Swimming the Tiber

[SammyJankis90]

Hello all,
I finally attended my first Mass this past Sunday morning. After putting it off for several weeks, I went while out of town in DC for a seminar - hosted, coincidentally (or providentially?), at Catholic University of America - and was able to attend my first Mass at no less than the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. (This is an absolutely beautiful church, by the way. If you ever get a chance to go, do it! But I digress) Attending Mass was everything I had expected it would be, in that I had no idea what to expect. Still, though, even through my confused and fumbling attempt at following the liturgy, I felt the presence of God in the service as I rarely, if ever, had felt it in a Protestant service - and it was more than some ephemeral, emotional, last-night-of-church-camp kind of euphoria. It was a powerful impression of both the immediate and historical reality of God in the Church and liturgy. Unfortunately, I had a lecture on schools of economic thought immediately after this - not exactly conducive to post-Mass contemplation. If only I had another opportunity to attend Mass and think more deeply on it… oh wait!

Having made this rather fundamental step, I’m finally ready to admit to others and to myself that I am indeed a Catholic Christian. To that end, I ask for prayer. Nearly all my family and friends are fairly devout, Bible Belt Protestants. I have a feeling that for some this could be akin to coming out as gay or something like that (my best friend once said that his Baptist church was “way holier than those bloody Catholics”). Please pray for strength, wisdom, and clarity for me, and that I may be able to influence many of them to examine the claims of the Catholic Church - probably for the first time in their lives - and see the truth of its teaching (a prayer to the Patron Saint of Lost Cause may be in order here :banghead

 

[acarlson]

Praise God!!! I’ll keep you especially, but also your family and friends, in my prayers!!

 

[novusCatholic]

Belief is a grace, and you won’t mind what other people think.

Live your faith as you learn the beauty and depths of the truths of the Catholic faith. Your family and friends will see the change in you and realize that you have found something special. Who knows, God may use you to eventually draw them into the Church also.

Best wishes. I’ll say a prayer for you.

 

[JamestheOlder]

You have our prayers for your journey!

What you felt has been noted to me often in working in RCIA. I believe you felt the actual Presence of Our Lord on the altar, and then in the Tabernacle. It is a powerful feeling for anyone who has not visited a Catholic Church before.

G-d bless you!

 

[trmyjs]

I’m so happy for you! Praying. God bless!

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

That is wonderful! Best of luck on your journey.

 

[TheresaThoma]

WELCOME!!! I will be praying for you and for your friends and family. Its not an easy road but remember prayer works on everyone (even my borderline-atheist mother ) .

 

[CopyKat]

Praise be to God! I am so happy for you and don’t worry right now about your family and friends. Work on learning your faith and becoming involved in your church. As you progress, your example will be the best “explanation” that you can give.

Welcome home. I am a new convert and I thank God for that every single day!

 

[GraceSofia]

Having made this rather fundamental step, I’m finally ready to admit to others and to myself that I am indeed a Catholic Christian. To that end, I ask for prayer. Nearly all my family and friends are fairly devout, Bible Belt Protestants. I have a feeling that for some this could be akin to coming out as gay or something like that (my best friend once said that his Baptist church was “way holier than those bloody Catholics”). Please pray for strength, wisdom, and clarity for me, and that I may be able to influence many of them to examine the claims of the Catholic Church - probably for the first time in their lives - and see the truth of its teaching (a prayer to the Patron Saint of Lost Cause may be in order here :banghead

Wonderful news! Enjoy the journey. Prayers offered.

Yes, do try to influence people for the positive if you can. At this point people will be willing to listen to you, probably because they then expect you to listen to them try to talk you out of it , but that’s okay, it can still be a wonderful opportunity.

If you are married, do try to take your spouse along this journey with you… I sort of found that I got a bit so far down the path that it was hard to go back and share and explain … so do spread your enthusiasm for the Truth and the Church.

You may be very surprised at people’s reactions. The people you think will go ballistic won’t, and the people you thought very loving and kind will suddenly come out as stunning bigots. But don’t get drawn into arguments… only charitable discusssion.

That’s my 2 cents. May the Good Lord continue to guide you and bless you!

 

[Tiberius1701]

Welcome Home!

Praise be to God! I am so happy for you and don’t worry right now about your family and friends. Work on learning your faith and becoming involved in your church. As you progress, your example will be the best “explanation” that you can give.

Welcome home. I am a new convert and I thank God for that every single day!

CopyKat is absolutely right: your example is the best explanation you can give. My wife and I just followed God into the Church together and, without even trying, her brother and his wife followed us in 2 years later (this past Easter). Apparently, they started their relationship wanting to be like us because our example was so attractive that, once they started trying to model their relationship after us, they became curious about the Church that we’d found ourselves drawn to too.

You may be very surprised at people’s reactions. The people you think will go ballistic won’t, and the people you thought very loving and kind will suddenly come out as stunning bigots. But don’t get drawn into arguments… only charitable discusssion.

This too is very true. My wife’s mother grew up in a half-Catholic half-Protestant home, and when my wife was growing up, her mom - a Protestant - would constantly defend Catholics against those who claimed that we’re not Christians. But, when she asked us one day, “You’re not going to become Catholic, are you?” and we didn’t laugh uproariously and say, “No way!!! Ha ha ha ha!!” as if it were the most ludicrous idea we’d ever heard, she became instantly cold and completely avoided any subject having to do with religion for months. You really do never know who will be receptive and who won’t. It’s all up to God, so keep praying… and again, welcome Home! :extrahappy:

 

[TrueLight]

Glad you had an awesome first mass.

I’ll keep you in my prayers.

 

[casey_zia]

May God give you courage and much consolation in this time! Just listening to Tim Staples last night–he converted, too, and his family was NOT Catholic. They all are now, including a brother who is a priest. And even if your family does not come “on board”, you are so welcome and God will bless you in this journey to this most wondrous Faith!

 

[fred_conty]

Hello all,
I finally attended my first Mass this past Sunday morning. After putting it off for several weeks, I went while out of town in DC for a seminar - hosted, coincidentally (or providentially?), at Catholic University of America - and was able to attend my first Mass at no less than the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. (This is an absolutely beautiful church, by the way. If you ever get a chance to go, do it! But I digress) Attending Mass was everything I had expected it would be, in that I had no idea what to expect. Still, though, even through my confused and fumbling attempt at following the liturgy, I felt the presence of God in the service as I rarely, if ever, had felt it in a Protestant service - and it was more than some ephemeral, emotional, last-night-of-church-camp kind of euphoria. It was a powerful impression of both the immediate and historical reality of God in the Church and liturgy. Unfortunately, I had a lecture on schools of economic thought immediately after this - not exactly conducive to post-Mass contemplation. If only I had another opportunity to attend Mass and think more deeply on it… oh wait!

Having made this rather fundamental step, I’m finally ready to admit to others and to myself that I am indeed a Catholic Christian. To that end, I ask for prayer. Nearly all my family and friends are fairly devout, Bible Belt Protestants. I have a feeling that for some this could be akin to coming out as gay or something like that (my best friend once said that his Baptist church was “way holier than those bloody Catholics”). Please pray for strength, wisdom, and clarity for me, and that I may be able to influence many of them to examine the claims of the Catholic Church - probably for the first time in their lives - and see the truth of its teaching (a prayer to the Patron Saint of Lost Cause may be in order here :banghead

Hi,
It’s just plain awesome! Pray that everyone gets that real conviction. Jesus has touched you with his tenderness.