Save the Catholics

[stacywva]

If this isn’t the right place to post this please feel free…

I’m confused… why is it that Protestants feel the need to “save” the Catholics… I had a man who is becoming a baptist preacher and is the hubby of a lady who used to transcribe for me last semester… feel like he was worried about my soul and asked me if I was 100% sure of my salvation and being a candidate and not fully understanding the Catholic teaching on this matter I just listened with an open mind and reminded myself that as Catholics we are already saved… just not in the “Protestant” view of salvation… I was going to tell him, “There’s no scripture that verifies Sola Scriptura 100%” but I just let him go on…

I’ve about had it with the whole “Let’s go save the Catholics” campaign… but I try to be patient and respectful but I cannot seem to get it through to people that I am content in my Catholic faith… doh

What should one do in this matter?

• Brian

 

[Roza]

I’m barely back a year and in real life know more ex-Catholics than I know practicing Catholics… and I pray that’s the correct verbiage. I pray to have more time available to get involved more in the Church locally. I remember falling into the anti-Catholic sites when I came out of the NAM. That’s why Blessed Bartolo is an inspiration to me.

I remember several meetings with my priest, the first he told me I probably wasn’t really an anti-Catholic and I said, “Oh, yes I was!” I knew all I had learned, ‘don’t think you’ll be heard for your vain speaking’… didn’t pay attention to ‘vain’ being there, just that it somehow meant the Catholic Church was wrong. I fell into all of it, ‘idol worshipers’, ‘papists’, etc… I know I didn’t pay attention the first time and I’m still not even sure how I made Confirmation. I think we did have to take a test but it’s obvious to me now that my thoughts were elsewhere 20+ years ago.

Still working out random things that may pop up from those days but I am thankful to be home. I’m thankful for prayers being answered in my life and seeing hope again.

 

[stacywva]

I personally cannot wait until I can finally say “I’m home!” I’m currently swimming the Tiber and in RCIA (started last night) and am excited about this journey.

Anyways, although I’m not yet Catholic, I’m “Catholic at Heart” though and it just rubs me the wrong way when they are like “I care about your soul and want you to realize that we are judged by Scripture and Scripture only…”

Also, the correct phraseology for “ex-Catholics” are lapsed Catholics… one never ceases to be a Catholic even though they might say they have. OCAC, instead of OSAS (Once Saved, Always Saved)… Once Catholic, Always Catholic.

 

[Roza]

Yeah, OCAC, I love that! It’s been an interesting journey. I still really want to go back for a visit to my old church, I need to keep praying on it. I remember being told by a member that I’d never get over my anger with the Catholic Church… well, I guess I have, now learning what I missed the first time and want to keep growing in Him!

 

[Debra_C]

If this isn’t the right place to post this please feel free…

I’m confused… why is it that Protestants feel the need to “save” the Catholics… I had a man who is becoming a baptist preacher and is the hubby of a lady who used to transcribe for me last semester… feel like he was worried about my soul and asked me if I was 100% sure of my salvation and being a candidate and not fully understanding the Catholic teaching on this matter I just listened with an open mind and reminded myself that as Catholics we are already saved… just not in the “Protestant” view of salvation… I was going to tell him, “There’s no scripture that verifies Sola Scriptura 100%” but I just let him go on…

I’ve about had it with the whole “Let’s go save the Catholics” campaign… but I try to be patient and respectful but I cannot seem to get it through to people that I am content in my Catholic faith… doh

What should one do in this matter?

• Brian

Just pray for him. Poor ignorant Protestants. Can you imagine not having the Eucharist? I could never go back. It would be like giving up air. And his false assurance of his salvation is not likely to get him too far on Judgement Day. Let us hope he remains humble and repentant before God, as we all must.

 

[stacywva]

Just pray for him. Poor ignorant Protestants. Can you imagine not having the Eucharist? I could never go back. It would be like giving up air. And his false assurance of his salvation is not likely to get him too far on Judgement Day. Let us hope he remains humble and repentant before God, as we all must.

He kept saying, “I can only look at myself and know that I am saved… I don’t know you but since you say you are I hope you are.”

