinity, three Persons, One God, is what us creatures are not able to comprehend. This is where the metaphors come in, but all metaphors ultimately fail in some fashion.
 
xixxvmcm85 said:
I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but this analogy is a very bad one, particularly so because it lead you to conclude the bolded part which, if applied to the Trinity, is actually heretical. Each person of the Trinity is fully God, in and of themselves. God the Father is fully God. Jesus the Son is fully God. The Holy Spirit is fully God. None of them rely on the others to be God, and they are not “parts” of God.
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AMEN, God Bless, Memaw
 
I saw this thread late and should have looked here for answers instead of posting my own thread. Now I know atleast haha

But whats a good starting point for a person that’s not too familiar with Catholicism? I’m actually quite interested in learning about the Catholic faith
 
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