More Mormon looking to Catholicism questions...

[xpirategrrlx]

I apologize again for what I’m sure are very basic knowledges to Catholics and thank you for the kindness and patience this community has shown me.

As the time for my first Mass approaches (well, the first mass I will attend as an investigator), I have been studying literature sent my way and praying for guidance and am only overcome by a strong feeling that this is the direction I need to go, that there is something here that I have been looking for.

It’s a feeling I never had in all my years of praying about being Mormon.

I had a good talk with my mom about the Catholic Church and why, after all these years and missionary discussions with Dad’s church, she never changed.

Her answer was that she belongs to the Church and has never felt the desire to search because she feels right and at home there.

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?

Also, when it comes to prayer, are all prayers memorized or do you freely speak with God? Is there a certain way I should open and end a prayer? 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. Do you pray directly to God or through saints?

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!

 

[dronald]

Even Paul admits that the concept of the Trinity is not meant to be fully understood:

Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

[jediliz]

Saint Patrick explained the trinity to citizens of Ireland like this: He used a clover with three leaves to explain that God is like the one Clover, but with three leaves…three leaves are all part of one clover. Three persons=one God.

I’d suggest looking up the Early Church Fathers like Saint Ignatius, Saint Justin Martyr, etc to help you learn more about Early Christians and how they worshiped. Also the Didache (Which you can actually get as an ebook on Amazon) which explains much of the way the Early Christians worshiped, baptism routines, etc.

Mike Aqualina’s book Mass of the Early Christians is a good book to read before or after you go to your first Mass.

Hope that helps you a little.

what do you mean by “do the cross”? Do you mean the

 

[xpirategrrlx]

what do you mean by “do the cross”? Do you mean the

Thank you! The clover description was like a lightbulb moment for me. And yes, that’s what I mean. Do you have to go right to left? Left to right? Or does it matter?

 

[dronald]

Saint Patrick explained the trinity to citizens of Ireland like this: He used a clover with three leaves to explain that God is like the one Clover, but with three leaves…three leaves are all part of one clover. Three persons=one God.

God bless you, and I see what you’re saying but I actually disagree with this analogy!

Only because the Trinity believes that Jesus is fully God, the Holy Spirit is fully God and the Father is fully God. So basically this analogy would only work if each leaf was not only the leaf but the entire clover.

My favourite Trinity analogy is this: We have a soul, and we have a body, and yet our soul and body are one, even though they are separate. The soul is not the body and the body is not the soul, but yet the soul and the body are still one.

 

[xpirategrrlx]

My favourite Trinity analogy is this: We have a soul, and we have a body, and yet our soul and body are one, even though they are separate. The soul is not the body and the body is not the soul, but yet the soul and the body are still one.

This makes sense to me as well.

 

[Allegra]

There are many different kinds of prayers. There are memorized prayers that are meant for praying with the whole Church as well as private meditation. Meditative prayers involve reciting certain prayers like the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary and contemplating the mysteries of Christ’s life. One can also contemplate Scripture, and the psalms are often really good for this. And of course, one can talk directly to God by praising Him, thanking Him for his goodness, and asking for His help. One can also speak to the saints and ask them to pray for one’s intentions as well.

 

[xpirategrrlx]

There are many different kinds of prayers. There are memorized prayers that are meant for praying with the whole Church as well as private meditation. Meditative prayers involve reciting certain prayers like the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary and contemplating the mysteries of Christ’s life. One can also contemplate Scripture, and the psalms are often really good for this. And of course, one can talk directly to God by praising Him, thanking Him for his goodness, and asking for His help. One can also speak to the saints and ask them to pray for one’s intentions as well.

Thank you.

 

[Surnaturel]

I apologize again for what I’m sure are very basic knowledges to Catholics and thank you for the kindness and patience this community has shown me.

As the time for my first Mass approaches (well, the first mass I will attend as an investigator), I have been studying literature sent my way and praying for guidance and am only overcome by a strong feeling that this is the direction I need to go, that there is something here that I have been looking for.

It’s a feeling I never had in all my years of praying about being Mormon.

I had a good talk with my mom about the Catholic Church and why, after all these years and missionary discussions with Dad’s church, she never changed.

Her answer was that she belongs to the Church and has never felt the desire to search because she feels right and at home there.

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?

Also, when it comes to prayer, are all prayers memorized or do you freely speak with God? Is there a certain way I should open and end a prayer? 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. Do you pray directly to God or through saints?

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!

Good for you! I hope we all can encourage you to accept the path God leads you in. Prayer is usually began and concluded with the ‘sign of the cross.’ We speak to God freely on a daily basis but there are some formulas that we can elect to use for, say, grace before meals for example.

The Trinity is confusing, but the oneness of God is an ontological necessity yet revelation reveals the three persons which are reconciled in the Trinity. The idea is that God the Father is the unoriginate cause but from eternity he generates the Son from his own essence from which, then, the self-giving of the Father and Son spirate the Holy Spirit. All are equal and consubstantial with the same will and essence but are different persons with different relations.

 

[Becca3]

God bless you, and I see what you’re saying but I actually disagree with this analogy!

Only because the Trinity believes that Jesus is fully God, the Holy Spirit is fully God and the Father is fully God. So basically this analogy would only work if each leaf was not only the leaf but the entire clover.

My favourite Trinity analogy is this: We have a soul, and we have a body, and yet our soul and body are one, even though they are separate. The soul is not the body and the body is not the soul, but yet the soul and the body are still one.

