RCC difficult to join

[Techno2000]

I does build peoples faith, it does mine, being a cradle Catholic I love to hear convert stories and love to see RICA people up
there on the alter , I feel happy and proud of them.

 

[theAuthor]

The PP came around tonight to talk to us about the process of Reconciliation. We make our First Confession on thursday night (that’s only 2 days away!). I think he may even have mentioned being confirmed this weekend!

A funny story I cahllenged our catechist, who says maybe we should be going to Mass even though we can’t receive the Eucharist. I said to him, are you going to wake up early sunday morning, fight with a toddler, put up with stares when your newborn cries, to go out for breakfast and then, just as it is being served be told you have to watch as everyone else eats and you fast?

So I challenged him and said, “Ok then, well then don’t you receive Communion either until I can.” He said, “well that’s an unreasonable request.” Thinking I’d made my point I said,“Well same goes for me.”

THEN, however, we decided that we are going to Mass together Early Sunday and he will not receive the Eucharist either (his idea)! That is love! I was just trying to prove a point, but what he has offered to do is really sweet and it will feel better to not be alone in not being allowed to receive the Eucharist (it honestly hurts my feelings), and my idea is that this man is about to teach me something. He says he knows he will receive the Lord in a different way. This man is really willing to walk with me. God bless him. He is even picking me up so I can’t back out. Man, that is what I call outreach!

 

[CherryBomb]

I absolutely LOVE the fact that you can’t just decide to become Catholic. My husband and I had to wait around 18 months before we were brought in this Easter. We had plenty of time to learn, to know that we really accepted the Church, to understand the teachings and to be confident that this was what we wanted. We went to Mass for months before we officially started RCIA, even though we couldn’t receive the Eucharist (and had to drag along a baby and a small child!) The Eucharist is the center of the Mass, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get anything out of it if you can’t receive.

 

[jmcrae]

I have a new Inquirer this week who brought tears of joy to my eyes when she told me that although she looks forward to the day that she can receive, her favourite thing right now is simply to bask in His Presence in the Tabernacle, by coming to Mass every day, and kneeling in prayer in front of it afterwards for as long as she can, before she has to go to work. :heaven:

 

[CherryBomb]

I have a new Inquirer this week who brought tears of joy to my eyes when she told me that although she looks forward to the day that she can receive, her favourite thing right now is simply to bask in His Presence in the Tabernacle, by coming to Mass every day, and kneeling in prayer in front of it afterwards for as long as she can, before she has to go to work. :heaven:

That is so true. Of course it can be sad not being able to take communion. But Christ is still there!! You’re still in His presence! How amazing is that? I went to adoration long before I was ever brought into the Church, and it was still absolutely amazing. Waiting didn’t hurt me at all, it strengthened me.

 

[theAuthor]

I absolutely admire this new inquirer friend of yours. However, if she already believes in the real presecence, I’d probably say that “inquirer” may not be the kindest way to refer to her, even as your friend. To me, her faith is at a level far beyond that. In fact her faith is great indeed.

I personally find that the longer I go without the Eucharist, the less real it seems. I am an experiential person, and can remember having received the Lord before (it was a special permission/ dispensation for a time). It was very special. That’s why I whinged in the first place in this thread. As time has gone on my knowledge about the Eucharist has increased, but my faith has decreased and I cannot help it. Where I once had a sense of the Body and Blood of Christ, I can see only the accidents. I can only pray (hard) that this will change with or before First Commmunion. It has gone from being a wonderful experience to a cruel and dry doctrine.

Any prayers for me to be given the faith of “the inquirer” would be greatfully recieved.

With blessings
dave

 

[Tmaque]

Forgive me but this whole thread perplexes me. If I believed that I had found the true church, God’s church, I would gladly go through whatever I had to do in order to get into it. What am I missing?

 

[Vaclav]

I have just a few thoughts, if I may add them to this conversation.

I am a recent convert (Easter Vigil 2007) and I converted from the Lutheran faith. It is something I had wanted to do for quite some time (years) and I knew a great deal about Catholicism before I even started RCIA. For me, RCIA wasn’t so much about learning the basic tenets of the faith, though they are extremely important (and in no way am I pretending to “know it all”). In many ways the path home for those of us that are from High Church Protestant faiths is perhaps not as long a path (in some regards) as it is for others.

I mean that in purely mechanical terms and possibly in beliefs as well. I don’t mean it offensively at all, just simply saying that there is a shorter road to walk between Anglicanism and Lutheranism to Catholicism than say someone who comes with Mormon, Pentacostal, or Seventh Day Adventist beliefs.

So in that sense I was somewhat “ahead” of others in my RCIA class. In another sense I was far behind. Many of them already had family and friends in the church community. I did not. My wife was not making this journey with me. I was by myself. So, RCIA, for me, was extremely important as an effort to become a part of the church community. I don’t like getting up in front of people either. But I did it. My sponsor helped me to get to know people too.

