Thank you.

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reen12

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I’ve been posting, on these forums, for 7 months,
trying to find my way to a relationship with God,
given my own strengths, burdens and weaknesses-
hoping, all the while, that He’d found me, and was
waiting for me to find Him.

I’ve listened to others, evaluating not only what they
said, but the manner in which they offered their
thought, and I’ve offered my own thoughts, in return.

Thank you to all who kept me company, in this
search for God, and who offered support and counsel.

I offer the following post, as my last, on CAF,
and thank the CAF staff, for their efforts in
providing these forums.

quote: reen12
I’ve spend a great deal of time, money and effort,
for 8 years, to learn one hard thing:

Never to allow anyone to define me, but God alone.

I’m the only one, beside God, who knows
my heart and mind - what I have done, to fulfill
God’s commandments, for 59 years - and where,
when and how I have failed to do same.

If any faith requires “in your face” apologetics,
to defend itself, just know that this is one little
sheep who’s outta the pasture.

Whether Christ is the Son of God, and God Incarnate,
or no, whether Roman Catholicism is or is not,
the true faith, will mean little, I think, at what the
Baltimore Catechism called the “particular judgement.”

What will matter, and matter eternally, is whether
each of us tried to understand and reach out to -
rather than repel, by our speech or attitude - our
fellow human beings.

“God is love. He who lives in love, lives in God, and
God in him.”

If a person is an RC, he/she might think of this
as a treasure, a gift God gave h/her, to be offered
humbly and confidently, to those seeking God.

The faith is not a set of propostions, to be hurled
at others, with an “in your face” attitude.

Catholics may or may not have the high ground,
in terms of spiritual reality. If they do, they will
be asked more penetrating questions by God,
than I will, when they come before Him.

“To whom much is given, much will be expected.”

All I know is, the grass of the pasture has turned
to ashes, for this little sheep
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.

I will pray to the God I knew and loved, at age 6,
before I went beyond page one in the catechism.

God be with each of you,

Maureen
 
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reen12:
I will pray to the God I knew and loved, at age 6,

God be with each of you,

Maureen
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I for one, will miss you Maureen. And I will continue to pray for you. We are called to come to the Lord as children–with a love innocent and pure. And so to love God as a six year old will make the heavens smile. 🙂

Your wisdom and insight on this forum has been refreshing. At times you seemed to struggle against yourself—but that is part of the journey. We are all on a pilgrimage toward eternity. I shall leave you with a quote from St John Climacus:

**“God is love. So he who wishes to define this tries with bleary eyes to measure the sand in the ocean”. **

May the peace and love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you always and forever.

Love,
Mickey
 
May God’s Grace and Peace be with you on your journey, Maureen.

I hope that you will find companionship and support where you are headed. Please know that you are always welcome back here.

With love,
javelin
 
Maureen,
I leave you with a prayer and a gift. Please believe that the gift is given in Christian love and admiration for a good friend.

hebrewcatholic.org/

Godspeed, Maureen
 
I do not know how you are going to stay away, as I keep coming back to these forums. Your contribution is appreciated, I am sorry if any in the Church have not shared God’s love with you as they should have.

May God Bless and keep you,
Scylla
 
Reen,

To echo a sentiment you have used often…
“any thoughts?” of your own?

I read this thread (you will possibly never read this now that you have left) and it prompted me to read some of your previous posts. Particularily some that you started. You seem to always begin with the same theme. A carefully thought out “question” that (pardon me) seems to have roots in not truly expecting an answer to your satisfaction. Yet you asked anyway.

I suspect you and I feel the same about much of Christian faith and the concept of Christian faith. (I gather this from reading your posts). I too have many unanswered questions. At least questions that have not been answered to my satisfaction. But I can’t leave Catholicism. I wish I could say the reason I can’t leave is because I feel certain beyond the shadow of a doubt that Catholicism represents the Truth. But I’d be lying if I said that. Lying to myself. However I do feel, in my heart, I am on the right journey.

