Not living my faith, but I still know it's the correct one

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Raxus

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Much as the title says. I don’t go to Mass anymore or receive the Sacraments. Lost my mom and my closest sister over the past couple of years, and have since moved in with a gal who loves me very much and who I love very much back. I fully accept that I’m wrong for living outside the faith, but I do feel loved, valued, taken care of, important and capable in my life right now. I still pray, especially for my mom and my sister. I certainly don’t hate the Church, and I still feel like it teaches all the right things. I’d rather be a really bad Catholic than a good anything else.

I dunno really why I’m saying much about it…just to point out that this is part of a journey, maybe.
 
Raxus,

Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability. Many of us strayed from the faith without practicing it but never denounced it. God works in mysterious ways to bring people back to Him. You are on here for a reason. I will pray for you. May God bless you on your journey.
 
It seems to at least “bother” you…and I would not doubt that this is because God is letting you know via your conscience that you have a choice to make. You can choose to continue living this way, or you can choose what you know to be right. I’m not encouraging you to continue in your precarious situation, but…

I went through a similar situation about a year and a half ago. I would recommend this. If it interests you, explore and research your faith. Find out why you believe what you believe, become deep in your faith which you know to be true. Maybe then you will see things in a different, and no doubt more educated light (I’m not hitting on your current understanding or anything, just encouraging you to become even more well versed in your faith). Who knows, maybe you will love your faith much more and make a choice to pursue truth and happiness to a more full extent.
 
Well, let me just say that I appreciate your sharing. I was in a similar boat for about a year, on my way back to the faith. I can’t be more clear in saying that I sincerely wish I could take all the time I spent away from the Church back. I may have been chasing temporal happiness, but it was nothing. I thought I was on my way to contentedness, but I wasn’t. My happiest moment as a “bad Catholic” was indescribably worse than even my saddest moment as a practicing one. Returning to the active practice of the Faith was among the best decisions I’ve ever made. Secular happiness might feel nice, but it has an expiration date of sorts. The Eternal happiness we’re all chasing doesn’t.
Raxus said:
it teaches all the right things
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Raxus said:
this is part of a journey
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I think you know where this is headed, then.

I’d highly encourage you to practice the Faith. It’s sincerely the best thing you can do for everyone.

Just my 2¢.
 
RWZiller said:
Well, let me just say that I appreciate your sharing. I was in a similar boat for about a year, on my way back to the faith. I can’t be more clear in saying that I sincerely wish I could take all the time I spent away from the Church back. I may have been chasing temporal happiness, but it was nothing. I thought I was on my way to contentedness, but I wasn’t. My happiest moment as a “bad Catholic” was indescribably worse than even my saddest moment as a practicing one. Returning to the active practice of the Faith was among the best decisions I’ve ever made. Secular happiness might feel nice, but it has an expiration date of sorts. The Eternal happiness we’re all chasing doesn’t.
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Well said!
 
Appreciate the nice words, folks. Stuff like this is one of the things that reminds me that the Catholic faith is the real deal.
 
I did the same thing for quite a number of years and felt the same way.
Until one day it didn’t feel so good being away from the Church any more. So I went back.

If I can give you a piece of advice, try to get back to where you know you belong sooner, not later.
You never know when God is going to call time’s up.
 
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This is what I keep being told, it seems. I suppose I could get back to Mass and that would be something. Can’t receive the Eucharist, though, and there’s no point in Confession as there are some current sins (living intimately with someone out of wedlock) that I’m just not sorry for.
 
Raxus said:
Can’t receive the Eucharist, though, and there’s no point in Confession as there are some current sins (living intimately with someone out of wedlock) that I’m just not sorry for.
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Give an inch, God takes a mile. Open a crack and start praying. He will do the rest so long as you let Him. Mass is a wonderful start.
 
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Capta(name removed by moderator)rudeman said:
Give an inch, God takes a mile. Open a crack and start praying. He will do the rest so long as you let Him. Mass is a wonderful start.
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Well, I refuse to give up my relationship (which is where the bad Catholic part comes in). If He so chooses, maybe he can soften her heart enough to become Catholic as well, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. God doesn’t often grace us with overt miracles like that these days.
 
Can’t make a good Confession if I have no intention of leaving the sinful way in which I currently live, so that’s out for now. Thank you for the prayer!
 
Raxus said:
Well, I refuse to give up my relationship (which is where the bad Catholic part comes in). If He so chooses, maybe he can soften her heart enough to become Catholic as well, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. God doesn’t often grace us with overt miracles like that these days.
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Just start and open up to God. Talk to Him about your struggles. It’s a relationship. Every relationship starts somewhere.
 
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Capta(name removed by moderator)rudeman said:
Just start and open up to God. Talk to Him about your struggles. It’s a relationship. Every relationship starts somewhere.
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Being perfectly honest, I felt like He gave me this relationship; she is kind, supportive, intelligent, and loves me just for who and what I am. I don’t place her on a pedestal, but it’s probably not a stretch to say that I wonder if I’d be alive right now if not for her, after losing both of my close family members within the space of less than two years. She helps me to be the best I can be, and that feels very Godly.
 
Pray and keep an open heart. Getting out of sin is a process but the Lord helps the faithful.
 
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An atheist brought me closer to God as well, just not in the form of a romantic relationship. God meets us where we are and helps us get to where we need to be using whatever methods He sees fit.

Just don’t be afraid to put God first if things come to that.
 
She’s not Catholic and wasn’t raised as such, so she’s got the protection of ignorance in that regard.
Capta(name removed by moderator)rudeman said:
An atheist brought me closer to God as well, just not in the form of a romantic relationship. God meets us where we are and helps us get to where we need to be using whatever methods He sees fit.

Just don’t be afraid to put God first if things come to that.
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But I am. All there is to it.
Annie said:
Why not marry her?
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She’s not interested in marriage, seeing it as unnecessary; and in any event, if I got married, I’d want a Catholic wedding, which she is not.
 
Maybe you two will become more on the same page as time goes by. Things happen that can soften a viewpoint. Best of luck and wishing God’s blessings to you both.
God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.
 
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Raxus said:
She’s not interested in marriage, seeing it as unnecessary; and in any event, if I got married, I’d want a Catholic wedding, which she is not.
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Well, this doesn’t sound like a great foundation for a lifetime commitment, so good luck with that.

The Church will still be there for you someday when she’s not.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Well, this doesn’t sound like a great foundation for a lifetime commitment, so good luck with that.
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Marriage itself is anything but a guarantee of commitment; take a peek at divorce rates for proof of that. She’s committed to me, not to marriage.
Tis_Bearself said:
The Church will still be there for you someday when she’s not.
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I think you underestimate her greatly.
 
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