Returning to church

[englishredrose]

Hi DaisyBee
No offence. Just it did cross my mind that anyone new into church may be thinking that it hadn’t happend to them as thus and thinking they had failed into the bargain. They are neat boxes and I don’t do neat boxes like most of us. I know what you meant but wanted to make sure that anyone reading new what you meant too that just because it hadn’t happend like that doesn’t make one any less with God. We are not on some programme with God. We are ourselves and really there isn’t any definate journey. If that happend for you then great. But if it been found in a theology or text book then its not 100% true because we all have our very own unique road to God and thats one of the good things. It allows us to be with God without any particular stage. Sorry if I upset you because I didn’t mean that. Just wanted anyone reading to know their experience is valid and right even if it didn’t match up to the stages you wrote about. :hug1:

 

[daisybee]

Hi DaisyBee
No offence. Just it did cross my mind that anyone new into church may be thinking that it hadn’t happend to them as thus and thinking they had failed into the bargain.

That’s a good point. No, I wasn’t upset; just interested in clarifying and continuing the discussion. Thank you for your comments.

Interestingly, the meditation series In Conversation with God by Father Francis Fernandez doesn’t follow a “stages” approach or theory; it just happened to be mentioned in that particular meditation for the day.

 

[peace2u2]

So I was baptised Catholic as a baby and received first holy communion although not confirmed.

Not raised in a strict Catholic family - in fact we weren’t religious at all.

I am not sure why but I feel drawn to attend mass tomorrow morning (I’m in Australia).

I haven’t stepped foot in a Catholic Church in over 17 years.

Things to remember? What not to do? I know I can’t take communion - anything else?

Welcome home! Remember that it is God that is calling you back to Him. We have a new beautiful translation of the Mass. I hope you can open this link it shows what our responses are. Most churches have a handy card in the pew. You could also print the form from this link:

old.usccb.org/romanmissal/samples-people.shtml

Since you have not been to Mass in a long time, this video link is awesome. I came across it here on this forum and it is really beautiful. Scroll down and watch the video clips:

olgcparish.net/education/true_magnificence.html

This link I found here on this website as well and has many interesting articles:

forcatholicholymass.blogspot.com/2010/03/case-for-catholic-mass-vs-protestant.html

This link is the shorter version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Scroll over what you want to read and click it will take you to that topic:

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

When God called me to return to Church to worship Him, He led me to this very small Catholic Church and behind the alter, hung this huge, life-like Crucifix. I felt like I could run no more. I could no longer run and hide like the Jonah I had become. I felt like God provided this small, comfortable church that I could get to know Him again and I have always felt like God was so smart in providing the huge Crucifix. It was a reminder of God’s great love for me.

Peace