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Eucharisted
Guest
Like the title says!
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Eucharisted
Guest
Since it’s only fair, I’ll start off with my own conversion story.
I was ten years old. I didn’t believe in God or any religious, spiritual, or supernatural thing. I received a blue Bible on my tenth birthday called ‘The Good News Bible’. I didn’t like it; I thought it was ugly and had a stupid name, so I left it. It sat on the table in the living room for a long while. But one day, I felt impelled - not by some force but only by my curiosity - to read it, to see what this strange book was all about. So I knelt at the table (it was a low table, so I had to kneel, even though I hate to kneel because it hurts my knees) and opened up the Bible to a random page. I thought it was a very stupid book, what with the name Matthew on the top of each page, footnotes at the bottom of each page, and the text in columns. It was very different from any other book I had ever read before! But I began to read about a man named Jesus being scourged at the pillar. As I read further the story, my heart began to open to this man. Pontius Pilate said he was innocent - why was this innocent man being made to suffer so? The man was condemned to death, and had to walk to where he would die. I wanted to comfort this man at this point, to bring him consolation for such cruel and unjust punishment. I turned the page and read about Jesus’ crucifixion. My eyes filled up with tears. I had never read a story like this before! I remember I looked at a picture at the top of the page, and it was a sketch of Jesus on the Cross, seen from a bird’s eye-view. I felt so much compassion for this man that in my mind I cried out: Jesus!
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, like lightning, and a man appeared above the table. He wore a white garment and had his right hand raised in a strange gesture, which years later I would learn was a sign of blessing. He was a very beautiful man, dazzling bright, and he spoke to me in a strong yet gentle voice.
“Nicholas, do you wish to console me?” he asked.
“Who are you, sir?” I replied.
“I am Jesus.”
“Sir, why did you have to suffer and die like that?”
“Nicholas, do you wish to console me?”
Suddenly I saw myself sharing in Jesus’ suffering: being condemned to death, dragging a cross to a little hill, and there being crucified.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Than enter my Church and suffer for me.”
At those last three words, I understood that I would not only be suffering for Jesus but also with Jesus. The man vanished: first his feet, than his body, and finally, his face. I looked to the left and saw another man, also dazzling bright, but he was not like Jesus - this man looked like someone wrapped up in a sheet. He had a golden arrow on a golden bow, and pointed the arrow at me and shot it. The arrow went right through my heart, and in an instant three things happened at once: I fell in love with God, I was filled with a peace I had never experienced before, and I was overwhelmed with a joy I had never experienced before. The man vanished, and than a female voice, motherly and gracious, spoke.
“Do not be afraid. I and my Son will be with you always, even to the end.”
I was ten years old. I didn’t believe in God or any religious, spiritual, or supernatural thing. I received a blue Bible on my tenth birthday called ‘The Good News Bible’. I didn’t like it; I thought it was ugly and had a stupid name, so I left it. It sat on the table in the living room for a long while. But one day, I felt impelled - not by some force but only by my curiosity - to read it, to see what this strange book was all about. So I knelt at the table (it was a low table, so I had to kneel, even though I hate to kneel because it hurts my knees) and opened up the Bible to a random page. I thought it was a very stupid book, what with the name Matthew on the top of each page, footnotes at the bottom of each page, and the text in columns. It was very different from any other book I had ever read before! But I began to read about a man named Jesus being scourged at the pillar. As I read further the story, my heart began to open to this man. Pontius Pilate said he was innocent - why was this innocent man being made to suffer so? The man was condemned to death, and had to walk to where he would die. I wanted to comfort this man at this point, to bring him consolation for such cruel and unjust punishment. I turned the page and read about Jesus’ crucifixion. My eyes filled up with tears. I had never read a story like this before! I remember I looked at a picture at the top of the page, and it was a sketch of Jesus on the Cross, seen from a bird’s eye-view. I felt so much compassion for this man that in my mind I cried out: Jesus!
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, like lightning, and a man appeared above the table. He wore a white garment and had his right hand raised in a strange gesture, which years later I would learn was a sign of blessing. He was a very beautiful man, dazzling bright, and he spoke to me in a strong yet gentle voice.
“Nicholas, do you wish to console me?” he asked.
“Who are you, sir?” I replied.
“I am Jesus.”
“Sir, why did you have to suffer and die like that?”
“Nicholas, do you wish to console me?”
