So overwhelmed, failing @ being Catholic

[ccmcmg]

TL: DR at bottom​

I love the resources we have online, and I have learned a lot, especially here at CAF.

But there is SO much to learn, to know. I grew up in a small rural parish (SMALL, very few Catholics), where we went to Mass, and had a LITTLE catechism (just slightly above none). I fell away and came back, again while in a small rural area. That involved becoming a lector, cantor, serving on councils, etc, in a wonderful and traditional parish. However, again, we went to Mass and followed the ‘rules’ of the Faith, but there wasn’t enrichment.

I’m back (again, and to STAY) but I’m getting overwhelmed. There is so much to know, so much it feels like I should be doing and know about my Faith. I’ve always known, worshipped, loved God, Jesus and Holy Spirit; loved Mary, the Saints, and asked for prayers from our dearly departed.

But now I’m finding out there is more; I always knew the Church had many rich traditions and facts. I can’t keep up. I’m taking a Catechism class (this section finishes tonight), and reading the Bible, books on Catholicism, and praying the Rosary.

Then I read on here or elsewhere, all these things that are WAAAAY above my head, and I’m not stupid; I’ve just never heard of much of this, let alone practiced or believed in it, or know how to approach it. I feel like I’m failing as a Catholic, and have no right to be one if I don’t know everything about my Faith. I CAN say that I believe and profess the Creed completely, and practice the Sacraments. I don’t doubt my Faith, only that I am good enough for it, or deserve it. I’m NOT envious of those that understand all this at all; I’m happy for them, but down on myself because I don’t understand a LOT of it.

On a sidenote, I do have OCD among other things, that makes me want things PERFECT sometimes, or not have them at all, and sometimes, that means NOW. I need patience, I need humility, I need help. God understands, right, when you have failings, physical or mental, beyond your control that causes things like this right? Please please please don’t be harsh on me. My faith in God is strong; it is the faith in myself that is not. It’s hard feeling like a failure in the most important thing in the universe, to put it mildly. Help me to overcome these feelings, these trappings of Satan. Guess I just need some reassurance that it’s okay where I’m at in my journey.

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TL: DR: Overwhelmed at the depth of the Catholic Faith, although I’m 100% Catholic; feeling like a failure as a Catholic for not knowing about all this stuff

Thank you and God bless.
Christina

 

[Boulder257]

The Lord is not nearly as interested in you “knowing” all of these devotions, practices, facts, et. as He is with just having a relationship with you. It will all come in time. Until then, don’t fret about what you don’t know. Continue to love the Lord and the rest will come with time!

 

[Regina_Love]

Chill out! The widsom in the Catholic Church has been accumulating for 4000 years! You don’t to have to know or understand it all. Jesus understood that. He kept it simple He said, “If you love me keep the [10] commandments.” plus “Love one & other.” That helps to simplify everything for us.

Think of each new thing you hear about as a gift from a lover. Unwrap it and thank God for it. You are not a bad person for not knowing what God had wrapped up to surprise you. Enjoy that in The Catholic Faith you don’t ever have to be bored. There is always something new to learn. Remember we will not be perfect until Heaven! God loves you, and just wants to be with you.

Next time you start to feel guilty for not knowing something just say, “I refuse to feel guilty! Thank you God for this new gift of knowledge.”

 

[otjm]

I have a daughter with ocd, so I can relate to a certain extent.

The poster above was right. This is all about a relationship with Christ. It is not about head knowledge (although some helps) but about relationship. Take a look through the Gospels; Christ does not ever say “You must know everything” or anything even close to that. He says “Come, follow Me” and certainly talks about how that is done. But a quick look through the lives of saints will show that each of them had a way of following Him that was to a certain extent unique to each of them. None of them had a final answer; and many of them were not particularly well schooled in all of the vast riches of the Church. But first and foremost, they followed Him as best they could.

Relax an enjoy the ride. Learn what you can, but always remember, it is not what you know, it is what your relationship with Christ is that counts.

Oh, an by the way - we are all failures from time to time; that is why there is the sacrament of Reconciliation. Use it as needed.

