Question for converts: What's your story?

[selah603]

Pam, we probably couldn’t be more on the same page! I was Lutheran, then back and forth, here and there, from church to church…now I will be confirmed in the CAtholic Church this April. I too was a leader in churches, and used to write for a computer company Before Kids. My brother-in-law’s mom is named Luthera!

I am itching to hear more from you regarding this writing stuff, as I find myself going on and on to the “flared-nostril” now-protestant, ex-Catholics (many of whom did not have good upbringings nor good spiritual guidance, etc.), and I find myself almost writing pamphlets in my mind!

To all of you: I have to share a blessing today that completely blew me away. Of course, I’d been praying for God’s help in believing some doctrinal things, that were tough to swallow fully for me. It happened today at a prayer/Bible meeting that I was able to attend, full of old friends. I have said nothing of my plans yet to any of them. One of the women studies Hebrew, as I had a bit. She happened to be talking about the root word for MANNA. The translation for it in our English version gives a very surface meaning “what is it?” Let me as you, do you Catholics want to know what it really means?

The Hebrew meaning is : A piece of Him…

I sat there stunned. One of the women said “what about the CC’s meaning as the consecrated host, etc.” Someone said, “Oh, that’s Transubstantiation…something totally different.” Then they moved on. Anyway, inside I was jumping for joy, as this is something I haven’t even heard a Catholic speak about. I LOVE looking at the Hebrew meanings, because they completely open your eyes to the full, rich intent of God’s word…and this was astounding to me God is so good to give me those little signposts along the way to confirm His handprint on something!

So glad to hear from you, Pam!

First off… welcome into the Church! Your homecoming will be here soon. It is the most awesome experiece to be fully united with Christ in His church! I will never ever leave the Church… despite the opposition I received when coming into the Church.

Wow… I love the Manna meaning! I didn’t know that although I knew that manna is a type of the Holy Eucharist. You sound like me… I have done a lot of digging into the original Greek for the NT… it opens the doors like we can hardly believe.

Lutheran is about the only denomination I haven’t been except my son went to a Lutheran school. My mother was raised Lutheran. When I announced my engagement to a CATHOLIC Luther, she said, “Oh why couldn’t his name be Martin??”

I was quick to point out to her that if Lutherans were all that great, why hasnt she remained one. She never has mentioned it again. Luther is my married name… my husband is descended from one of Martin’s brothers. We laughingly call Martin the “black sheep of the family”!! (no offense intended to any Lutherans reading this!) Maybe we are related through the back door?

As far as writing for examiner.com, if you email me (address on my page) I can recommend you and give you further information.

Peace to you!

Pam

 

[NPalmby]

God is so good to give me those little signposts along the way to confirm His handprint on something!

AMEN! I’ve had similar things happen to me! In fact, there have been many, many times that I’ve gone to Mass, and I’ve felt the Scripture readings and the homily were there just for me!

How awesome that the Lord works in our lives in that way!

 

[Memaw]

Pam, we probably couldn’t be more on the same page! I was Lutheran, then back and forth, here and there, from church to church…now I will be confirmed in the CAtholic Church this April. I too was a leader in churches, and used to write for a computer company Before Kids. My brother-in-law’s mom is named Luthera!

I am itching to hear more from you regarding this writing stuff, as I find myself going on and on to the “flared-nostril” now-protestant, ex-Catholics (many of whom did not have good upbringings nor good spiritual guidance, etc.), and I find myself almost writing pamphlets in my mind!

To all of you: I have to share a blessing today that completely blew me away. Of course, I’d been praying for God’s help in believing some doctrinal things, that were tough to swallow fully for me. It happened today at a prayer/Bible meeting that I was able to attend, full of old friends. I have said nothing of my plans yet to any of them. One of the women studies Hebrew, as I had a bit. She happened to be talking about the root word for MANNA. The translation for it in our English version gives a very surface meaning “what is it?” Let me as you, do you Catholics want to know what it really means?

The Hebrew meaning is : A piece of Him…

I sat there stunned. One of the women said “what about the CC’s meaning as the consecrated host, etc.” Someone said, “Oh, that’s Transubstantiation…something totally different.” Then they moved on. Anyway, inside I was jumping for joy, as this is something I haven’t even heard a Catholic speak about. I LOVE looking at the Hebrew meanings, because they completely open your eyes to the full, rich intent of God’s word…and this was astounding to me God is so good to give me those little signposts along the way to confirm His handprint on something!

So glad to hear from you, Pam!

When we receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church, we don’t just have "A piece of HIM, we have ALL of HIM, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. God Bless, Memaw

 

[moen]

First off… welcome into the Church! Your homecoming will be here soon. It is the most awesome experiece to be fully united with Christ in His church! I will never ever leave the Church… despite the opposition I received when coming into the Church.

