New Convert, Already Frustrated By Local Parish

[lewis87]

I only read a handful of the responses to this post, so perhaps someone has recommended this to you already, but it would be worth saying twice.

I highly recommend (especially since you seem to be a reader) the book “Imitation of Christ” by Thomas Kempis. I think many problems you are having (even the ones you don’t recognize) will be brought to light by this wonderful book. It truly changed my life, and I have confidence it could do the same for you.

God bless.

 

[lewis87]

PS: This is a quote from C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”. It says a lot.

"In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that - and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison - you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.

That raises a terrible question. How is it that people who are quite obviously eaten up with Pride can say they believe in God and appear to themselves very religious? I am afraid it means they are worshipping an imaginary God. They theoretically admit themselves to be nothing in the presence of this phantom God, but are really all the time imagining how He approves of them and thinks them far better than ordinary people: that is, they pay a pennyworth of imaginary humility to Him and get out of it a pound’s worth of Pride towards their fellow-men. I suppose it was of those people Christ was thinking when He said that some would preach about Him and cast out devils in His name, only to be told at the end of the world that He had never known them. And any of us may at any moment be in this death-trap. Luckily, we have a test. Whenever we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good - above all, that we are better than someone else - I think we may be sure that we are being acted on, not by God, but by the devil. The real test of being in the presence of God is, that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. It is better to forget about yourself altogether."

 

[praxising]

This thread has developed a long way since the original post, and given the final conclusion that there were liturgical abuses in my church your hostility is uncalled for praxising.

sigh

Okay. I’ve probably been bipolar longer than you’ve been alive. I am also a convert. I also had many miracles, visions, etc when I came into the Church. I also had that thought so often, “Why me, I’m pretty much a nobody?”

Now: I once gave up speaking for Lent. Maybe you could try that.

Oh yeah., and my IQ could possibly be even higher than yours … and I’m from Ohio

 

[onmyknees]

I only read a handful of the responses to this post, so perhaps someone has recommended this to you already, but it would be worth saying twice.

I highly recommend (especially since you seem to be a reader) the book “Imitation of Christ” by Thomas Kempis. I think many problems you are having (even the ones you don’t recognize) will be brought to light by this wonderful book. It truly changed my life, and I have confidence it could do the same for you.

God bless.

I have this book the “Imitation of Christ”. I cannot recommend it enough. I have read many, many great Catholic books but this one is my absolute favorite second to the inspired word of God. I can pick it up anytime and read from any part of it (even though I had read the part before and get something more out of it. It always humbles me.

 

[WoundedIcon]

An update.

I went to an RCIA retreat today. Just a simple one in the Parish Center next to the church. But I need advice on what to think about a few things said and done while there. Now, first of all, I love the people. They’re kind and caring and it isn’t like anyone is purposely doing anything improperly. However I feel like the their ideals are a little screwy, a bit too left of center for what I feel in my conscience is right. So I need to run this past you all. We were talking about sacramentals (water, oil, and the Eucharist in particular) and we did some goofy meditative stuff. It was all so… hippy. Like relaxing with our eyes closed and imagining cool water running down us and cleansing us of our anxieties as it runs out our fingers and toes. We did something meditative with oil too, imagining it being the Holy Spirit soaking into our bodies after rubbing it into our skin. At the time I accepted it for what it was because I thought I should ease the heck up, but looking back it kinda makes me uncomfortable about the heart of our parish. It seems like a sign of other issues is what I mean: especially combined with how, when I was speaking about how I came to the church, the deacon corrected me in a more ecumenical manner for stating some of the reasons why I thought other forms of Christianity were wrong that I came across during my journey. Okay, fine and dandy, but then he tells me that within their traditions those things are right. Not like “They believe they’re right” but like “They are right” if you catch my drift. To me that’s crossing a line, even for ecumenism. I mean, why am I being corrected for stating that I believe the Church to be right about some things and other traditions wrong? I wasn’t ranting, I was just explaining why I converted, and I do honestly believe that there are truths in all faiths and that people outside of visible Catholicism can be saved. I just don’t like the imbalance and relativism - the PCness of that all.

But I feel like I’d be severely sinning if I were to transfer to another parish. I feel like I’d be abdicating my charitable duty to my brothers and sisters where I live. But I don’t want my formation in danger either, and I can’t effect change as one of the youngest adults in the parish who is also only an Inquirer technically.

What do I do guys? I obviously have a strong traditional bent, and well… they don’t. I’ve tried avoiding my traditional side but it’s like nails on my soul’s chalkboard to do it.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

How many times have people told you within this thread:

You are NOT sinning if you go to another parish! It’s not like adultery, OK? You can go to 2, 3, 4 or more churches if there are enough close by. I go to one parish for weekday Masses and rosary recitation, and another for Sunday Mass. The weekday one is more traditional but much larger and more fashion-conscious, and more anglo. The Sunday one is much more New Order, but also more Catholic because it includes every skin color and type of person, including handicapped. So I alternate and find something in each.

