F
Figment713
Guest
(I’m putting this here, because I have been unable to develop a sense of where it really should go. I apologize if this is the incorrect forum).
It seems I have spent most of my adult life in a kind of “one-step forward, two-steps back” dance with the Catholic Church. I have both a brother and sister who converted in the late 60’s, neither of whom became what I would consider to be a role model…or at least what I thought of as a model of Catholic behavior. (My sister, after becoming a nun at 40 left the order by 44 or so with another nun with whom she has lived in a somewhat awkward relationship ever since.)
As I said, for every approach I’ve made to the Catholic Church, it seems that I’ve wound up taking steps away, until it seems I came to realize that being filled with human beings (with all that is good and bad in human nature) the Church may never seem absolutely perfect to me. That said, the truth it preaches is perfect.
After attending church on my own for the past year, I decided this year to enroll in RCIA. I cannot tell you the feeling of peace this has given me. I would NEVER be presumptuous enough to say that the Holy Spirit has been speaking with me (more like nagging at me to put more than a toe in the water), but I do feel a greater sense of rightness and peace since I have started these classes. (It’s as if having finally given up the fighting of it, I am being shown how right this is…It’s really difficult for me to describe, which is why I’m doing such an inadequate job of it!)
Anyway, the problem (if a problem there is) is with the fact I apparently need a sponsor for the RCIA program. As I mentioned above, I’ve both a brother and sister who converted. I most certainly do not think of either of them as any sort of role models. What do I do about this? Is the lack of sponsor going to prevent me going through with my plan to become Catholic, or, just as God (apparently) led me to make this decision, will He also lead a sponsor to me?
I am troubled about this…probably much more than I should be. Perhaps it’s the fact that many/most of the folks in the RCIA class I’m in appear to be taking it in preparation for marriage in 2006. Their fiances are their sponsors. Me, I’m just sort of doing this on my own.
Thanks very much for your insight on this. And, again, I apologize if I posted this in the totally wrong area of the board. (I did look to see if the question had been previously asked and answered, but was unable to find anything).
It seems I have spent most of my adult life in a kind of “one-step forward, two-steps back” dance with the Catholic Church. I have both a brother and sister who converted in the late 60’s, neither of whom became what I would consider to be a role model…or at least what I thought of as a model of Catholic behavior. (My sister, after becoming a nun at 40 left the order by 44 or so with another nun with whom she has lived in a somewhat awkward relationship ever since.)
As I said, for every approach I’ve made to the Catholic Church, it seems that I’ve wound up taking steps away, until it seems I came to realize that being filled with human beings (with all that is good and bad in human nature) the Church may never seem absolutely perfect to me. That said, the truth it preaches is perfect.
After attending church on my own for the past year, I decided this year to enroll in RCIA. I cannot tell you the feeling of peace this has given me. I would NEVER be presumptuous enough to say that the Holy Spirit has been speaking with me (more like nagging at me to put more than a toe in the water), but I do feel a greater sense of rightness and peace since I have started these classes. (It’s as if having finally given up the fighting of it, I am being shown how right this is…It’s really difficult for me to describe, which is why I’m doing such an inadequate job of it!)
Anyway, the problem (if a problem there is) is with the fact I apparently need a sponsor for the RCIA program. As I mentioned above, I’ve both a brother and sister who converted. I most certainly do not think of either of them as any sort of role models. What do I do about this? Is the lack of sponsor going to prevent me going through with my plan to become Catholic, or, just as God (apparently) led me to make this decision, will He also lead a sponsor to me?
I am troubled about this…probably much more than I should be. Perhaps it’s the fact that many/most of the folks in the RCIA class I’m in appear to be taking it in preparation for marriage in 2006. Their fiances are their sponsors. Me, I’m just sort of doing this on my own.
Thanks very much for your insight on this. And, again, I apologize if I posted this in the totally wrong area of the board. (I did look to see if the question had been previously asked and answered, but was unable to find anything).