Wow… I love the Manna meaning! I didn’t know that although I knew that manna is a type of the Holy Eucharist. You sound like me… I have done a lot of digging into the original Greek for the NT… it opens the doors like we can hardly believe.

Lutheran is about the only denomination I haven’t been except my son went to a Lutheran school. My mother was raised Lutheran. When I announced my engagement to a CATHOLIC Luther, she said, “Oh why couldn’t his name be Martin??”

I was quick to point out to her that if Lutherans were all that great, why hasnt she remained one. She never has mentioned it again. Luther is my married name… my husband is descended from one of Martin’s brothers. We laughingly call Martin the “black sheep of the family”!! (no offense intended to any Lutherans reading this!) Maybe we are related through the back door?

As far as writing for examiner.com, if you email me (address on my page) I can recommend you and give you further information.

Peace to you!

Pam

I was so tired when I wrote yesterday that I didn’t think to quote the John 6 passage starting at vs 50, where Jesus says essentially He is the Manna come down from heaven…
(I got a chuckle out of your Luther stories THat’s amazing that he can trace his lineage back to “the” Martin Luther!)

I am just beginning to get back into thinking about writing again. My youngest will be in Kingergarten in the fall, and because he has autism, he’s kind of a full-time job, and we’re doing lots of tests, doctors’ visits, etc…but I would LOVE to have the privilege of researching and writing…the best of both worlds!

Let me tell you, once you begin to look at the original, rich meaning of the language you are never the same. When you peel back all the layers, you see Jesus, Jesus everywhere in the Old Testament. And that’s what I love so much about the Catholic Church. As I read my wonderful United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (which I HIGHLY recommend to anyone!), the writers are constantly pointing us back to Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ. It is so refreshing, instead of being pointed to men’s personalities or denominations, sermons, worship leaders, music, yada, yada, yada!..and we agree with Paul when he says that he wants to know nothing but Jesus and Him crucified. I used to think the CC had too many layers over Jesus, and way too many traditions of men, etc., but as you read the CCC, ultimately Jesus Christ is the theme, and the One who holds everything together, and to whom all the traditions, and “layers” refer! (BTW:usemelord wrote a beautiful piece earlier in the thread as to his change of thinking here. IE, how the statues, holy water, incense are used to point us in His direction. I encouraged him to print it out / make into a pamphlet for his church’s resource table.
Pam, maybe we can be in touch somehow. Even though I’ve got my hands full now, what you’re speaking about is something I’ve thought about doing for years anyway! I envy you…in a good way
God Bless you on your way!

 

[Jerry_Parker]

Moen and Pam,

Moen, you wrote: *One of the women studies Hebrew, as I had a bit. She happened to be talking about the root word for MANNA. The translation for it in our English version gives a very surface meaning “what is it?” Let me as you, do you Catholics want to know what it really means? The Hebrew meaning is : A piece of Him… I sat there stunned. One of the women said “what about the C[atholic] Catechism]'s meaning as the consecrated host, etc.” Someone said, “Oh, that’s Transubstantiation…something totally different.” *

I had to rewrite this response three times, since my computer keeps dumping me before I post it to C.A., but the effort is worth it for what you wrote, Moen! I want to add a reference to another verse that may be helpful, especially obvious in pertinence as the Douay-Rheims (Roman Catholic) and Authorised “King James” (Anglican/Protestant) versions alike translate it.

Wow, oh wow! Like both of you, I find this insight from Hebrew philology really mind-boggling! So our Lord, in His O.T. pre-Incarnate work (although He manifested Himself bodily on at least several occasions in Old Testiment times), gave His Body (as He also later bestows Himself physically in the Holy Eucharist) to His elect people of O.T. times, who constituted, as St. Luke so beautifully puts it, "the church in the wilderness" (Acts 7:38, as both the Douay-Rheims and Authorised “King James” versions phrase this so memorably and pertinently) in the Manna, His own Flesh!

What a lovely addition this pre-N.T. manifestation of God’s eucharistic-like giving of Himself makes for the Catholic Christian’s “Divine Armoury of Holy Scripture” (as the title of a venerable and still very useful tool of Catholic apologetics puts it)!

Jerry Parker

 

[Augustine]

She happened to be talking about the root word for MANNA. The translation for it in our English version gives a very surface meaning “what is it?” Let me as you, do you Catholics want to know what it really means?