I repeat: It is NOT a sin to go to more than one parish or to switch parishes.

 

[catharina]

…

We were talking about sacramentals (water, oil, and the Eucharist in particular) and we did some goofy meditative stuff.
…

You do know that the Holy Eucharist is a SACRAMENT, not a sacramental, yes?

But I feel like I’d be severely sinning if I were to transfer to another parish.
…

Then your feelings are completely at odds with reality in this matter.

 

[WoundedIcon]

I know that the Eucharist is one of the Seven Sacraments proper, it was just a miswording on account of my focus at the moment of writing upon the two other things which are sacramentals and the things done with them.

And excuse the paranoia about switching parishes, I’m just a little zealous and desperate not to screw up badly. I heard that I shouldn’t parish hop and interpreted it as some kind of duty to go to the nearest church… Luckily among the TLM parishes around here, the closest one to me is actually a historical landmark and totally freaking beautiful! So, unless the chancellor e-mails me back about some kind of Latin NO I think I’ve found my parish. Plus it’ll help me get over some scruples because I won’t be able to confess as often due to distance I know I can continue to confess here, I just want a regular I trust.
-ducks-

Sorry if (more like how) I frustrated you all. I just needed some help hammering things out. :twocents:

 

[catharina]

I know that the Eucharist is one of the Seven Sacraments proper, it was just a miswording on account of my focus at the moment of writing upon the two other things which are sacramentals and the things done with them.

And excuse the paranoia about switching parishes, I’m just a little zealous and desperate not to screw up badly. I heard that I shouldn’t parish hop and interpreted it as some kind of duty to go to the nearest church… Luckily among the TLM parishes around here, the closest one to me is actually a historical landmark and totally freaking beautiful! So, unless the chancellor e-mails me back about some kind of Latin NO I think I’ve found my parish. Plus it’ll help me get over some scruples because I won’t be able to confess as often due to distance I know I can continue to confess here, I just want a regular I trust.
-ducks-

Sorry if (more like how) I frustrated you all. I just needed some help hammering things out. :twocents:

Glad I waited for your edit. I “felt” it coming.
Parish-hopping has nothing to do with new Catholics.
You are choosing a parish - that’s all.

 

[jmcrae]

I know that the Eucharist is one of the Seven Sacraments proper, it was just a miswording on account of my focus at the moment of writing upon the two other things which are sacramentals and the things done with them.

And excuse the paranoia about switching parishes, I’m just a little zealous and desperate not to screw up badly. I heard that I shouldn’t parish hop and interpreted it as some kind of duty to go to the nearest church… Luckily among the TLM parishes around here, the closest one to me is actually a historical landmark and totally freaking beautiful! So, unless the chancellor e-mails me back about some kind of Latin NO I think I’ve found my parish. Plus it’ll help me get over some scruples because I won’t be able to confess as often due to distance I know I can continue to confess here, I just want a regular I trust.
-ducks-

Sorry if (more like how) I frustrated you all. I just needed some help hammering things out. :twocents:

You’ve only got a week until your Confirmation and First Holy Communion, right? After that, you can go to Mass at any Catholic Church you want.

 

[WoundedIcon]

You’ve only got a week until your Confirmation and First Holy Communion, right? After that, you can go to Mass at any Catholic Church you want.

Unfortunately, no. I just entered the process on the last Sunday before Lent. So I have at least a year to go.

 

[praxising]

So you can go through RCIA elsewhere? Or has it occurred to you that maybe God has put you exactly in the place He wants you to be?

 

[WoundedIcon]

So you can go through RCIA elsewhere? Or has it occurred to you that maybe God has put you exactly in the place He wants you to be?

I have taken some of their advice, and left the rest in the waste bin. I seriously doubt God would love for me to go to a parish that’s so imbalanced toward feelings, feminine spirituality, contemporary worldviews, a trite mass, one that abuses the spirit of Vatican II and thinks in dichotomy to the degree where they’ve become anti-intellectual in some ways. Besides, I know just how wrong you are because God already flung open all the doors for me to leave. And in all normal circumstances, getting to my preferred parish would be impossible. Am I allowed to have faith in providence here?

I see that many of you are stuck in dichotomy and presumption, thinking as though I am an unwise, inexperienced, prideful, and deluded person because I got scared and became defensive for a brief moment. I mean, did someone really try to judge my entire life and relationship with God over seeing a few letters on the internet? Others seem to think faithfulness involves enduring unnecessary trouble, basically abusing one’s own self in the name of obedience. I obey the Vatican, not a weak parish, and I have to stand up for what’s right and do what I need to do. I will not pretend that I’m wrong over a guilt trip inflicted by others.

Thank you to those who actually thought before they wrote and gave me good advice. But to those who are guilty of the things I spoke of, get back to the spirit of tradition not the letter!

Standing up for myself is new to me, but I’m trying to be faithful even if it upsets people. Now, don’t go thinking I go off on people like this perpetually.

Domine misere nobis!

