Questions for Catholic converts

[Teflon93]

I grew up Episcopalian but to paraphrase Ronald Reagan “I didn’t leave the community—it left me.”

I attended various communities in the intervening years before I met my wife. I attended Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church for something less than a year; the lack of reverence and the impersonal nature of it drove me out.

I attended the Pentecostal Church of God of which my wife was a member, but the theological incoherence, the hate from the pulpit, and the corruption of the community (no open financial books there) resulted in our leaving after a couple of years.

We then attended a variety of Presbyterian, Methodist, nondenominational, and Pentecostal communities. We came closest to joining the United Methodist Church, but the emphasis on money and politically correct sermons from the pulpit put us off. (40 min on “Clean and Green” was the final straw). Calvinism remains incoherent even to Presbyterians so that was out altogether.

In taking stock of these communities, we came to recognize that the best aspects of each could be found in one place—the Catholic Church. Every Protestant community we’d experienced was nothing more than a hodgepodge of concepts taken from the Church and distorted to varying extents.

We still weren’t ready to make the leap—we were part of the Anything But Catholic crowd still to that point.

We did our homework first. I ordered a copy of the Catechism and read it straight through. I picked up a copy of “Triumph” (history of the Church) and was struck by the endurance of the Church and how well its theology and customs conformed to the whole of Scripture and to human experience.

We called up the cathedral church in our area and inquired into learning more. Our deacon insisted on meeting with us face-to-face. We shared our experiences, he prayed with us, and invited us to attend an RCIA meeting (this was a couple of months before Easter).

We attended Mass but of course did not receive Communion.

As we did, we realized that the sense of reverence and Christ we’d been seeking was here. My wife whispered to me during one Mass, “We’re home.”

Then began the longest Advent of our lives. We watched the catechumens and candidates get received into the Church that Easter and our hearts broke to not be joining them. We had another long year of watching others partake of the Eucharist and attending RCIA in our own time before we could become Catholic.

And of course, we read everything we could get our hands on.

In sum, we converted because:

1. We realized that the various Protestant communities were but shadows of the Church Christ founded, some darker, some lighter.
2. We recognized that the Catholic Church is indeed the Church founded by Christ.
3. We acknowledged that we had to be part of Holy Mother Church and that we needed the full complement of sacraments Christ instituted.

Of course, the conversion is just the first part of the story—just setting our feet on the path to the Narrow Gate.

Since our conversion that blessed Easter Sunday, we’ve had our faith reinforced any number of times by the Church. The most significant without doubt is when my wife was finally able to conceive after receiving the sacramental anointing. We’d been trying for 18 months and she’d been receiving medication to get the right hormone levels for about 6 months prior to our requesting the sacrament, which our beloved priest performed between Masses one Sunday. Her hormone levels jumped by an order of magnitude immediately thereafter and we conceived our son at the next opportunity.

He was born on St Patrick’s Day, one of the very rare feast days for that saint to coincide with Holy Week. Our parish is St Patrick’s Cathedral.

And that is all the confirmation we could ever seek that we were in the right place at last!

 

[Karen3000]

I loved your story! I am just beginning my journey into Catholicism.

Guess what? My dad was born on St. Patrick’s day in 1929!

Karen

 

[Teflon93]

The Music: When I reguarly attended evangelical services, I was becoming increasingly annoyed with the modern style music…the Praise Band. I am a singer…a classically trained singer…I suck at ‘pop’ music and I don’t enjoy singing it…not to mention that I think it’s cheap and corny. I like the free style worship from time to time…but not on a regular basis at my place of worship.

Oh my, I forgot to mention the abomination that is the “Praise Band” in my own post.

Most Catholic hymns are set to really great music—several are based on my favorite (Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”), others to Mozart and other great composers (the Pope is a big Mozart fan; I suspect he enjoys the hymns based on his music). The lyrics are typically quite beautiful, even in English, and certainly rise above the repetitive treacle that passes for “Praise Band” lyrics.