 

[Monica4316]

My priest once said, about loving God despite your weakness, - being little before Him… that’s something that’s hard to learn I think but it’s very much worth it St Therese’s “little way” might help you. Remember that it’s our misery that attracts God’s Mercy to us… though of course, we should not willfully sin. But weakness, etc, can help us to see how much we need God, how much He loves us, and can humble us too. He loves us in our weakness, and knows exactly the way to lead us, based on our own situation: He is very patient and gentle also, He just wants us to surrender to Him. It helps to make it more about Him and less about yourself… focus more on His power than on your weakness, and trust Him. The more we trust, the more we receive

God bless

 

[DevotedChild]

My priest once said, about loving God despite your weakness, - being little before Him… that’s something that’s hard to learn I think but it’s very much worth it St Therese’s “little way” might help you. Remember that it’s our misery that attracts God’s Mercy to us… though of course, we should not willfully sin. But weakness, etc, can help us to see how much we need God, how much He loves us, and can humble us too. He loves us in our weakness, and knows exactly the way to lead us, based on our own situation: He is very patient and gentle also, He just wants us to surrender to Him. It helps to make it more about Him and less about yourself… focus more on His power than on your weakness, and trust Him. The more we trust, the more we receive

God bless

Well said. I also agree with what the other posters said as well. I would just like to add that, I was always told that Faith, getting to know it and grow in it, was a journey that didn’t end until we reached heaven. You can’t know it all at once but God will grant you access what it is you need to know when you need to know it. That is one of the beauties I find in my faith as a Catholic, that I am never done learning about it, about God. Like Regina Love said, accept the knowledge as a gift from God, the Lover of our souls, and look forward to the time when the next gift is given.

Don’t get upset with yourself if you find that you are short on patience and humility, both are virtues that we must constantly work at throughout our lives, and the ones I struggle with the most. Always keep your sight on God and His Will for you and everything will fall into place in due time, God knows when we are ready.

God Bless you.

 

[crenfro]

Mother Teresa said it was more important to be faithful than to be successful at being a Catholic.

May God bless you. And please pray for me.

 

[Iron_Donkey]

TL: DR at bottom​

I love the resources we have online, and I have learned a lot, especially here at CAF.

But there is SO much to learn, to know. I grew up in a small rural parish (SMALL, very few Catholics), where we went to Mass, and had a LITTLE catechism (just slightly above none). I fell away and came back, again while in a small rural area. That involved becoming a lector, cantor, serving on councils, etc, in a wonderful and traditional parish. However, again, we went to Mass and followed the ‘rules’ of the Faith, but there wasn’t enrichment.

I’m back (again, and to STAY) but I’m getting overwhelmed. There is so much to know, so much it feels like I should be doing and know about my Faith. I’ve always known, worshipped, loved God, Jesus and Holy Spirit; loved Mary, the Saints, and asked for prayers from our dearly departed.

But now I’m finding out there is more; I always knew the Church had many rich traditions and facts. I can’t keep up. I’m taking a Catechism class (this section finishes tonight), and reading the Bible, books on Catholicism, and praying the Rosary.

Then I read on here or elsewhere, all these things that are WAAAAY above my head, and I’m not stupid; I’ve just never heard of much of this, let alone practiced or believed in it, or know how to approach it. I feel like I’m failing as a Catholic, and have no right to be one if I don’t know everything about my Faith. I CAN say that I believe and profess the Creed completely, and practice the Sacraments. I don’t doubt my Faith, only that I am good enough for it, or deserve it. I’m NOT envious of those that understand all this at all; I’m happy for them, but down on myself because I don’t understand a LOT of it.

On a sidenote, I do have OCD among other things, that makes me want things PERFECT sometimes, or not have them at all, and sometimes, that means NOW. I need patience, I need humility, I need help. God understands, right, when you have failings, physical or mental, beyond your control that causes things like this right? Please please please don’t be harsh on me. My faith in God is strong; it is the faith in myself that is not. It’s hard feeling like a failure in the most important thing in the universe, to put it mildly. Help me to overcome these feelings, these trappings of Satan. Guess I just need some reassurance that it’s okay where I’m at in my journey.

---

TL: DR: Overwhelmed at the depth of the Catholic Faith, although I’m 100% Catholic; feeling like a failure as a Catholic for not knowing about all this stuff

Thank you and God bless.
Christina

First, you’re “worthy” of having the faith because and only because God cares for you. God calls all people to Him through His Church, and nothing we or anyone else can do can change that.

