W
Wm777
Guest
This may sound so dumb of me, but when speaking of “conversion” in Catholicism - are there any practical explanations of how it is done?
In scripture, there are two or three instances I can reckon, which explain conversion. But they are so abstract and allegorical, it is hard to know what to make of them; and a lot of the conversion experiences people claim to have had seem to come about rather strangely.
In 1 Corinthians 15:36, St Paul tells us, “What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.”
Christ Himself tells us in John 12:24, " Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
These quotes undoubtedly imply a conversion experience. For a seed to produce any fruit, it has to change from being a seed into a grown plant capable of producing fruit, so the seed has to experience a conversion.
The “dying” part is my concern.
I am not asking “why”; I am asking “how”.
The motive for conversion, i.e. the “why”, is because Christ leads us to grace and Truth. And we will find fulfillment in Him.
The means by which we are converted, i.e. the “how”, is very different. It seems to be a matter of prayerful sacrifice and formation, but this is where my understanding begins to fail.
To say, “if a grain of wheat dies, it produces much fruit” is actually risky, even in Christ’s own words with respect to us. In Mark 4:3-9, we have the Parable of the Sower, where the sower sows seeds indiscriminately, and then some seed falls on barren soil, some gets eaten by birds, and so on. The result is: “people who have eyes should see” admonishment; or, in other words, take care how you plant your seeds and say your prayers; or, further, take care how you tend your garden when making sacrifices of the seeds and forming its growth.
On the larger scale, if one is hoping for a great conversion experience, and is willing to make sacrifices and do the formation work…
What is the “how” behind it?
I hope this makes sense. Please feel free to let me know if it requires any clarification.
In scripture, there are two or three instances I can reckon, which explain conversion. But they are so abstract and allegorical, it is hard to know what to make of them; and a lot of the conversion experiences people claim to have had seem to come about rather strangely.
In 1 Corinthians 15:36, St Paul tells us, “What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.”
Christ Himself tells us in John 12:24, " Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
These quotes undoubtedly imply a conversion experience. For a seed to produce any fruit, it has to change from being a seed into a grown plant capable of producing fruit, so the seed has to experience a conversion.
The “dying” part is my concern.
I am not asking “why”; I am asking “how”.
The motive for conversion, i.e. the “why”, is because Christ leads us to grace and Truth. And we will find fulfillment in Him.
The means by which we are converted, i.e. the “how”, is very different. It seems to be a matter of prayerful sacrifice and formation, but this is where my understanding begins to fail.
To say, “if a grain of wheat dies, it produces much fruit” is actually risky, even in Christ’s own words with respect to us. In Mark 4:3-9, we have the Parable of the Sower, where the sower sows seeds indiscriminately, and then some seed falls on barren soil, some gets eaten by birds, and so on. The result is: “people who have eyes should see” admonishment; or, in other words, take care how you plant your seeds and say your prayers; or, further, take care how you tend your garden when making sacrifices of the seeds and forming its growth.
On the larger scale, if one is hoping for a great conversion experience, and is willing to make sacrifices and do the formation work…
What is the “how” behind it?
I hope this makes sense. Please feel free to let me know if it requires any clarification.