I’d thought it was a recent phenomenon, but this unintentionally hilarious video proves otherwise:

youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8

Such things absolutely suck whatever sense of reverence and liturgy remains right out of the community. I suspect it may be payback for telling so many kids they can’t listen to pop or rock music.

 

[Teflon93]

I loved your story! I am just beginning my journey into Catholicism.

Guess what? My dad was born on St. Patrick’s day in 1929!

Karen

God bless him—what a great day for a birthday!

Another wonderful thing about being Catholic is getting the saints back. It gives so much more meaning to the calendar and to life, knowing that the greatest Christians are still with us.

 

[redeemedbyJesus]

I’m an ex-catholic and my reasons for converting to a bible only church was that I realised that Christ was not present in the Eucharist, and worshipping the sacrament of communion over God was actually breaking one of the ten commandments.

Plus when I saw how the pentecostal church worships God I knew He was there immediately… which finalised my conversion.

 

[reneeville]

**Perhaps someone else mentioned this already; however, for me, one of the “elephants” in the body I was affiliated with was John 6. They teach it as “symbolic”… yet that is not what I understood Jesus to be saying. That and “life” issues sent me into an 8 month period of contemplative and meditative prayer because I felt so conflicted. **
Though I was counseling with other Christians, I’d never given a thought to “Catholicism”. I had my last “communion” with that assembly Easter 2005… had some miraculous events happen… all of which pale in comparison to the Holy Spirit “guiding” me to the Church that Jesus began.
I am very blessed!!

Do you guys mind if a new guy has a few questions? I promise I wont take up too much of your time

My understanding of Catholicism is probably rudimentary compared to the people here, but still I’d like to know why people convert to Catholicism from Protestant denominations.

What is it that sparks the change? What are doctrinal differences that made you say “this is the religion for me”? These are the two main questions I need answering: why people did it and consequently, the differences in doctrine that caused this change.

Any quotes from the Bible to back up your opinion is appreciated. I’m not looking for arguments, really, I’m a nice person and don’t like conflicts. If you want to “flame” people and use silly insults then please take your business else where. I can’t stand immaturity and would like this thread to be conducted in a friendly manner.

Links to external material would be cool too. Thanks, people.

P.S. I would like it if this thread got some good replies, not just for me, but for everyone who reads it.

 

[clmowry]

What did it for me was the fact that, at the Protestant churches I attended, the entire sermon consisted of a call to salvation. “You have to be saved!”, they would say. “Your life means nothing until you get saved!” “Get saved!” “Get saved!” Then, to top it all off, they would have the altar call so people could go down and get saved, as though scores of non-believers just happened to be coming to church every Sunday. Finally, I had enough. At one service I almost stood up and screamed, “I did it! I got saved! NOW WHAT!!??”

The fact is, that salvation seems to be an end of things for many Protestants, when in reality it is only the beginning. It was the Catholic emphasis on penance, conversion and works that drew me. Though I was ‘saved’ at an early age, I never felt like I was, because I still sinned. Obviously alot of Protestants don’t feel it, either, because they often answer the altar call to ‘rededicate’ their lives to Jesus. It was the Catholic teaching that salvation is a lifelong process that actually takes work, that did it for me.

Sound’s very much like my wife’s experience. She made her alter call…and then what?

Of course she’s the only Baptist I knew who felt that the Pope was the leader of the Church on Earth and that the Eucharist was truly the Body of Christ.

So she had that going for her.

I remember the first thing she said when I asked her if she would consider converting: “The only thing I know about the Catholic Church is Stand Up. Sit Down. Kneel.”

Chuck

 

[jmcrae]

Do you guys mind if a new guy has a few questions? I promise I wont take up too much of your time

My understanding of Catholicism is probably rudimentary compared to the people here, but still I’d like to know why people convert to Catholicism from Protestant denominations.

What is it that sparks the change?

My interest in the Church began in August of 1983, and I didn’t actually become a Catholic until 2001. It was a long process of learning, wrestling, and coming to understand.

Today is a good day to talk about this, though, because exactly 8 years ago today was the moment that I knew I was going to become a Catholic.

