Story: "I joined RCIA to prove to my husband why we couldn't be Catholic." --Then something very different happened

[mdgspencer]

This is from her story at http://catholicphilly.com/2019/09/n...er-tells-how-to-hang-out-with-women-of-bible/
(RCIA is a program of instruction for those interested in joining the Catholic Church)
…
Her story: "Christmyer’s husband Mark had been raised Catholic but left the Catholic faith when he was in college. While they were dating, he started to practice faith again in the Protestant church.

‘We were eventually married,’ she said, ‘and when I became pregnant, all those Catholic roots started coming back. He wanted to baptize the baby Catholic and he wanted to go to a Catholic church. I was really thrown for a loop by that because that was not in the plan. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have married him. I was very strong in the tradition I was raised in. I had no reason to leave it. So, it was very upsetting and distressing.’

This led to several years of asking questions, she said, and she had a hard time finding answers. ‘A lot of Catholics I knew at the time couldn’t understand my questions or gave me answers I couldn’t understand. It was a very lonely, difficult time,’ she said.

Christmyer joined an RCIA program ‘to prove to my husband why we couldn’t be Catholic,’ she said. But the opposite happened. It was during prayer she heard the Lord say to her, “‘Sarah, why are you here?’’ And I realized that God was implying that he brought me there, which was the exact opposite of what I thought had happened…

Christmyer sees her conversion to the Catholic faith as about 'not following my parents’ coattails but deciding to follow God for myself — growing into a newer practice of my own faith, stepping out in trust of him."

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.) http://catholicphilly.com/media-files/2019/09/Sarah-Christmyer.jpg

 

[adamhovey1988]

I have yet to read the story, but I love reading about conversion stories, so thank you for sharing

 

[Divine3]

I wouldn’t wonder that at all. Only God knows the heart, mind and soul of a person.

 

[Divine3]

Read what you posted. Great story and I too love conversion stories. The workings of grace are beautiful and amazing to behold.

 

[Mannn]

Yes I know SDA who converted . And AOG . who were influenced by religious teaching.
Being “brain washed” is what we see.
Even in the news:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

 

[goout]

mdgspencer:

Christmyer sees her conversion to the Catholic faith as about 'not following my parents’ coattails but deciding to follow God f

I weep for all those years she was far away and distant from Mother Church. I wonder if she’s on a state of mortal sin for all her non-Catholic practices.

Why wonder about something you can’t know anything about or do anything about?
Why wonder about the hypothetical worst case scenario in an edifying story?
Why wonder about these things when we can do something about our own spiritual state?

 

[CaptainPrudeman]

She came from a lacking of the fullness of truth to the fullness of truth. We should all praise God and sing of the days where He turned our hearts from sin and darkness towards His light.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

How is she flaunting it? What in the article suggests pride? Why does conversion mean she came from something bad?

I couldn’t understand the concerns in your first post but now I’m really confused.

 

[Annie]

Probably not, since Protestants being received into the Church go to Confession beforehand.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Sounds like pride to me! If she’s trying to get one over on her husband, God knows who else she tried to swindle!

You are reading what she said in an odd way, maybe too literal. She is basically saying she was wrong, and was convinced of Catholicism. A lot of conversion stories have some element of thinking the church is wrong and often actively arguing against it.

Nor does she appear to be bragging about her conversion; rather she seems joyful and enthusiastic about her faith.

What I still don’t get is why you are worried she’s in mortal sin. Becoming Catholic would have included the introduction of Catholic sacraments, including confession, and she would have confessed any sins when she was confirmed and since then. Also what others upthread said, why ponder the state of someone’s soul when you can’t know it?

 

[Zaccheus]

I weep for all those years she was far away and distant from Mother Church. I wonder if she’s on a state of mortal sin for all her non-Catholic practices.

If I understand correctly she was following the truth as best she knew it, and honestly seeking truth. I don’t see God condemning her for that.

 

[Dlee]

I was raised in the Baptist faith of my family, God led to to seek Him out for myself which led to the Catholic Church. Is this being prideful? Of course not! She started out in RCIA for the “wrong” reason (to prove him wrong), but guess what? God revealed that her husband was right. Thanks for sharing. She and Cavins are writing great Bible Studies.