Yes
So during all these last 30 years of wandering and forgetting Him, me being so angry towards God and thinking such horrible things sometimes about Him, the Church, and by association against all of you (who have been so kind)…
We go through such trials in our lives. I nearly abandoned the Church once because I felt God wasn’t doing anything for me and all this “knock and the door shall be opened” is just wishful thinking. A bishop recently told me and a group of people a story when he as a young teenager stopped going to church. And he’s a bishop now!
Yes. Baptism imparts an indelible mark upon our souls and incorporates us into the Body of Christ. Even if this person did not complete the sacraments of initiation (Eucharist and Confirmation) they would still be Catholic by virtue of their baptism.
Certainly. God always waits for us, until our dieing breath. It’s why he went to the Cross for us. He loves us, unconditionally. All we have to do is respond.
You are incorporated into God’s family by virtue of your baptism. That means we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We’re family. I don’t think you owe an apology to us, perhaps going to God with your sorrows in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and then uniting with him once again in the Eucharist would be an appropriate next step.
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
I’m not here often, so I don’t know your backstory, but I just went through a similar situation. My brother, who was actually a Marianhill seminarian, up and left the Church. He attended no church for 40 years. He called me on my birthday to tell me that he went back to church. I asked,“The Catholic Church?” His wife is Lutheran/non-practicing. His reply was “Is there any other?” He found a church he loves, talked to the priest, went to Communion, and had his marriage of 33 years blessed. There’s an entirely different atmosphere to him now.