Where I once had a sense of the Body and Blood of Christ, I can see only the accidents. I can only pray (hard) that this will change with or before First Commmunion. It has gone from being a wonderful experience to a cruel and dry doctrine.

You will feel a lot of different emotions when you partake of the Eucharist with no need for special dispensation. You will also feel relieved and truly blessed if you enter into the Rite of Reconciliation and make the experience worthwhile. It is honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had and truly something Protestants miss and act too defensively on, in my humble opinion.

I cahllenged our catechist, who says maybe we should be going to Mass even though we can’t receive the Eucharist.

The reason for this is to learn the intricacies of the Mass. Something else that will help is to purchase a Missal. I did and can say that it really helped me (and still does). Plus, some of the Missals will explain how the readings connect and why Catholics do what they do during the Mass.

The Mass is beautiful. It really, really is. I know the Eucharist is central to the Mass, but to overlook the rest of the Mass is to miss the point I think.

 

[CherryBomb]

Firstly, welcome home vaclav! My husband and I were also brought in this Easter Vigil

The Mass is beautiful. It really, really is. I know the Eucharist is central to the Mass, but to overlook the rest of the Mass is to miss the point I think.

I agree completely.

Forgive me but this whole thread perplexes me. If I believed that I had found the true church, God’s church, I would gladly go through whatever I had to do in order to get into it. What am I missing?

Very true.

Maybe instead of focusing on what you can’t do, you could try focusing on what you can do (which is basically everything else). You can still go to Mass, you can still be with our Lord in adoration, you can still participate in parish functions and get to know your fellow parishioners more, you can still read and study the bible, you can still do a daily rosary, etc.

 

[jmcrae]

I absolutely admire this new inquirer friend of yours. However, if she already believes in the real presecence, I’d probably say that “inquirer” may not be the kindest way to refer to her, even as your friend. To me, her faith is at a level far beyond that. In fact her faith is great indeed.

She’s an Inquirer because she’s a member of RCIA Inquiry, which is Phase I of the Catholic Church’s conversion process. She has attended two meetings, so far. (I am going to be moving her into Phase II, RCIA Catechesis, at the earliest possible opportunity, since, as you say, she is certainly doing very well.)

I personally find that the longer I go without the Eucharist, the less real it seems.

Have you tried going to Adoration? I really do think it would help you.

 

[jmcrae]

I challenged our catechist, who says maybe we should be going to Mass even though we can’t receive the Eucharist.

I completely agree. The Mass is the Mass, even when you aren’t receiving Holy Communion.

At our parish, we don’t let anyone (referring to adults in RCIA) come to the Sacraments who has not been attending Mass on a weekly Sunday basis for at least one full year.

There are going to be times in your Catholic life when you can’t receive Holy Communion; you won’t be able to skip Mass then, you know. You’ll still have to show up to Mass every Sunday, even at times when, for whatever reason, you are not properly disposed to receive.

It’s also best to develop the Sunday Mass habit early on, so that it’s not such a shock to the system when it becomes an absolute requirement - you don’t want to just be starting to get into the habit when you are already required to be there, because it takes time to develop any habit - some psychologists tell us that it takes about six weeks to develop a good habit, and that’s for things that people do every day. The Sunday Mass habit will probably take longer than six weeks to develop, so it’s really important to get going on it as early as possible.

 

[jack_hawkins]

Forgive me but this whole thread perplexes me. If I believed that I had found the true church, God’s church, I would gladly go through whatever I had to do in order to get into it. What am I missing?

the entire point maybe?

 

[theAuthor]

Forgive me but this whole thread perplexes me. If I believed that I had found the true church, God’s church, I would gladly go through whatever I had to do in order to get into it. What am I missing?

You are missing the rest of my posts, dear friend. I understand it is a long thread. I was considered ready and well instructed back in 1999. My life is holier since then, in that there are some sins that have just fallen away over time. That’s not pride, but that the Lord has continued to work in/on me.

I certainly have learned *more *since doing the RCIA, but on the essentials of faith nothing has changed, because I already believed. I waited this long because out of love I went with my wife to her Church when we got married (her Dad is a Pastor in it and she hero worshipped her parents). She grew up in a very anti-Catholic background. Her initial concept of the Communion of Saints/intercession was “I am NOT praying to dead people!”

I should also mention when I rang the priest who catechised me for 5 years and told him I was having difficulty joining, he rang me back with a number of a priest within 15 minutes. He said,“I told this priest your story and I suggest you give him a call.” In other words, he pulled some strings for me.

At any rate, some people here have prayed for me, and the wheels which were stuck are now in motion. The PP is double-booked for thurs night, so it will be maybe a week or two longer until Reconciliation, but I can deal with that. I overlooked getting my baptismal certificate, too, from where I ws raised.