The initial attraction back in August of 1983 was the Mass. I had been reading in the Book of Revelation about the worship service in Heaven. I was also reading my Mythology text book from the previous school year, and trying to piece together an understanding of what I was reading in the Book of Revelation using the principles of story interpretation that I had learned in my Mythology class.

I gave it up as a hopeless cause, and went for a walk. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I suppose it must have been about 4:30 in the afternoon. There was a pretty little church a few blocks away, and I thought I’d walk by it and see what kind it was.

I soon realized I was not the only person to have this idea; I got caught up in a group of ladies who were going into the little church. Being very shy, it was not possible for me to say “excuse me” and get by them, so I just stood there and waited for them to pass. While I was waiting, the priest came out, grabbed me by the front of the shirt, pulled me inside, and said, “Hurry up! You’re going to be late for Mass!!” I had never heard the term “mass” outside of a physics class before that moment, but I thought, “Wow, something extraordinary must be going on” so I went in and followed the crowd.

There in front of me the passage I had been reading from the Book of Revelation opened up and was enacted on the Altar - I was completely blown away, and ready to convert on that very spot and at that very moment. :extrahappy:

Then I went home and told my family and friends about it, and they all freaked out and told me, “NO! Never!!” Etc.

So, I didn’t convert at that time. But, I started going to Mass every Sunday evening. I joined RCIA the following year, and ran into all kinds of theological and practical problems, and decided that although I liked the Mass, I couldn’t become a Catholic. So, I continued like that for 17 years, and thought I was going to go my whole life like that. Over the course of the 17 years, though, one by one, my opinions were being revised, and gradually I was changing on the inside to be more and more and more Catholic in my way of thinking and behaving. There were a lot of people at Mass who had no idea I wasn’t Catholic, and wondered why I wasn’t receiving Holy Communion.

What are doctrinal differences that made you say “this is the religion for me”? These are the two main questions I need answering: why people did it and consequently, the differences in doctrine that caused this change.

8 years ago today, someone wrote on a message board very similar to this one, in response to something I had written about the “invisible Church” - he wrote:

ONE. HOLY. CATHOLIC. APOSTOLIC.

It was like turning on the lights in a room that is unexpectedly full of treasure. I suppose it was the very last puzzle piece that I needed, to finally see the Catholic Church, and understand what it is.

Once I knew that, there was absolutely no going back.

I said to myself, “Some day, I need to convert to the Catholic Church.”

About an hour later, I got a phone call from a friend, and during the phone call my friend said something that made me understand that I needed to become Catholic right now.

So, I contacted the priest at the parish where I had been attending Mass, and asked for an appointment to see him. The rest is history.

 

[Debra_C]

Jesse–
My conversion began with the Eucharist. Once I came ot believe He was there, there was no where for me to go except to tghe Catholic Church. I have on occasion visited the church I grew up in to see and catch up with the people there that I know. But the Eucharist remains the conerstone of my faith, and I could no sooner give it up than I could decide to quit breathing.

 

[sarah_anne_628]

Sarah Anne,

That is amazing!

My dad was a Catholic, and I went to the Catholic Church a few times. I always wanted to be a Catholic, but my mother was dead-set against Catholicism. Now I am 56 years old and converting! I love the beauty of the Catholic Church. And there is so much to it. I am going to start RCIA this Wednesday night. When do you learn the prayers? I have memorized the Hail Mary and the Our Father and the Glory Be. That’s about it.

I thought that my husband would think that I was nuts for wanting to convert to Catholicism. But he was very accepting of it. I doubt that he will convert, too, but I’m sure that he will attend with me sometimes.

Julie

Karen

My husband and I went through RCIA together and he actually was confirmed a couple of weeks before me because he shipped out to Afghanistan before Easter Vigil.

RCIA was kind of a blur for me because we started in January and Easter Vigil was so early this year…so I don’t know if they actually go over memorizing prayers. You’re off to a great start. Now one of my priests will tell you to learn the Act of Contrition…oh boy, he is big on that one. Even if you are not going to confession…you can still say it. I say it as part of my prayers everyday, sometimes several times a day. And you should work on memorizing the mass parts: Pentitental rite, Nicene Creed etc…As Father Ed would say…just recite them every single day and you will get them down!!!