So why can’t I leave? Ever see the movie Officer and a Gentleman? Recall the scene where Richard Gere is being forced to do situps (I believe) with Lou Gossett (I think it was) yellling at him? It’s pouring rain and Gossett is asking Gere why he is putting up with the torment and torture he is bestowing upon him. Gosset is implying Gere can’t win. That he is going to break him eventually. Gere yells back at Gosset his answer. He answers in tears as he is doing his situps, “I have no place else to go…I have no place else to go”.

When I don’t get satisfactory answers I feel I can realte to Gere’s character at that moment. So unlike you Reen, I’ll be sticking around (Catholicism, not necassarily these forums) and praying that someday I can feel as the majority of regulars feel on these forums. That I have found unequivocal truth.

God Bless,
Mike
 
“If any faith requires ‘in your face’ apologetics,
to defend itself, just know that this is one little
sheep who’s outta the pasture.”

I agree. If there is any faith that requires “in your face” apologetics, I am also the first who would be way out of that pasture. Good thing the Church doesn’t require it and in fact even condemns it. It shouldn’t be “in your face” apologetics, but instead “in your eyes, ears, open mind, and soul” apologetics. To deny the Catholic Church is to deny Jesus Christ himself. And to deny Christ is to deny God himself.

May God bless you, have mercy on you, and guide you.
 
Good bye my friend! :irish2:
I too will miss you. May the Holy Spirit guide you ever on in your journey of faith.
Pax tecum,
 
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reen12:
I’ve been posting, on these forums, for 7 months,
trying to find my way to a relationship with God,
given my own strengths, burdens and weaknesses-
hoping, all the while, that He’d found me, and was
waiting for me to find Him.

I’ve listened to others, evaluating not only what they
said, but the manner in which they offered their
thought, and I’ve offered my own thoughts, in return.

Thank you to all who kept me company, in this
search for God, and who offered support and counsel.

I offer the following post, as my last, on CAF,
and thank the CAF staff, for their efforts in
providing these forums.

quote: reen12
.

I will pray to the God I knew and loved, at age 6,
before I went beyond page one in the catechism.

God be with each of you,

Maureen
Click to expand...
Hi Reeny…Maureen, you are a very sad loss and the loss is ours for on joining CAF some roughly six months ago after being attacked and disillusioned in another Catholic Forum entirely, yours was the first Post I read on CAF that indicated I could perhaps be honest about where I was in any Posts in CAF and not feel alone… your honesty and openness appealed to me and as I followed your posts over the six months or so I have been a member, I thought of you as a person of integrity and honesty. Also an educated person. So ours is the loss! The loss of example ! CAF looses by losing you!

I agree with you that what its all about is loving and caring for each other in every aspect…appreciating every person as gift - and the latter you sure are and wherever you happen to land - they will be the richer for it! It is very sad and I too have possibly been at fault often that in arguing or discussing another’s point of view we become personal. The essence of Vatican2 calls us to re examine our roots, our beginnings and the one thing that other’s noted as remarkable about the Christians was “see how they love one another”. I think it timely to state that we need to remember this on CAF…we may have an entirely different viewpoint, and hey! that’s great and healthy though I may not be able to agree with it…but differing viewpoint whatever or not, we each remain fellow human beings, brothers and sisters in Christ by baptism and hence are called to love one another and to express or argue with that in mind. It is from our roots too that differing opinions on quite serious matters arise - no big deal!..and for those of us contributing to CAF, the question at Final Judgement will include what we put into CAF and the spirit motivating such (name removed by moderator)ut. A timely reminder to me too, and thank you for that Reeny.

As you said in your above Post, at Final Judgement the question will be not “What did you believe?” but “How have you loved?”
Somehow I will be hoping and praying to see you back.

I wish you all the best my friend, and I’ll miss you and your Posts in these forums. God bless and return you to us here on CAF is my hope!..I really wish you wouldn’t go! but a gal has to do what a gal has to do I guess.

Love, Barb
 
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