Struggles with the faith?

[Ohokplease]

Through my life, I have been in and out of the Church. My extended family is majorly Catholic, but my immediate family (father, mother, and sisters) is entirely atheist. In the past, I have found myself unable to settle down, and have been a part of atheism, Protestantism, modern Catholicism, and finally, I have settled on traditional Catholicism. I came to traditional Catholicism about six months ago.

I know my faith is correct, and I know I have chosen rightly. I will stay with this faith, I have felt too much spiritually and logically to look anywhere else. Despite this, I’ve struggled immensely with it. When I first converted, my dad would only agree to take me to mass once every two or three weeks; and after a certain incident a few weeks ago where I passed out due to anemia (a problem which I have since resolved), he refuses to take me at all.

I will get my driver’s permit in about half a year, and I hope that once I do so he will agree to at least accompany me on the drive to church. Until then, I’m at a loss for what to do about it.

In general, I feel alone in my faith. I don’t know a single traditional Catholic outside of my extended family (whom I do not see on a regular basis). All my friends are either atheist or other religions. I’ve only had a little training in the faith when I was younger. I’m trying to research Catholicism and figure it out on my own, but - I feel like I can really only go so far with no support.

I’ve noticed that recently, I have had to utterly force myself to pray at night. Every time I pray, I’m reminded of my guilt in everything I’ve done wrong (especially as I have no way to attend confession) and also my total spiritual isolation from everyone around me. I’ve tried to talk to my friends, I’ve tried talking to my guidance counselor, but naturally none of them can really help. The only thing that’s really kept me going is by reminding myself of the support I will always have from the heavens, from Jesus and Mary and the angels.

It’s an amazingly comforting thing, which again reminds me of the truth of my faith, but humans are still humans, and I need human support. I’m just not sure what to do. I don’t know where to go. I won’t lose my faith, I refuse - but I can’t progress in my faith until I find a way to solve this problem.

 

[Pilgrim1701]

I’m not the best person to be giving advice, but think big and act small. I’m sure you’re doing it already, but pray everyday and get to mass when you can. Your situation is a difficult one, depending on atheist family to support you in your religious observance is a big ask. When you become more independent, things will progress naturally and take on a life of their own.
Your on the right track, and your ‘training’ in the faith will come in time. Trust me, it’s a life-long learning curve, and you will always be working at it!
As St Pio said, ‘Pray, hope, and don’t worry’, or words to that effect. Chin up, and keep smiling, God Bless.

 

[Casilda]

I could have written almost exactly the very same thing you did. Except that it happened 44 years ago.

I do not wish what happened to me to happen to you. I was 9 when my parents stopped going to Mass. Me and my sister begged for years to be allowed to go to church. Then when I was 18 on my own in college I did. But by then I was a stranger to the new Mass. I tried contacting the parish and the convent that was attached to it. Nothing. I was just a teenager. I got no response. I did get response from Baptist friends and then I entered the world of protestant confusion until now.

I do not know what resources there are at a parish that supports a baptized Catholic who wants to get back. I have had to struggle to find an RCIA class that caters to people who were baptized yet are missing first holy communion and or confirmation. I dont want to discourage you. I want other Catholics here to know that there are people who come and sit through Mass and dont get to commune and then just leave with no support. Or there are those that want to go but have no transportation…Baptist schools pick up their students for church (and their students’ friends and neighbors-I was one of them). If I ever get back…I want to start a ministry that keeps tabs on families, make sure their baptized kids get first holy communion and then confirmed so they dont fall through the cracks like I did. Its not the kids fault. Yet we have to suffer for our parents mistake.

You can do what I did, here is the online version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm if and when you ever get to a confirmation class you can wow the teachers by answering all the questions.

 

[ClearWater]

I was surprised how many young people want to get to church but can’t due to parents who won’t take them!

You have been at a real disadvantage. I’m surprised you’ve done as well as you have!

Well, you have a computer…can you watch mass online, in the meantime? I realize it’s not the same, but hopefully this will only be a temporary situation.

There are often teen groups at many parishes. Shame one of those teen groups couldn’t send somebody by from the parish to pick you up, given your situation.

You haven’t been raised with prayer, so I’d imagine it’d be hard. We were raised with it. When I was even a child, my mother taught us our prayers, which we’d recite before bed. They were things like, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake. I pray my Lord my soul to take”.

My family has also been praying the rosary together, as a family, for generations…later, in 2 languages. They’d start off in English, finish it in French!

My brothers were all altar boys. We girls often were in the Church choir.

We got into youth groups…CYO…and I hear they have other newer ones, as well.

I’d like to commend you, again, for taking the initiative, and persisting, when the odds have been stacked against you! :yup::clapping::bounce:

I’ll end with a prayer.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blest 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. :bible1:

 

[Luz_Maria]

I was surprised how many young people want to get to church but can’t due to parents who won’t take them!

[Snip]

I also commend you.

Now a days, many involved in parish activities cannot be involved with young people unless they are “certified”, and then they cannot be alone with the young person. The age limited for the young person may be (not sure) 14 years of age.

If you are over that age, try contacting the parish Director of Religious Education (on bulletins as DRE), the Pastoral Advisory Council, the Knight of Columbus (K of C), the Youth Ministry. Do you know the parish website address? It is usually listed on the parish bulletin. All this information is usually in the website – – or go to your diocese website and get the information there.

Is there public transportation available? Do you know if you could lock a bike to a post or something on the church grounds (parking lot?)? If so, is the church too far to ride a bike to? Just throwing out ideas. Which reminds me that once the whole area where I used to live was covered with ice and those who knew how to ice skate, ice skated to Mass! Cars could not make it!

Don’t give up. By God’s grace, you will get there. You will see!

 

[Loving_disciple]

I will pray for you. Have you tried looking for Catholic friends in your school? Try looking around you might be surprised at what you find

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I would have to ask, are you following “religion,” or following “Jesus?”

Yes, it is possible for people to join the Church in order to feel apart of something and they follow religion, but have yet to become followers of Jesus Christ.

Even St Augustine wrote, “there are those who find themselves Catholic, remain so because they find the rites and doctrines attractive, but have yet to become Christians.”

Jesus is the reason you become Catholic and to follow Jesus means doing what he commanded, love God with your whole heart, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Don’t shun people around you because they are non-believers or of another religion. Your love and compassion for them is what Jesus commands us to do. It can be through you that they come to Christ.

Too often we get hung up on trying to convert people to Catholicism, without bringing them to Jesus first.

Without Jesus in their lives, religion will become either burdensome or a disordered attachment where we become fanatical and rigid.

Jesus is the reason because Jesus is the source of faith. Religion is merely our response to the faith God gave us.

The loneliness we sometime suffer because we are Christian, is part of the cross we bear when we decided to accept Jesus into our loves as Lord and Savior.

Jim