Serious faith struggles

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TheCatholicWife

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I went from being a very faithful Catholic to avoiding going to Mass. I don’t know what’s happened but the fire…it’s just gone. I’ve lost faith in the Church’s leadership due to the scandals that continue to erupt and I struggled to find a parish that felt right. As a result, I’m no longer attending Mass. Every weekend, I tell myself to go but then I just can’t. Please pray that I can find my way back…I struggle to pray faithfully now, too.
 
I went through a similar episode for years. Maybe it’s spiritual dryness. Remember the majority of our priest and religious, who are good, never make the newspapers and magazines.

Pray simply “Jesus, help me.” See what happens.

I will keep you in my prayers. God bless you abundantly.
 
TheCatholicWife said:
I went from being a very faithful Catholic to avoiding going to Mass. I don’t know what’s happened but the fire…it’s just gone. I’ve lost faith in the Church’s leadership due to the scandals that continue to erupt and I struggled to find a parish that felt right. As a result, I’m no longer attending Mass. Every weekend, I tell myself to go but then I just can’t. Please pray that I can find my way back…I struggle to pray faithfully now, too.
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I will keep you in my prayers. I too went through a similar situation of ill feelings towards the church in light of the recent horrific scandals. My grade school had two accused priest/pedophiles that left after admitting guilt of sexual assault on some of my very classmates. My younger brother had a close encounter with one of those priests and by the grace of God was spared the life long suffering of his peers. Although I had hardness in my heart, especially as a mother who could not fathom what I was reading daily, I attended weekly mass and prayed for the church, Pope Benedict, the faithful and lastly and the most difficult for the perpetrators. The Church has been through many tests in the last 2000 years and will continue to move ahead after some much needed housekeeping. Sexual abuse should have zero tolerance and this is a clear wake up call to the hierarchy of the church and the faithful that some are not living up to the clear moral teachings in the Gospel. I believe and will remain faithful to the church during this most painful time. Remember the news media is very anti Catholic, anti religion, and has an agenda to expose the RCC at every turn. If you research sexual abuse you will find it more prevalent in public schools, mixed families (step fathers) and more pronounced in religious organizations with married clergy. I have avoided the main news media for this purpose, they only bring light on the RCC, not the other organizations/religions with similar or worse situations. I find it to a be a blessing that the exposure was made, but it is clear the bias in the news media.

Perhaps you should find a spiritual director, good book or a bible study group to bring you back into the fullness of the church. I love enjoy the many apologists that educate me in the church teachings and raise up my faith with their testimony and witness to God. Catholic Answers has a wonderful 2 hour program on Immaculate Heart radio that covers many topics and concerns. I also enjoy Steve Ray, Gus Llyod, and Patrick Madrid websites. Remember the church is full of sinners it is only through the faithful religious/laypeople that we can move ahead. Matthew 16:18 ‘And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’

I will keep you in my prayers
pax
Roisin
 
Friend,

I am sorry for your suffering.

Jesus loves you and is waiting with open arms for your return.

Peace,
Kathleen
 
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with Thee.
Blessed art Thou among women,
and Blessed is the Fruit
of Thy Womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen
 
Praying hard for you

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of Grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen
 
I felt similarly to you recently, though not necessarily for the same reasons. I am working on getting back on track, and I will pray that you do, too. The longer you are away, the harder it is to go, so please go to a mass, even if you don’t stay the whole time!

I will pray for you.
 
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of Grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen
 
Praying that you will go see a priest to confess having missed Mass on Sundays and that you will make a great act of love of God by not shying away from forcing yourself to start to attend Mass regularly again, despite your revulsion. May you find yourself a good, holy spiritual director to help you, and may this time of trial prove you to be faithful and gain great merit for you. Sorry you are suffering so much, but persevere and be strong! You are fighting a battle - win the battle by not fighting it alone: call on Mary and a good priest to help you, and make sure you still spend good time in prayer, though you might feel you aren’t getting anything out of it. God will reward you for your fidelity to him in prayer.

You are in my prayers, TheCatholicWife. Peace and God bless!
 
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of Grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen
 
TheCatholicWife said:
I went from being a very faithful Catholic to avoiding going to Mass. I don’t know what’s happened but the fire…it’s just gone. I’ve lost faith in the Church’s leadership due to the scandals that continue to erupt and I struggled to find a parish that felt right. As a result, I’m no longer attending Mass. Every weekend, I tell myself to go but then I just can’t. Please pray that I can find my way back…I struggle to pray faithfully now, too.
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O Lord, I pray for TheCatholicWife
for the grace and the strength
to return faithfully to your teachings
and to the sacramental life of the Church.
Help her to persevere in the commitments
and promises she has made to you.
Give her the fortitude to live up to the vocation
she received in her baptism,
to the duties derived from her confirmation in the Spirit,
and to the graces received in the other sacraments.
Help TheCatholicWife to place love of God and service to Him
before all else and help her to bring selfless love
to her brothers and sisters in Christ.
Amen
 
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of Grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen
 
Read about the Church during the Renaissance period and you will realize that it isn’t so catastrophic in comparison, and that the Church can overcome it. There will always be bad people in the Church until Christ’s return, we need good people like you to stick to their guns and fight for the Church and the faithful people within it.
 
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of Grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen
 
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