 

[sarah_anne_628]

As we did, we realized that the sense of reverence and Christ we’d been seeking was here. My wife whispered to me during one Mass, “We’re home.”

Awwwwww. Warm fuzzies.

I loved your story, too!

 

[sarah_anne_628]

Oh my, I forgot to mention the abomination that is the “Praise Band” in my own post.

Most Catholic hymns are set to really great music—several are based on my favorite (Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”), others to Mozart and other great composers (the Pope is a big Mozart fan; I suspect he enjoys the hymns based on his music). The lyrics are typically quite beautiful, even in English, and certainly rise above the repetitive treacle that passes for “Praise Band” lyrics.

I’d thought it was a recent phenomenon, but this unintentionally hilarious video proves otherwise:

youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8

Such things absolutely suck whatever sense of reverence and liturgy remains right out of the community. I suspect it may be payback for telling so many kids they can’t listen to pop or rock music.

That video…OMG…it was hilarious and scary. I’m not sure which scared me more…the original or Marilyn Manson!

 

[Debra_C]

Thanks a lot for the replies, some really interesting points have been raised and I’m unsure where to begin.

Luckily, the idea of being saved by grace or by works is something I am very familiar with; so are the divisions amongst Protestant denominations. As a matter of fact, they’re two issues I’ve researched.

However, on the subject of grace or works, I’m still confused by it (despite extensive reading). It seems that people will strongly argue both sides of fence, despite the fact that numerous passages seem to indicate both. Some even argue that it’s a combination, same say it’s a biblical contradiction; I don’t know.

Most of my friends are protestant and I’ve been told that “repentance is a Catholic thing” (despite Jesus directly telling people to do so…I also think some confuse it with confession) and “nothing needs to be done to be saved; but once saved, we will want to do good works in His name”.

Due to certain passages, something about these two statements doesn’t sit right with me. As I said though, it’s confusing, and I don’t expect you guys to answer for me.

Also, I can really empathize with people, especially these days, looking for the ‘one true church’. I’ve spent the best part of the past 3 years looking for that answer.

Well I hope you will see with further study of Catholic teachings that we also recognize that we are saved by grace alone. Nothing we can do could redeem us so that we merit heaven. It is only through the free gift of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, on the cross that we may be saved. However, we also recognize that it is not enough to simply say we believe. Faith must be lived and practiced. Jesus cautions many times in the gospels that this is so. It is seen in the parable of the sower and when He says “not everyone that comes to me saying Lord, Lord, shall be received into Heaven.” He also teaches it in the parable of the ten virgins. It is found again in the teachings of the Old Testament, and St. Paul himself says that faith without works is dead.

If you turn away from God, you can indeed give up your salvation, having rejected His gift of grace. If you truly repent of evil deeds and ask His mercy, even at the last moment, you will be saved. His mercy is always free for the taking and can cover any and all sin. But you must repent for having offended Him and ask for it to receive it. This is not a one time deal, but a constant and vigilent effort on the part of any true follower of Christ. Thus it is said by many Catholic teachers, true conversion is not a one time event with a beginning and an end, but a life time endeavor to walk ever closer with God.

 

[sarah_anne_628]

My interest in the Church began in August of 1983, and I didn’t actually become a Catholic until 2001. It was a long process of learning, wrestling, and coming to understand.

Today is a good day to talk about this, though, because exactly 8 years ago today was the moment that I knew I was going to become a Catholic.

The initial attraction back in August of 1983 was the Mass. I had been reading in the Book of Revelation about the worship service in Heaven. I was also reading my Mythology text book from the previous school year, and trying to piece together an understanding of what I was reading in the Book of Revelation using the principles of story interpretation that I had learned in my Mythology class.

I gave it up as a hopeless cause, and went for a walk. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I suppose it must have been about 4:30 in the afternoon. There was a pretty little church a few blocks away, and I thought I’d walk by it and see what kind it was.