The Hebrew meaning is : A piece of Him…

That’s astonishing, but I couldn’t confirm it though:
Semitic Roots

ENTRY: mnn.
DEFINITION: West Semitic, to be kind, show favor, patronize, disdain. manna, from Aramaic mann, from Hebrew mn, manna, akin to Arabic mann, favor, gift, honeydew, manna, from manna, to be kind, show favor.
Are you sure about it? It wouldn’t be the first time that I see Protestants practicing amateur Linguistics…

 

[luminoushope]

Hi, Moen, Pam and all,

Try wrapping your mind around this, from a Jewish girl turned evangelical, now becoming Catholic. Evangelicals have in recent years been very enthused with teaching “Christ in the Passover.” Some even conduct Passover seders, seeking authenticity down to the finest detail, but in my opinion, unable to find it because they don’t discern the Lord’s Body (1 Corinthians 11)

Guess what? The centerpiece of the Seder is the lamb [of God, we know], the unleavened bread, and the Passover wine. The house is prepared for Passover and everything not kosher for Passover is thrown away. Sound like Lent? This is what we do spiritually, isn’t it? The bread and the wine at a Seder are not symbolic, any more than Holy Communion. They are real. They are required to be eaten and drunk by all present. So how can anyone understand the Passover Seder as anything but a forerunner and a type of–the Eucharist! I never caught on to this, and so many other things, as an evangelical.

How wonderful to realize this as the season proceeds. I am from a completely secular Jewish family, and never felt especially Jewish-identified, but like everything else Catholic, it is so enriching. I feel as if everything in my life is filling out and taking on beautiful colors. This is what conversion is for me. Hope you understand what I mean. I know I sometimes say and write things that are a bit abstruse. When the priest asked me what had drawn me to the Catholic church, I began with “my luminous Catholic women friends.” That took some explanation.

 

[NPalmby]

What a wonderful background you have, luminoushope, for conversion! I’d be so interested to hear more of these connections that you discover during your learning!

Thank you so, so much for sharing! God bless you!

 

[usemelord]

Although, as I noted a couple days ago, we seem to be getting “far afield” from the purpose of this thread (i.e. conversion stories), let me offer something up here for the comments and opinions of other readers. Just before entering into full Communion with the Church at Easter 2005, I had what I thought was kind of a revelatory moment. It occurred to me that the priest stands in the place of Christ at Mass, or “in persona Christi.” During the consecration of the elements, then, Christ (in the person of the priest) is changing the bread and the wine into his own body and blood. Then, the Church (the Body of Christ) is offered His body, blood, soul and divinity by Christ himself (again, in the person of the priest). Get it? One more time. Christ, in the person of the priest, consecrates his own body and blood at the altar for the consumption of the Body of Christ, His Church. Am I just stating something that was/is obvious to everyone else, or not?

 

[luminoushope]

What a wonderful background you have, luminoushope, for conversion! I’d be so interested to hear more of these connections that you discover during your learning!

Thank you so, so much for sharing! God bless you!

Thank you so much, Nicole, for your kindness and encouragement. I feel like a not-quite-60-year-old baby, though thankfully I’m not bald. I will try to write in things that might interest you.

Love in Christ,

L.H.

P.S. Please bear with me, I used to be a proofreader for a newspaper. In your signature block, I’m pretty sure you are wife to Jason.

Love, L.H.

 

[luminoushope]

Although, as I noted a couple days ago, we seem to be getting “far afield” from the purpose of this thread (i.e. conversion stories), let me offer something up here for the comments and opinions of other readers. Just before entering into full Communion with the Church at Easter 2005, I had what I thought was kind of a revelatory moment. It occurred to me that the priest stands in the place of Christ at Mass, or “in persona Christi.” During the consecration of the elements, then, Christ (in the person of the priest) is changing the bread and the wine into his own body and blood. Then, the Church (the Body of Christ) is offered His body, blood, soul and divinity by Christ himself (again, in the person of the priest). Get it? One more time. Christ, in the person of the priest, consecrates his own body and blood at the altar for the consumption of the Body of Christ, His Church. Am I just stating something that was/is obvious to everyone else, or not?

It sure wasn’t obvious to me, in fact, it’s something to think about. Personally I’m not sure it was that far afield, either, as these moments are part of our conversion process. But then again, my husband tells me my picture should be in the dictionary next to the word “distraction”!

 

[NPalmby]

Oops! How did I miss that? (I’m a writer/proofreader myself!) I think I originally intended to write something else. Thanks for pointing it out!

 

[luminoushope]

Oops! How did I miss that? (I’m a writer/proofreader myself!) I think I originally intended to write something else. Thanks for pointing it out!

At the newspaper I was known as the comma police, or for short, the comma cop.

 

[distracted]

Why did you convert to the Catholic Church?

This thread is also for the stories of those who are in the process of converting, either by being in RCIA at this time, or just even thinking seriously about it.