Suddenly I saw myself sharing in Jesus’ suffering: being condemned to death, dragging a cross to a little hill, and there being crucified.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Than enter my Church and suffer for me.”
At those last three words, I understood that I would not only be suffering for Jesus but also with Jesus. The man vanished: first his feet, than his body, and finally, his face. I looked to the left and saw another man, also dazzling bright, but he was not like Jesus - this man looked like someone wrapped up in a sheet. He had a golden arrow on a golden bow, and pointed the arrow at me and shot it. The arrow went right through my heart, and in an instant three things happened at once: I fell in love with God, I was filled with a peace I had never experienced before, and I was overwhelmed with a joy I had never experienced before. The man vanished, and than a female voice, motherly and gracious, spoke.
“Do not be afraid. I and my Son will be with you always, even to the end.”
J
josie_L
Guest
Your story is like a balm to my soul, after hearing of so many leaving the faith (as witnessed on these boards). I’ve been a cradle Catholic, and although I have not converted in the normal sense of the word, I have grown in faith, and thus I feel converted every day. Suffering is a good way to conversion, i.e., growing in holiness.
Z
Zlatan
Guest
Wow that’s an amazing story eucharisted, I believe you.
I had a slightly similar experience but not as amazing as yours . I was an agnostic and extremely anti-religious due some past bad experiences but one day I was walking home from University when I happened to look in a bus shelter and on the surface of the glass I saw the reflection of a man dressed in white carrying a cross. I was shocked to see such a thing and I looked to around to see where this odd reflection was coming from but I couldn’t see anything and when I looked back it was gone. I have always struggled to understand this experience. I wonder if I really saw what I thought I saw or if it was a trick of the light or perhaps I was imagining things. For a long time I just tried to ignored this experience but I am starting to look into Catholicism more now.
I had a slightly similar experience but not as amazing as yours . I was an agnostic and extremely anti-religious due some past bad experiences but one day I was walking home from University when I happened to look in a bus shelter and on the surface of the glass I saw the reflection of a man dressed in white carrying a cross. I was shocked to see such a thing and I looked to around to see where this odd reflection was coming from but I couldn’t see anything and when I looked back it was gone. I have always struggled to understand this experience. I wonder if I really saw what I thought I saw or if it was a trick of the light or perhaps I was imagining things. For a long time I just tried to ignored this experience but I am starting to look into Catholicism more now.
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Eucharisted
Guest
What an amazing experience!!!
God must be calling you to a very intimate union with Him; the more one suffers, the closer one is to Him. I hope you return to Him soon, because He is ready for you with open arms and a big happy loving smile!
S
sheila0405
Guest
I was raised in an evangelical Protestant Fundamentalist church. The Bible alone and faith alone, were core doctrines. We also believed in the “Left Behind” doctrine of the Rapture. Because the Bible was so revered as the only authority and source of God’s will, I spent a summer reading through it. There were passages within that didn’t line up with the Rapture theology, which really upset me. It seemed on the surface as if the Bible was contradicting itself. I remember sending up a quick prayer to God to shed some light on my confusion. I continued to attend various Protestant churches, although I went through periods of time when I didn’t go to church at all. When my daughter entered college she was invited to play her clarinet on Sundays at the Catholic Mass celebrated at the Catholic Newman Center. I went to Mass to find out what my daughter was getting into, and I found myself transfixed during the Gloria. I knew that any Church that honors our Lord with such beauty must be a Church worth attending. At the end of her four years in college, I entered the Catholic Church. Of course, now I know that it is the interpretation of the Bible by the Church which is infallible. God answered that quick prayer when He revealed the doctrine of Sacred Tradition to me. I love the Catholic Church and I am so thankful to God for bringing me to Her.
H
Happy3Mom
Guest
I was raised an atheist, but attended protestant church with friends. One evening, around the age of 8, I asked God if he really existed or not. There was a flash of lightening in the distance, even though it was not raining or storming at the time. I asked for God to tell me again, and there was another flash of lightening. I was too freightened to ask again…but there was no more lightening.
Still I remained an athiest (or agnostic). As a young woman in college, I had an abortion. I had no qualms about it, knew very little about the procedure and did not believe I would be killing my baby. I was only at 7 weeks along and knew only that I was aborting “a blob of tissue” and that there was no other option for me. As I lay on the table, immediately after the deed was done, I felt an overwhelming feeling that I had done something terribly and irrevocably wrong. I cannot describe how strong this feeling was - I felt almost a physical push - and I have never experienced that feeling again.