I soon realized I was not the only person to have this idea; I got caught up in a group of ladies who were going into the little church. Being very shy, it was not possible for me to say “excuse me” and get by them, so I just stood there and waited for them to pass. While I was waiting, the priest came out, grabbed me by the front of the shirt, pulled me inside, and said, “Hurry up! You’re going to be late for Mass!!” I had never heard the term “mass” outside of a physics class before that moment, but I thought, “Wow, something extraordinary must be going on” so I went in and followed the crowd.

There in front of me the passage I had been reading from the Book of Revelation opened up and was enacted on the Altar - I was completely blown away, and ready to convert on that very spot and at that very moment. :extrahappy:

Then I went home and told my family and friends about it, and they all freaked out and told me, “NO! Never!!” Etc.

So, I didn’t convert at that time. But, I started going to Mass every Sunday evening. I joined RCIA the following year, and ran into all kinds of theological and practical problems, and decided that although I liked the Mass, I couldn’t become a Catholic. So, I continued like that for 17 years, and thought I was going to go my whole life like that. Over the course of the 17 years, though, one by one, my opinions were being revised, and gradually I was changing on the inside to be more and more and more Catholic in my way of thinking and behaving. There were a lot of people at Mass who had no idea I wasn’t Catholic, and wondered why I wasn’t receiving Holy Communion.

8 years ago today, someone wrote on a message board very similar to this one, in response to something I had written about the “invisible Church” - he wrote:

ONE. HOLY. CATHOLIC. APOSTOLIC.

It was like turning on the lights in a room that is unexpectedly full of treasure. I suppose it was the very last puzzle piece that I needed, to finally see the Catholic Church, and understand what it is.

Once I knew that, there was absolutely no going back.

I said to myself, “Some day, I need to convert to the Catholic Church.”

About an hour later, I got a phone call from a friend, and during the phone call my friend said something that made me understand that I needed to become Catholic right now.

So, I contacted the priest at the parish where I had been attending Mass, and asked for an appointment to see him. The rest is history.

Picturing the priest grabbing you by the front of the shirt is hilarious!

It’s amazing how one line in someone’s post turned on the lights for you.

A little off topic:
Your experience should be a reminder that we all need to be careful of what we say and how we present ourselves, not only here, but on the rest of th blog-o-sphere and in the real world. You never know what kind of impact one little comment, good or bad, is going to have on someone else.

I had a bad experience with that over the holiday. Someone misunderstood something I said in my blog, she replied rather aggressively and I in turn replied defensively; and now despite my best efforts to calmly, rationally and lovingly to reach out to her and correct the misunderstanding, I’m afraid her mind is made up about me and all Christians…particuarly Catholics. I think she approached the situation with preconcieved biases to begin with, but I was not careful enough initially and I’m afraid the damage has been done.

 

[sarah_anne_628]

Jesse–
My conversion began with the Eucharist. Once I came ot believe He was there, there was no where for me to go except to tghe Catholic Church. I have on occasion visited the church I grew up in to see and catch up with the people there that I know. But the Eucharist remains the conerstone of my faith, and I could no sooner give it up than I could decide to quit breathing.

Same here. It really is life giving for me. I cherish the opportunity to attend mass every day…I just need to take advantage of it on a more consistant basis.

Which is another thing about the Catholic Church that drew me in…daily mass and mass offered for all kinds of reasons…Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years…there are always special feasts and memorials to observe. The Church just looks for an opportunity for celebration and I like that!!!

 

[sarah_anne_628]

Well I hope you will see with further study of Catholic teachings that we also recognize that we are saved by grace alone. Nothing we can do could redeem us so that we merit heaven. It is only through the free gift of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, on the cross that we may be saved. However, we also recognize that it is not enough to simply say we believe. Faith must be lived and practiced. Jesus cautions many times in the gospels that this is so. It is seen in the parable of the sower and when He says “not everyone that comes to me saying Lord, Lord, shall be received into Heaven.” He also teaches it in the parable of the ten virgins. It is found again in the teachings of the Old Testament, and St. Paul himself says that faith without works is dead.