Poor man… it’s not his fault that the dumb Protestant Reformers just had to take apart Sacred Scripture and toss out Sacred Tradition and now look at the “good” it’s done…

No I cannot imagine not having the Eucharist or Sacred Tradition or the fact that I can be blessed by the priest during Holy Communion since I cannot yet partake in the Eucharistic Feast.

I’ll never be able to go back, although I do miss some things but not enough to make me feel that I’m wrong by becoming Catholic.

 

[stacywva]

Yeah, OCAC, I love that! It’s been an interesting journey. I still really want to go back for a visit to my old church, I need to keep praying on it. I remember being told by a member that I’d never get over my anger with the Catholic Church… well, I guess I have, now learning what I missed the first time and want to keep growing in Him!

Just keep praying… now is probably not a good time until you get stronger in your faith regarding the Church and Her teachings…

I try not to go to anything unless it’s a praise and worship night with very little “preaching”… I’m not strong enough yet to know the Church’s teachings vs. false teachings…

I still fellowship with my non-Catholic Christian friends but they know where I draw the line when it comes to discussions…

 

[Debra_C]

No I cannot imagine not having the Eucharist or Sacred Tradition or the fact that I can be blessed by the priest during Holy Communion since I cannot yet partake in the Eucharistic Feast.

I’ll never be able to go back, although I do miss some things but not enough to make me feel that I’m wrong by becoming Catholic.

I know the waiting is hard. I, too, had to wait till Easter. By November I was thinking, “Advent is almost here and that means Christmas will come soon… and after Christmas… Easter!” I counted down the days. I attended daily Mass all through Lent. I begged Him to hold me close to His Sacred Heart and grant me the gift of patience while I waited. I spent hours in adoration. It was 100% worth the wait and more.

I see many cradle Catholics at our parish who seem to come to Mass merely out of a sense obligation. It’s good they come, don’t get me wrong. But so sad they don’t seem to see how tremendous the gift they are receiving is! His Body & Blood, Soul & Divinity, offered for us once and for all at Calvary, now given to us through the Mass as food for the journey! (Even to me!) I pray I will never lose sight of what a treasure this is!

I wish all Christians could come to understand and accept it. So much He desires to give Himself to us, to make us one with Him! Truly His love and mercy are both infiinite and perfect!

God bless you in your journey!

 

[Roza]

I admit, I miss the worship in my old church but ‘good morning self, Mass IS worship’.

 

[stacywva]

I admit, I miss the worship in my old church but ‘good morning self, Mass IS worship’.

Yep…

At our school’s Newman Center, we play contemporary music during Mass and all of us are fine with it… we do sing some of the traditional stuff. Our deacon and his wife are charismatic… and so am I… so it works out well.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Look at their ignorance as their poverty and have compassion toward them.

Forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Remember, you didn’t always accept the Catholic Church either. It took God’s grace to bring you here, but you also had to be open to His grace.

They are still in their infancy stage of spirituality, and hence, have not grown out of their intolerance toward people of other religions. Even Catholics can get stuck in this place, especially if their spiritual life is limited to religious practices without conversion of the heart.

Your goal should not be to try and bring them over to your way of believing, but rather, be an example in that they will see Christ in you, and be drawn to Him, through you.

Don’t get into the trap of religious debates, they’re not conducive toward spiritual growth.

God Bless
Jim

 

[Roza]

I have to remember again, being on the offense w/out being offensive and I need to find my post from today when I said ‘hitting rock bottom’… but it really is only by the grace of God I still have a home. There’s no reason I shouldn’t have been booted out already but I had help in getting rent paid and bills so I still truly don’t know what ‘rock bottom’ is. I remember street people I used to know, they weren’t there by choice. Nobody wants to live like that and if I hadn’t had the help I’ve had there’s no reason I shouldn’t be on the streets myself right now. Only by the grace of God!

 

[InLight247]

“There’s no scripture that verifies Sola Scriptura 100%” but I just let him go on…

• Brian

If you ask them “Do we have Bible first or do we have Church first?” They probably will give you the wrong answer.

Jesus founded His Church first. Then around the year of 397, the Bible was assembled. Church exists first, then the Church gave us the Bible.

If one gets this sequence correct, how could he hold the view of sola scriptura? We have to include holy traditions and Church teachings.