Need help quick! Please

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aymanem

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Hey everyone! One of my friends in youth group is having a couple problems and she came to me to ask me some questions about faith. I was able to answer a lot of them but she recently sent me a message on myspace with a list of problems she is dealing with or trying to understand. I am meeting her tomorow morning to talk with her and try to straighten things out. I am going to post her message and i would really appreciate it if someone could give me a hand on some of these topics. I recently became religious so i know i dont have as much experiance as others do. I would gladly appreciate anyones insight on these subjects. Thanks a lot

**sorry it took so long…i really was typing or thinking this whole time…and sorry about bad caps and punctuation…i did it along with my thoughts…

I don’t really know specific questions really…
I havent thought about my faith much in the last 2 weeks now that I think about it…

Something that popped into my head during the discussion tonight was about converting…
earlier this year I really thought about leaving the church, not specifically going to another religion or denomination, but possibly just knowing there is God, but not being classified under a specific religion I guess…thats confusing but…

tonight I was thinking about what if I went to another denomination…
i mean it would be weird to learn all of this stuff about their religion, but i would probably know more about their religion cuz i had to learn it to be a part of their church or something so i would be a better christian of their denomination…but then I still would believe Catholic things so it wouldnt work out…so then why not just be a christmas and easter catholic and go to mass then and when i felt like it…and say i believed in God…or something like that…

that doesnt make any sense either probably…

i think all of my problems lead back to i don’t really know what i believe in like details wise…i know there is God, and Jesus died for me…and the bread and wine are actually the body and blood of christ…but other than basic things…i dont know much…and im no good at retaining information really…and it gets me down cuz everyone else knows so much about their faith…and i just fake it…

i dont know how i can learn more actually cuz i dont have motivation to do it myself cuz it comes back to the prioritizing kind of cuz i want to do other things…

ok question form rambling actually…
ok so people say “pray about it”…and you can talk to God about whats going on, but how do you know what he actually wants you to do, cuz how do you know what signs he gives you. I know it won’t be a flashing neon sign, but im pretty clueless and slow so signs arent my kinda thing cuz i wouldnt notice it prob…
so how would i know if its me making the choice…or God making the choice through me also?
**

Thanks for helping, God Bless
 
Hi! Would your friend be willing to go with you to a priest for advice and for information about what we believe as Catholics to guide our lives and to help us in our problems…but particularly for her personal problems?

To learn more about our Catholic faith…maybe for a start you and she could click the bottom of this Forum page, Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth… The Catholic Church and God’s plan for you" and perhps begin your search together in that way for her?

I’m sure you will receive further suggestions…and I pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you and to inspire and to welcome and lead her also. Bless you, Trishie

Internet search is not the only option for enlightenment, but also books…however it would be good if she could speak to a priest.
 
Thank you for your help. I am pretty good at knowing the catholic churches teachings and what not. I mean any question about apostolic authority, the communion of saints, sacraments and all that stuff are easy for me to answer. Its just the things she are asking are questions based on believing. When you are having trouble believing something what do you do? I mean the girl is practically saying she could be a different denomination just because she wants to know a lot about their teachings. She is not willing to talk to anyone but me, because she feels that i am the only one that does not ridicule her for her actions.

Ill figure out what im going to do i guess. Thanks everyone!

God Bless
 
I suggest that you direct your friend to a priest, deacon or religious perhaps you can offer to attend some classes with her somewhere in your Diocese. When someone begins to look into their faith it is because God is calling them to discover him. Perhaps your friend has not allowed herself to know and gain a personal relationship with God.

I suggest that you not try to answer questions that you might not feel comfortable answering because you could confuse her much more.

There are many website available for her to take a look at. Just type in Catholic Faith on Google and you should be able to find a lot of resources.

God Bless!
 
Thank you, Ill try to convince her to talk to a priest. I know one that is really down to earth and cool with teens, im going to see if he would join us to talk to her while im there, so she doesnt feel uncomfortable alone. Thanks for the ideas. Ill post up what happens today. Pray for her

God Bless :signofcross:
 
Your youth minister - contact them.

There are good forums for young people at www.phatmass.com and at www.lifeteen.com

If she is willing to read books, try Amy Welborn’s “Prove It” series or Mark Hart’s “Blessed are the Bored in Spirit”.

Let your friend know that God wants her to know the truth, and that she should keep praying that God will increase her Faith. Suggest the Rosary to her, www.rosaryarmy.com has some great resources.
 
aymanem said:
**
Something that popped into my head during the discussion tonight was about converting…
earlier this year I really thought about leaving the church, not specifically going to another religion or denomination, but possibly just knowing there is God, but not being classified under a specific religion I guess…thats confusing but…

tonight I was thinking about what if I went to another denomination…
i mean it would be weird to learn all of this stuff about their religion, but i would probably know more about their religion cuz i had to learn it to be a part of their church or something so i would be a better christian of their denomination…but then I still would believe Catholic things so it wouldnt work out…so then why not just be a christmas and easter catholic and go to mass then and when i felt like it…and say i believed in God…or something like that…

that doesnt make any sense either probably…

i think all of my problems lead back to i don’t really know what i believe in like details wise…i know there is God, and Jesus died for me…and the bread and wine are actually the body and blood of christ…but other than basic things…i dont know much…and im no good at retaining information really…and it gets me down cuz everyone else knows so much about their faith…and i just fake it…

i dont know how i can learn more actually cuz i dont have motivation to do it myself cuz it comes back to the prioritizing kind of cuz i want to do other things…

ok question form rambling actually…
ok so people say “pray about it”…and you can talk to God about whats going on, but how do you know what he actually wants you to do, cuz how do you know what signs he gives you. I know it won’t be a flashing neon sign, but im pretty clueless and slow so signs arent my kinda thing cuz i wouldnt notice it prob…
so how would i know if its me making the choice…or God making the choice through me also?
**
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If your friend is receptive to another person, like a deacon, priest, or religious, that would be really good, but don’t push that issue. If you’re the only one she comes to, she may not be receptive to someone she doesn’t know. Maybe the youth-coordinator, or another volunteer, like another poster suggested?

So, start off by praying with her. Pray for wisdom and love. Find out what she wants to discuss first, if she’s not sure, start off with what she likes about the Catholic Church. Show her the good stuff, then work your way into what she’s having trouble with. She needs to see why we go to church every Sunday, not just Christmas and Easter. She needs to see why a Protestant church won’t cut it. The Catholic Church is the Church Jesus established. Guide her, and make sure you stay calm and loving, as you have been. Also talk to the Youth Coordinator yourself for advice.
Peace.Love.Virtue.
 
Be patient, be loving and confident.

Sometimes we all need to stray for a little while in order to realize what a treasure we were given.

I listened to the partial truths that many of our protestant brothers profess, but their constant contradictions were unsatisfying and confused me.

The only place where I could find Jesus’ Truth, complete and uncorrupted was in his one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.

When I missed the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Mass, I realized that the Church was my one true home.

The real problem is quite often that the protestant approach with the altar call, “I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, Once Saved always Saved” is so easy.

The Catholic faith is so difficult. Jesus asks us to give up everything to follow Him.

Be patient, even Jesus himself didn’t convert everyone He encountered immediately. We will all come to know Him and to love Him on the timetable that Jesus establishes, not our time line which is always ‘right now’.

Pray for the grace to be a positive example for your friend. That is so much more important than anything you could ever say.

Mark
 
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