If you turn away from God, you can indeed give up your salvation, having rejected His gift of grace. If you truly repent of evil deeds and ask His mercy, even at the last moment, you will be saved. His mercy is always free for the taking and can cover any and all sin. But you must repent for having offended Him and ask for it to receive it. This is not a one time deal, but a constant and vigilent effort on the part of any true follower of Christ. Thus it is said by many Catholic teachers, true conversion is not a one time event with a beginning and an end, but a life time endeavor to walk ever closer with God.

Your final sentence is said by a lot of Protestant (at least evangelical) leaders, as well.

I’m still trying to work this out myself…but I think the trick is interpretting the word, “BELIEVE”. We usually take this word to mean that we awknowledge the truth or existance of something without proof. But I’m begining to think that when Jesus makes a statement like that in John 3:16 (a verse often quoted to support the grace only doctrine)…the word “believe” is not only supposed to mean awknowledgement…but also obedience. To believe in the Son means to obey the Son…and the Son has commanded us to repent, to love God (which again involves obedience), to love our neighbor (works of mercy), etc…
So following my reasoning (which could be faulty), one could replace the word “believe” with whatever Christ has commanded.

It isn’t to say that “doing” works is going to get you to heaven…but God is going to hold us accountable for everything we have done, good and bad…and I think that will include NOT obeying, not loving, not helping others…not “working”.

 

[Teflon93]

I had a bad experience with that over the holiday. Someone misunderstood something I said in my blog, she replied rather aggressively and I in turn replied defensively; and now despite my best efforts to calmly, rationally and lovingly to reach out to her and correct the misunderstanding, I’m afraid her mind is made up about me and all Christians…particuarly Catholics. I think she approached the situation with preconcieved biases to begin with, but I was not careful enough initially and I’m afraid the damage has been done.

Converts also know that we are responsible for working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Part of the Anything But Catholic mindset is a rigorous double standard toward Catholics where every perceived slight on their part is a felony while the most egregious misconduct of the convert’s own side is mere trivia.

The Legion of the Perpetually Offended stalks the land in force these days. Scrupulous Catholics ought not cower for fear of the ensuing drama but merely say what needs to be said and let the Holy Spirit continue his work on them.

We cannot forget Jude:

21: Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22: And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24: Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25: To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

In these politically-correct days sometimes we Catholics are too willing to allow others to wallow in falsehood for fear of causing discomfort. As convert after convert has mentioned, however, it is often this discomfort—that nagging question at the heart of things—which brings people to the Church and thereby saves.

 

[Strategery]

Your final sentence is said by a lot of Protestant (at least evangelical) leaders, as well.

I’m still trying to work this out myself…but I think the trick is interpretting the word, “BELIEVE”. We usually take this word to mean that we awknowledge the truth or existance of something without proof. But I’m begining to think that when Jesus makes a statement like that in John 3:16 (a verse often quoted to support the grace only doctrine)…the word “believe” is not only supposed to mean awknowledgement…but also obedience. To believe in the Son means to obey the Son…and the Son has commanded us to repent, to love God (which again involves obedience), to love our neighbor (works of mercy), etc…
So following my reasoning (which could be faulty), one could replace the word “believe” with whatever Christ has commanded.

It isn’t to say that “doing” works is going to get you to heaven…but God is going to hold us accountable for everything we have done, good and bad…and I think that will include NOT obeying, not loving, not helping others…not “working”.

Sara Anne, you’re very much on to it.

Look at the last verse in John 3:

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.

Christ himself establishes disobedience as the opposite of belief.

IMO this is the key to understanding what it means to “remain” in Christ. Belief isn’t just belief (the devil does that), it’s assent, submission to God’s authority, and obedience to God’s commands. Once you make that commitment, great things happen:

John 8:31-32

Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

It all comes from remaining (or “abiding”) in Christ. That means obedience to His commands.

 

[Strategery]

I’ve really enjoyed reading this thread. Personal testimony is powerful.