 

[catharina]

I have taken some of their advice, and left the rest in the waste bin. I seriously doubt God would love for me to go to a parish that’s so imbalanced toward feelings, feminine spirituality, contemporary worldviews, a trite mass, one that abuses the spirit of Vatican II and thinks in dichotomy to the degree where they’ve become anti-intellectual in some ways. Besides, I know just how wrong you are because God already flung open all the doors for me to leave. And in all normal circumstances, getting to my preferred parish would be impossible. Am I allowed to have faith in providence here?

I see that many of you are stuck in dichotomy and presumption, thinking as though I am an unwise, inexperienced, prideful, and deluded person because I got scared and became defensive for a brief moment. I mean, did someone really try to judge my entire life and relationship with God over seeing a few letters on the internet? Others seem to think faithfulness involves enduring unnecessary trouble, basically abusing one’s own self in the name of obedience. I obey the Vatican, not a weak parish, and I have to stand up for what’s right and do what I need to do. I will not pretend that I’m wrong over a guilt trip inflicted by others.

Thank you to those who actually thought before they wrote and gave me good advice. But to those who are guilty of the things I spoke of, get back to the spirit of tradition not the letter!

Standing up for myself is new to me, but I’m trying to be faithful even if it upsets people. Now, don’t go thinking I go off on people like this perpetually.

Domine misere nobis!

Never saw this coming.
Have no idea how often you go off on people.

However you are on your 59th post on a new forum,
a Catholic forum, and you’re not yet a Catholic -
so why do you feel it’s OK to go off on people here?

Really what’s your point?
Why are you posting your complaints here - and
then criticizing responses to your complaints?

 

[WoundedIcon]

Never saw this coming.
Have no idea how often you go off on people.

However you are on your 59th post on a new forum,
a Catholic forum, and you’re not yet a Catholic -
so why do you feel it’s OK to go off on people here?

Really what’s your point?
Why are you posting your complaints here - and
then criticizing responses to your complaints?

Catharina, I’m not criticizing everything. Even some of the people I found rude had some good points. But when I came on here I expected a bit more charity and instead I got people telling me to shut up for Lent and calling me a dog, and dismissing many of my blessings without even knowing them. That’s a level of morality that even an atheist would get aggravated about. I know I should stop returning evil for evil though, so I apologize for the way I handled it.

 

[catharina]

Catharina, I’m not criticizing everything. Even some of the people I found rude had some good points. But when I came on here I expected a bit more charity and instead I got people telling me to shut up for Lent and calling me a dog, and dismissing many of my blessings without even knowing them. That’s a level of morality that even an atheist would get aggravated about. I know I should stop returning evil for evil though, so I apologize for the way I handled it.

Good to apologize but I still don’t see this:

“instead I got people telling me to shut up for Lent and calling me a dog, and dismissing many of my blessings without even knowing them.”

 

[WoundedIcon]

Good to apologize but I still don’t see this:

“instead I got people telling me to shut up for Lent and calling me a dog, and dismissing many of my blessings without even knowing them.”

Read the whole thread. If you interpret things differently then so be it, but it’s not as though I’m lying.

 

[catharina]

Read the whole thread. If you interpret things differently then so be it, but it’s not as though I’m lying.

Have read the whole thread.
Have never said you’re lying.
Have said (and still say), I don’t see the negativity you see.
In fact, much of the negativity I do see is from you.

Maybe, give it all a rest.
God is eternal.
Life unfolds.
Grace unfolds and grows.

Please, de-stress yourself.

 

[waterbender]

I see that many of you are stuck in dichotomy and presumption, thinking as though I am an unwise, inexperienced, prideful, and deluded person because I got scared and became defensive for a brief moment. I mean, did someone really try to judge my entire life and relationship with God over seeing a few letters on the internet? Others seem to think faithfulness involves enduring unnecessary trouble, basically abusing one’s own self in the name of obedience. I obey the Vatican, not a weak parish, and I have to stand up for what’s right and do what I need to do. I will not pretend that I’m wrong over a guilt trip inflicted by others.

woa, you talk and complain too much. Let me firmly and politely explain something to you:

Ranting about your relationship to or how the Church works will get you nowhere. Just be a disciple of Christ and enjoy your journey of finding out what this means. Please also keep all of your ramblings about what you have confessed to your priest to yourself.

 

[waterbender]

Really what’s your point?
Why are you posting your complaints here - and
then criticizing responses to your complaints?

well said catharina.

People with manic tendencies like woundedicon need to be ignored or called out on their rude and immature behaivor. Enough people have called him out, so it’s time to just ignore him. Woundedicon needs to see rule #7 on conduct in the forum.

But I’ve never really clicked with any psychiatrists. They come off as falsely professional, or leap on some kind of opportunity to scold me or question me. then I became Schizophrenic… a two years later I had my first manic episode,… And I’m a freakin’ Catholic Goth! XDDD

wrong forum and tmi. woundedicon, please find a support group online that can help you. You really arenot going to get any help with your problems here.