Still I remained an agnostic, but my heart was more open to the spiritual. I became pregnant again (same man) several years after college. At this time, I knew the relationship was over, and I knew I would not abort. I kept the baby, even though it meant putting my career on hold, enduring humiliation from family and friends, and near poverty for several years. It was the best decision I ever made. I came to know myself so much better and found out what truely makes one happy - love.
After several years, I married my best friend. He was a lapsed Catholic, but I told him we should go to church. I fell in love with the liturgy, began studying the Catholic faith, and entered the church a year later. I was so happy to find a church that combined faith and reason, that I did not have to suspend disbelief to accept the teachings. I found missing mass, missing the Eucharist, made me unhappy and eager for my next opportunity to attend mass. My whole life was changed. But, my conversion began that night when I was 8. I think God has been pulling me in all my life.
Still I remained an athiest (or agnostic). As a young woman in college, I had an abortion. I had no qualms about it, knew very little about the procedure and did not believe I would be killing my baby. I was only at 7 weeks along and knew only that I was aborting “a blob of tissue” and that there was no other option for me. As I lay on the table, immediately after the deed was done, I felt an overwhelming feeling that I had done something terribly and irrevocably wrong. I cannot describe how strong this feeling was - I felt almost a physical push - and I have never experienced that feeling again.
Still I remained an agnostic, but my heart was more open to the spiritual. I became pregnant again (same man) several years after college. At this time, I knew the relationship was over, and I knew I would not abort. I kept the baby, even though it meant putting my career on hold, enduring humiliation from family and friends, and near poverty for several years. It was the best decision I ever made. I came to know myself so much better and found out what truely makes one happy - love.
After several years, I married my best friend. He was a lapsed Catholic, but I told him we should go to church. I fell in love with the liturgy, began studying the Catholic faith, and entered the church a year later. I was so happy to find a church that combined faith and reason, that I did not have to suspend disbelief to accept the teachings. I found missing mass, missing the Eucharist, made me unhappy and eager for my next opportunity to attend mass. My whole life was changed. But, my conversion began that night when I was 8. I think God has been pulling me in all my life.
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Eucharisted
Guest
Every conversion is a wonderful miracle. I pray that your veneration of the Sacred Scriptures may increase as you rise to perfection.
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Eucharisted
Guest
Your story is amazing! It shows that man a law written on his heart - the natural law - and it shows that God not only has mercy on whom He wills but He uses the least likely souls and the most impossible circumstances to accomplish His Will. And do not feel that you are alone in murdering your child; there are many ex-abortionists in the world, whom share your pain and who pray for you, and I, too, am guilty of something similar, though far worse than murder.
L
Libertarian_FL
Guest
Hello, well I was baptaised Roman Catholic and after my parents converted to the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) was raised in that attending private religious schools Grades 1 to 12.
I was alway one to question, studied science and well actually was critical of the Bible that hit hardest in High School the typical troubling student asking why this is that way or why would God do this, if it clearly is a war crime by human standards.
After several decades of being unchurched I joined the ULC on 8-15-06 as a minister just for some spur of the moment thing that felt right, calling or not. Then after three more years of research I decided after Quantum Theory demonstrated well that parallel universes exist had my big light going off moment. And founded after some work the religious view Universal Reality Parallelism and started advocating it as a recently titled Prophet in the ULC. I’m still hammering out my ideas of the one Universal Truth as far as anyone cares to listen and read my work. So I have an active ministry now at age 42 not officially tied to any religion but that can realistically accept the likeihood all our true - even odd ones in some parallel reality to our own or some other universe.
Well thats Prophet Thomas Kolters story of ,lets say, Illuminatedversion.
I was alway one to question, studied science and well actually was critical of the Bible that hit hardest in High School the typical troubling student asking why this is that way or why would God do this, if it clearly is a war crime by human standards.
After several decades of being unchurched I joined the ULC on 8-15-06 as a minister just for some spur of the moment thing that felt right, calling or not. Then after three more years of research I decided after Quantum Theory demonstrated well that parallel universes exist had my big light going off moment. And founded after some work the religious view Universal Reality Parallelism and started advocating it as a recently titled Prophet in the ULC. I’m still hammering out my ideas of the one Universal Truth as far as anyone cares to listen and read my work. So I have an active ministry now at age 42 not officially tied to any religion but that can realistically accept the likeihood all our true - even odd ones in some parallel reality to our own or some other universe.