That is possibly the best analogy one can get with understanding the Trinity! Thank you! I agree with xpirate tho. I will have a hard time memorizing prayers cuz my memory is not what it used to be. (Getting old ). I just speak from my heart which I think is what God really wants from us.

 

[Robyn_p]

Thank you! The clover description was like a lightbulb moment for me. And yes, that’s what I mean. Do you have to go right to left? Left to right? Or does it matter?

It doesn’t really matter if you go right to left or left to right. It’s just custom.

 

[Surnaturel]

It doesn’t really matter if you go right to left or left to right. It’s just custom.

It’s true! I made the sign of the cross in reverse for 20 years lol! (Srs)

I think the Orthodox do it from left to right…though I could be mistaken.

 

[bcuster]

My father’s side of the family is mostly Mormon. I will keep you in prayer.

 

[TeenageConvert]

I apologize again for what I’m sure are very basic knowledges to Catholics and thank you for the kindness and patience this community has shown me.

As the time for my first Mass approaches (well, the first mass I will attend as an investigator), I have been studying literature sent my way and praying for guidance and am only overcome by a strong feeling that this is the direction I need to go, that there is something here that I have been looking for.

It’s a feeling I never had in all my years of praying about being Mormon.

I had a good talk with my mom about the Catholic Church and why, after all these years and missionary discussions with Dad’s church, she never changed.

Her answer was that she belongs to the Church and has never felt the desire to search because she feels right and at home there.

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?

Also, when it comes to prayer, are all prayers memorized or do you freely speak with God? Is there a certain way I should open and end a prayer? 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. Do you pray directly to God or through saints?

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!

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!

 

[Trebor135]

It doesn’t really matter if you go right to left or left to right. It’s just custom.

Latin Catholics and Oriental Orthodox go left to right; Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox go right to left.

 

[lynnettejane]

I apologize again for what I’m sure are very basic knowledges to Catholics and thank you for the kindness and patience this community has shown me.

As the time for my first Mass approaches (well, the first mass I will attend as an investigator), I have been studying literature sent my way and praying for guidance and am only overcome by a strong feeling that this is the direction I need to go, that there is something here that I have been looking for.

It’s a feeling I never had in all my years of praying about being Mormon.

I had a good talk with my mom about the Catholic Church and why, after all these years and missionary discussions with Dad’s church, she never changed.

Her answer was that she belongs to the Church and has never felt the desire to search because she feels right and at home there.

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?

Also, when it comes to prayer, are all prayers memorized or do you freely speak with God? Is there a certain way I should open and end a prayer? 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. Do you pray directly to God or through saints?

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!

Hello there and God bless you in your search. We pray freely, meditatively, and devotionally. We use some well known prayers such as the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be during our prayer time, but in my case they lead me into my own free prayer. The rosary and other chaplets are devotions, why don’t you down load the Free Holy Rosary scriptural edition v2.1, its a free app, you will hear the rosary prayed as well as the relevant scriptures. Don’t forget the Lord is waiting for you to pray, so do it as naturally as you can, you don’t have to use a formula. I pray through a Saint when it is appropriate, but certainly not all the time, but catholics have faith in their intercessions. The Trinity isn’t the easiest concept, try reading Frank Sheeds Theology for Beginners, in which he discusses the Trinity in depth but not too deep.
Hope you continue on your journey, and thank God for your Mum

 

[Memaw]

It’s true! I made the sign of the cross in reverse for 20 years lol! (Srs)

I think the Orthodox do it from left to right…though I could be mistaken.

But if your going to learn something, you should learn it correctly and the Latin Rite Catholics use their right hand and place it on the forehead saying, In the name of the Father, then move it to the center of your chest and say, and of the Son, then to the left shoulder, saying, and of the Holy, move to Right shoulder, saying Spirit. Amen. Its really easy to catch on to as I have taught many to do it. It is called “The Sign of the Cross,” and reminds us of the Cross Our Lord died on for us.

 

[Anthony_V]

God bless you, and I see what you’re saying but I actually disagree with this analogy!

Only because the Trinity believes that Jesus is fully God, the Holy Spirit is fully God and the Father is fully God. So basically this analogy would only work if each leaf was not only the leaf but the entire clover.

My favourite Trinity analogy is this: We have a soul, and we have a body, and yet our soul and body are one, even though they are separate. The soul is not the body and the body is not the soul, but yet the soul and the body are still one.

St. Thomas Aquinas referred to them as subsistent relations. They are only different from one another in the aspect that they relate to one another. The Father, Son, and Spirit, though God, relate to one another in a way of both union (one God) and communion (considering the three subsistent relations). There was an incredible controversy in St. Augustine’s time over whether or not to call them “persons”, because a person normally has its own substance. So St. Augustine referred to the “persons” as nescio-quids, which means “I-don’t-know-what’s”. I rather like that, because it has a tinge of mystery to it.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/...P5Na1-YOMxoyAYOyV_u4bXP5AJ_XCJ2qiXa8hVylPA-rg

Peace.

 

[Auntie_A]

The Catholic Church is rich in prayers, rituals, saints, sacramentals and especially the Sacraments. The important thing is to realize that this Catholic Church, which may have a few scratched and dirty facets as well as some incredibly luminous and clear facets, is the diamond that all of the other shiny rhinestones have tried to imitate.

The concept of the Trinity comes from years of those who contemplated the life of Christ, His Father, and the Holy Spirit. Many have tried to break off these and other important parts from this diamond, but this diamond is too hard to truly break or damage. The real stuff lives on because the truth of God lives on…

Remember that most of our traditions come from the Scriptures, including our prayers.

 

[kimg901]

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.