As for **“well if you believe…” **my glib response is that starting about halfway through the Bible there are four books called Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read them. Tell me anywhere where the Jesus referred to there said “wait.” He said, “Come unto me all you who are wearied and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” “You have freely received, now freely give.” I can keep going if you like.

 

[theAuthor]

Just as an update, since it is just a matter of time (maybe two weeks now), I have been under major attack: sickness, arguments, temptations, doubts, it feels like my life is falling apart. I’d ask all for prayer for this attack to end so I can enjoy the anticipation of joining.

 

[SingtotheLord]

Good morning!

We will keep the prayers toward heaven for you.

Who have you chosen as your saint for Confirmation? If you have not chosen one, maybe reading about some of them will help with these attacks. So many of them were constantly under attack by the evil one.

There is another thread somewhere with suggestions for saints, or just ask. I am SURE you will get plenty of responses!

Peace,
SingtotheLord!
with praise and thanksgiving.

Repeat Jesus, I trust in you three times when under attack.

Do you know the St Michael Prayer? Find it and say it when you are under attack.

 

[the_phoenix]

Dear davidarlette,

I’ll pray to St. Michael for you.

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

God bless you,

~~ the phoenix

 

[Pong]

A funny story I cahllenged our catechist, who says maybe we should be going to Mass even though we can’t receive the Eucharist. I said to him, are you going to wake up early sunday morning, fight with a toddler, put up with stares when your newborn cries, to go out for breakfast and then, just as it is being served be told you have to watch as everyone else eats and you fast?

So…you haven’t been going to Mass at all since you can’t recieve the Eucharist?

I was just trying to prove a point, but what he has offered to do is really sweet and it will feel better to not be alone in not being allowed to receive the Eucharist (it honestly hurts my feelings), and my idea is that this man is about to teach me something.

You know something… I’ve read through this entire thread and the one chord that rings out loudest of all is that you seem to think that this is all about you and your feelings. You are just now learning how to say the prayers and make a good confession, yet you tell us that you are ready because you know how to be a Catholic. You would have benfited greatly from a dose of humility and some RCIA. I will pray for you.

 

[SingtotheLord]

So…you haven’t been going to Mass at all since you can’t recieve the Eucharist?

You know something… I’ve read through this entire thread and the one chord that rings out loudest of all is that you seem to think that this is all about you and your feelings. You are just now learning how to say the prayers and make a good confession, yet you tell us that you are ready because you know how to be a Catholic. You would have benfited greatly from a dose of humility and some RCIA. I will pray for you.

You know, I’ve read through this entire thread also and have communicated with David personally. He posted because of what he was feeling…I am disappointed that so many were on the attack instead of offering prayers. At least some wrote that they had felt different emotions during this process.

And if you did read through it you would know that he did have a good dose of RCIA and has shown humility in some of his responses. Many of the posters are making him defensive.

Please just pray for him and not judge. We don’t know all the reasons why he hasn’t been attending Mass. Maybe his RCIA isn’t like that in the States where they study during the homily. It’s hard to believe it’s a good program if the Parish didn’t promote Mass attendance throughout formation!

God bless!
SingtotheLord

 

[SingtotheLord]

Dear davidarlette,

I’ll pray to St. Michael for you.

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

God bless you,

~~ the phoenix

*Thank you for posting the St Michael Prayer…I did not have time to do it earlier.

David, I have found this prayer and the following helpful in times of distress.
*
Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence,
I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother;
to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in your mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Hope everyone is having a blessed weekend!

 

[theAuthor]

One of my problems was answered very quickly indeed by the Memorare being said by a friend of ours. She joked that a difficult colleague may just disappear into the ether, and then next day the lady transfered somewhere else. I asked this friend (my wife’s sponsor, what did you pray? She said the Memorare. I’ve been saying lots of Hail Marys lately, and will add the prayer of St Michael, which I have in a little daily prayer booklet.

Sing to the Lord, thanks for defending me. You are a friend. At times posts like Pongs make me wonder if we are doing the right thing, and I cannot reconcile attitudes like that with the love that has been shown to me especially by my priest friends and yourself.

No, we have no group. All other RCIAers pulled out. No there is no instruction during the Homily (although I guess that would be a function of the Homily itself). We have been encouraged to go to Mass, and you are right I have chosen not to go many times beacuse I cannot receive Communion, that is correct. After the Table of the Word comes the Table of the Eucharist, where we say prayers like: “May the Lord accept this sacrifice unto your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all His Church” And so on. Such prayers do not make sense if you are not allowed to receive communion. The only one which does is the prayer of the Centurion, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed”…but what happens right after that?

If it wasn’t for good people like singtotheLord, I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking that you had to be born Catholic, otherwise it was a club that others don’t want you in on. It’s funny, because whenever I speak to a priest, they say, “You believe in transubstantiation don’t you?” or words that mean that, and we say “Yes, we do.” I have noticed that I cannot think of one priest who has had a bad thing to say about us and our beliefs.

Oh, and Pong, yes people have feelings…funny that.