I am a revert. I was a “go through the motions” Catholic but remained in spiritual infancy until I was 32. I had a bona-fide protestant “born again” experience then.

I got involved in non-denominational studies and learned a lot about Scripture. There was also some hostility toward Catholics there. Despite the hostility, I really have those guys to thank for developing my apetite for Scripture. I was a hungry fish, and they fed me.

I was really leaning toward Protestant thinking and would have left the CC if it weren’t for my wife. She didn’t have anything going on spiritually but just flat out said we weren’t leaving the Church. I put the question to God and realized that there was no way the path to Him included breaking up my family. So I sat in Church but was really frustrated at the lack of scriptural knowledge I perceived, and how Parish activities were more social than spiritual.

There’s a lot that happened in between, but one day things changed for me. I’d spent enough time in scripture to know that there were teachings of obedience that I wasn’t submitting to, and that it was expected of me. I was clinging to much to the world and really was afraid of what would happen to me, and what I would have to give up, to make a true commitment to Christ. As scripture said, I did indeed need to give up some things.

Finally at mass one day I was in prayer and told Christ that I was ready to give myself up to Him and submit to His authority. I’d been trying things my own way and it wasn’t working. I wanted to feel the fruit of the spirit (ala Galatians 5:22-23) but I couldn’t understand what it meant to “live in the spirit.” I asked God to show me the way. I asked Him to build me into the man He wants me to be, so that I can do what He wants me to do. I also asked him to show me once and for all if Catholicism was the one true church.

Within days things opened up to me. The biggest was that my wife, who had been a spiritual infant herself, suddenly showed spiritual growth. This was the thing I wanted most - a spiritual connection with my wife. I had been trying to “save her” and failed miserably over a period of 8 years. Once I gave control to God, he started moving the pieces. I COULDN’T DO IT AT ALL, BUT HE COULD DO IT INSTANTLY.

She now teaches PSR.

This and other clear signs led me fully back to the Church. I embrace the Eucharist and Reconciliation now, and can’t believe what I was willing to give up. I also realized, quite frankly, that Satan was fully aware of my spiritual growth and had been the one leading me on a path where I’d deny myself these precious sacraments. I know that’s a conversation for another thread and could be considered offensive, but it’s part of my testimony.

So Christ himself called me home over a period of 8 years. For me the critical step was submitting to God’s authority, and asking Him to lead me to the truth. Christ took care of the rest.

I’m “all in” now with full certainty.

I’m also completely aware that my calling is to help people with their own spiritual development. I lead two men’s bible studies that have about 15 regulars, and I write a daily devotional that goes out to about 60 people in the parish.

And just a couple of weeks ago, I was elected to the parish council. At our church the council has no financial or administrative responsibilities. Other committees handle finances, admin, and run the school. The parish council’s mission is to provide the spiritual direction for the parish. I rejoice and am humbled that God put me there.

 

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Converts also know that we are responsible for working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Part of the Anything But Catholic mindset is a rigorous double standard toward Catholics where every perceived slight on their part is a felony while the most egregious misconduct of the convert’s own side is mere trivia.

The Legion of the Perpetually Offended stalks the land in force these days. Scrupulous Catholics ought not cower for fear of the ensuing drama but merely say what needs to be said and let the Holy Spirit continue his work on them.

We cannot forget Jude:

21: Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22: And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24: Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25: To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

In these politically-correct days sometimes we Catholics are too willing to allow others to wallow in falsehood for fear of causing discomfort. As convert after convert has mentioned, however, it is often this discomfort—that nagging question at the heart of things—which brings people to the Church and thereby saves.

I agree. That’s exactly why I didn’t let her snarky comments attacking the Christians and the Catholic Church go. My reply was defensive, but not hateful…but honestly, I don’t think it was that bad…I’m wagering that she already had a super negative opinion of the Church to begin with, so it probably would not have mattered what I said or how I said it.

I gave up. I prayed to God to forgive me for the role I played in the dispute, I prayed for him to restore the friendship and to someday soften her heart to his truth.