God Bless!
Ericka

I am cradle Catholic but spent many years virtually livin as a Protestant… because i wasn’t catechized…

I also dont have time to tell my “whole story” but I’m so glad you ask this question because I am always curious about conversions…

What brought me back, to Christ and eventually to His Church was the rosary. It changed my life MIRACULOUSLY!! I recommend it. I also try to give rosaries to anyone who wants one (and a few who don’t?)

If i’d known what i was missing, i would have re-verted a LONG time ago… So sad that people don’t know all the blessings to be had in being Catholic…

I have told some people and (this one in particular) acts like i just told him what i had for lunch.!! Really strange…

 

[NPalmby]

At the newspaper I was known as the comma police, or for short, the comma cop.

LOL That’s how I ended up working for my college paper–a friend was the editor at the time, and when I brought her a paper with red ink all over it, I became the copy editor!

 

[moen]

To all:
This is getting kind of funny…it looks like a lot of us are English teachers run-a-muck (as my boss used to say!) No wonder so many of us go on and on in our posts… I’ll have to be more careful with my typing (luminous hope) and my writing in general. Problem is, I’m usually tired or running after my son, so it’s hit and miss—big time.

I am checking on my Hebrew issue with my friend, and as my children are running around crazily, I am looking online. One quick thing I found is that one translation for manna is “Bread of God,” and as we all know, that’s what Jesus called Himself.

Luminous: I LOVED what you wrote. I am sort of jealous of those who are Jewish, to be truthful As I took a quasi-Hebrew class I was repeatedly astounded and stunned. The teacher is Gentile but takes a “true” Jewish-Hebrew class, and he told me that the Jews he’s with look puzzled at him when he gets stunned by something and say “You guys don’t know this?” Over and over again. The Jews were entrusted with the word…well I could go on and on, but that’s for another thread

I’ll be checking… love to you all!

 

[Augustine]

One quick thing I found is that one translation for manna is “Bread of God,” and as we all know, that’s what Jesus called Himself.

I believe that He said “bread of life”. But, anyways, a priest once mentioned that in Isaiah the Messiah would bring a new manna, a clear prophecy of the Eucharist, but I never got around to looking it up.

Even without my amateur dive in Linguistics I can see that the Eucharist is the new manna, the bread of life, the body, blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

 

[narrowpath]

First off… welcome into the Church! Your homecoming will be here soon. It is the most awesome experiece to be fully united with Christ in His church! I will never ever leave the Church… despite the opposition I received when coming into the Church.

Wow… I love the Manna meaning! I didn’t know that although I knew that manna is a type of the Holy Eucharist. You sound like me… I have done a lot of digging into the original Greek for the NT… it opens the doors like we can hardly believe.

Lutheran is about the only denomination I haven’t been except my son went to a Lutheran school. My mother was raised Lutheran. When I announced my engagement to a CATHOLIC Luther, she said, “Oh why couldn’t his name be Martin??”

I was quick to point out to her that if Lutherans were all that great, why hasnt she remained one. She never has mentioned it again. Luther is my married name… my husband is descended from one of Martin’s brothers. We laughingly call Martin the “black sheep of the family”!! (no offense intended to any Lutherans reading this!) Maybe we are related through the back door?

As far as writing for examiner.com, if you email me (address on my page) I can recommend you and give you further information.

Peace to you!

Pam

Um… accordin to the Scriptures, “manna” means literally “what is it”…

 

[moen]

Um… accordin to the Scriptures, “manna” means literally “what is it”…

I did study some Hebrew words in a class with lots of reference material. No, I’m not a theological scholar, but I will say there are lots of things we see that are simply made tons richer by understanding the Hebrew…it does not contradict, it just unearths the richness of what God intended.

I’m sorry to have gotten off the thread’s intent. My intention was not to go off too far here.

 

[Memaw]

Although, as I noted a couple days ago, we seem to be getting “far afield” from the purpose of this thread (i.e. conversion stories), let me offer something up here for the comments and opinions of other readers. Just before entering into full Communion with the Church at Easter 2005, I had what I thought was kind of a revelatory moment. It occurred to me that the priest stands in the place of Christ at Mass, or “in persona Christi.” During the consecration of the elements, then, Christ (in the person of the priest) is changing the bread and the wine into his own body and blood. Then, the Church (the Body of Christ) is offered His body, blood, soul and divinity by Christ himself (again, in the person of the priest). Get it? One more time. Christ, in the person of the priest, consecrates his own body and blood at the altar for the consumption of the Body of Christ, His Church. Am I just stating something that was/is obvious to everyone else, or not?

If Jesus could change bread and wine into own HIS BODY and BLOOD at the Last Supper, while he was still alive on this earth, there’s no reason to doubt he can do it at every Valid Catholic Mass. HE said, “My Flesh is food indeed and MY Blood is drink indeed.” Never doubt it!! The Church has always taught it. God Bless, Memaw