Well thats Prophet Thomas Kolters story of ,lets say, Illuminatedversion.
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Eucharisted
Guest
Interesting! So in your search for the truth you founded a belief or a ministry? I encourage you to pray a simple prayer each day: “Lord, guide me to Thee.”Hello, well I was baptaised Roman Catholic and after my parents converted to the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) was raised in that attending private religious schools Grades 1 to 12.
I was alway one to question, studied science and well actually was critical of the Bible that hit hardest in High School the typical troubling student asking why this is that way or why would God do this, if it clearly is a war crime by human standards.
After several decades of being unchurched I joined the ULC on 8-15-06 as a minister just for some spur of the moment thing that felt right, calling or not. Then after three more years of research I decided after Quantum Theory demonstrated well that parallel universes exist had my big light going off moment. And founded after some work the religious view Universal Reality Parallelism and started advocating it as a recently titled Prophet in the ULC. I’m still hammering out my ideas of the one Universal Truth as far as anyone cares to listen and read my work. So I have an active ministry now at age 42 not officially tied to any religion but that can realistically accept the likeihood all our true - even odd ones in some parallel reality to our own or some other universe.
Well thats Prophet Thomas Kolters story of ,lets say, Illuminatedversion.
It will help you stay calm and help you love God. May you be found in your wedding gown when Jesus comes to take you to His Banquet!
J
Jon_S
Guest
I was a hard-core atheist and I married a Catholic woman that I had (re)met at my ten year high-school reunion. I would question her faith all the time and she used to look up the answers to my questions on this web site. After three years of arguing with her and learning that much of what I knew about the Church was total garbage, I entered the RCIA with my wife’s father who was also not Catholic. Now I work for Catholic Answers in their production department. I’m the guy that puts together all the books, tracts, audio…you name it…I put it together. Thank God for the Church and please keep CA in your prayers. They really are an awesome group of committed people.
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Eucharisted
Guest
You’re like the modern version of Monica and her husband
J
Jon_S
Guest
Except not nearly as cool.You’re like the modern version of Monica and her husband
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Eucharisted
Guest
But you do work at Catholic AnswersExcept not nearly as cool.
J
Jon_S
Guest
Yeah. That is pretty cool. I’ve been there over a year and it’s still pretty surreal to me because the people there were so instrumental in my conversion. When you’re into apologetics like I am, it’s like working with rock stars or something…only the folks at CA are probably a little holier.But you do work at Catholic Answers
It’s cool, though. I learn something new every day. I still learn a lot from all the Catholics on these forums, too.
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Eucharisted
Guest
Rock stars can quickly rise to perfectionYeah. That is pretty cool. I’ve been there over a year and it’s still pretty surreal to me because the people there were so instrumental in my conversion. When you’re into apologetics like I am, it’s like working with rock stars or something…only the folks at CA are probably a little holier.
Your story is good proof that Christian example converts hearts of stone.
J
Jon_S
Guest
I like your story, too. I have never had an experience like that.Rock stars can quickly rise to perfection
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Eucharisted
Guest
In truth, I wish I had never had it. I would have gladly said No if God had asked me if I wanted such an experience. I wish only for the faith of a peasant woman. Godwillingly, I will receive it.
L
Libertarian_FL
Guest
A belief that is growing into a ministry. In truth I chose Prophet as a title carefully first I do feel it fits although I could have taken Revelator and I did found a belief system so although I’m working on it that fits other prophets like Prophet Smith (Mormonism). But also marketing face it if I called myself a Reverend or Minister ,bah those are all over, you call yourself a Prophet people get curious and will check out my website and ask questions.Interesting! So in your search for the truth you founded a belief or a ministry? I encourage you to pray a simple prayer each day: “Lord, guide me to Thee.”
And Pope was taken, plus the ULC doesn’t offer that one.
And if you read my site I belief all faiths are in fact equal since in an infinite universe of universes of all sorts one must be right, even odd concept like the Old Ones from Lovecraft’s writings. Scary thought that one. So odds are for Catholics there is one Earth where all the people are Catholic - somewhere.
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