Second, while it is good to learn a lot about the faith, it is neither necessary nor possible to learn everything about God, not feasible to understand everything that all humans have come to understand about Him (how can one mind hold the result of hundreds of philosophers and theologians across thousands of years?), and probably not even a good idea to try to learn every single tradition that has started to worship Him. Witness this story about St. Augustine:

It was so that this glorious doctor made and compiled many volumes, as afore is said, among whom he made a book of the Trinity, in which he studied and mused sore in his mind, so far forth that on a time as he went by the sea-side in Africa, studying on the Trinity, he found by the sea-side a little child which had made a little pit in the sand, and in his hand a little spoon. And with the spoon he took out water of the large sea and poured it into the pit.

And when St Augustin beheld him he marvelled, and demanded him what he did. And he answered and said: “I will lade out and bring all this water of the sea into this pit.”

“What?” said he, “it is impossible, how may it be done, sith the sea is so great and large, and thy pit and spoon so little?”

“Yes, forsooth,” said he, “I shall lightlier and sooner draw all the water of the sea and bring it into this pit than thou shalt bring the mystery of the Trinity and His Divinity into thy little understanding as to the regard thereof; for the Mystery of the Trinity is greater and larger to the comparison of thy wit and brain than is this great sea unto this little pit.”

And therewith the child vanished away. Then here may every man take ensample that no man, and especially simple lettered men, ne unlearned, presume to intermit ne to muse on high things of the Godhead, farther than we be informed by our faith, for our only faith shall suffice us.

credidimus.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/st-augustine-and-the-boy-at-the-beach/

The moral being, at least as I see it: feel free to try to feel your hole in the sand, but do not be dismayed when the whole ocean won’t fit.

Seriously: if you are doing your best to learn the essentials of the faith, and to follow them, then no one can accuse you of being a bad Catholic, no matter how much you do or do not know.

 

[ccmcmg]

Thank you. There are so many words of wisdom from all of you.

He gave me 3 terrific signs tonight, including a glimpse of our Mother Mary in the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel; phrases and words nearly verbatim from our Catechism leader that I was given by the Holy Spirit a dozen years ago; and Sirach giving me verses I had been praying for.

God is good. I am weak. Praise Jesus!

Christina

 

[mlz]

TL: DR at bottom​

I love the resources we have online, and I have learned a lot, especially here at CAF.

But there is SO much to learn, to know. I grew up in a small rural parish (SMALL, very few Catholics), where we went to Mass, and had a LITTLE catechism (just slightly above none). I fell away and came back, again while in a small rural area. That involved becoming a lector, cantor, serving on councils, etc, in a wonderful and traditional parish. However, again, we went to Mass and followed the ‘rules’ of the Faith, but there wasn’t enrichment.

I’m back (again, and to STAY) but I’m getting overwhelmed. There is so much to know, so much it feels like I should be doing and know about my Faith. I’ve always known, worshipped, loved God, Jesus and Holy Spirit; loved Mary, the Saints, and asked for prayers from our dearly departed.

But now I’m finding out there is more; I always knew the Church had many rich traditions and facts. I can’t keep up. I’m taking a Catechism class (this section finishes tonight), and reading the Bible, books on Catholicism, and praying the Rosary.

Then I read on here or elsewhere, all these things that are WAAAAY above my head, and I’m not stupid; I’ve just never heard of much of this, let alone practiced or believed in it, or know how to approach it. I feel like I’m failing as a Catholic, and have no right to be one if I don’t know everything about my Faith. I CAN say that I believe and profess the Creed completely, and practice the Sacraments. I don’t doubt my Faith, only that I am good enough for it, or deserve it. I’m NOT envious of those that understand all this at all; I’m happy for them, but down on myself because I don’t understand a LOT of it.

On a sidenote, I do have OCD among other things, that makes me want things PERFECT sometimes, or not have them at all, and sometimes, that means NOW. I need patience, I need humility, I need help. God understands, right, when you have failings, physical or mental, beyond your control that causes things like this right? Please please please don’t be harsh on me. My faith in God is strong; it is the faith in myself that is not. It’s hard feeling like a failure in the most important thing in the universe, to put it mildly. Help me to overcome these feelings, these trappings of Satan. Guess I just need some reassurance that it’s okay where I’m at in my journey.

---

TL: DR: Overwhelmed at the depth of the Catholic Faith, although I’m 100% Catholic; feeling like a failure as a Catholic for not knowing about all this stuff

Thank you and God bless.
Christina

Praise God, this side of Heaven we are ALL on a journey of faith! No need to worry as God understands each of us and loves and wants the best for all. Just be willing with His help to walk toward Him in faith daily. (or hourly as is sometimes the case)
Blessings,
mlz