The Voice of the Cradle Catholic & Conversion

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This question is for the cradle Catholic.

Have you ever experienced a conversion to grow deeper in your faith and to remain Catholic? What did you experience and what was it that made you love your Catholic Faith more and want to stay?

I hear a lot of conversion stories from converts or reverts but the conversion of the cradle Catholic seems to be silent unless you have left the Catholic Church all together and then we hear your voice loud and clear about how the Church never taught you anything.

I would love to hear your story.
 
peace2u2 said:
This question is for the cradle Catholic.

Have you ever experienced a conversion to grow deeper in your faith and to remain Catholic? What did you experience and what was it that made you love your Catholic Faith more and want to stay?

I hear a lot of conversion stories from converts or reverts but the conversion of the cradle Catholic seems to be silent unless you have left the Catholic Church all together and then we hear your voice loud and clear about how the Church never taught you anything.

I would love to hear your story.
Click to expand...
When I read Scott Hahn’s Rome Sweet Home…when he said/wrote (paraphrasing)…You catholics are lucky…you do not know what you have (in the catholic faith)…you do not appreciate what has been given to you…

Then I had a spiritual rebirth…and learned my faith more deeply…started appreciating the Mass more…praying more.

Then more reading…and learning…

And have you not noticed…the closer and closer you get to God…the more trials you have?

This I experienced almost immediately…trials that made me pray more and more…

My ole simple story…
 
peace2u2 said:
This question is for the cradle Catholic.

Have you ever experienced a conversion to grow deeper in your faith and to remain Catholic? What did you experience and what was it that made you love your Catholic Faith more and want to stay?

I hear a lot of conversion stories from converts or reverts but the conversion of the cradle Catholic seems to be silent unless you have left the Catholic Church all together and then we hear your voice loud and clear about how the Church never taught you anything.

I would love to hear your story.
Click to expand...
The short version:
Was raised as a cradle Catholic iin the 60’s, way before teaching of V2 was able to filter through the Church. The faith was presented to us as a rigid set of rules, some of them erroneous. All non-Catholics were going to hell for ex.
As soon as the rules were breakable I broke them and fell away through my youth, until getting married and raising a family. Through a combination of just punishments for my waywardness and grace I became converted to a life of faith. One very good catechist in particular played a large role. She was able to explain the faith to me in practical terms that made sense, and in a much deeper, spiritual, more substantial way than was done in my youth. I had many objections which she did not simply refute, but led me through them with common sense and compassion. She helped me realize that Catholicism is not simply a straight jacket of rules, but a life of commitment, Love and service that required me to step up and stop objecting, and start serving.
 
pablope said:
And have you not noticed…the closer and closer you get to God…the more trials you have?

This I experienced almost immediately…trials that made me pray more and more…

My ole simple story…
Click to expand...
To whom much is given…
Absolutely true. Faith is a journey.
 
I was not born Catholic, but entered the Church at the age of 35. I quickly began acting like a cradle, or cultural Catholic - not a good thing. What changed everything for me years later was the reception of the baptism in the Holy Spirit at the hands of a Priest. It involves the allowing, or the making of oneself docile to the Holy Spirit, followed by the laying on of hands. What I experienced then, and afterward, was a complete and total awakening of my faith. I was drawn to the Eucharist - both at mass and, for the first time, outside of mass at adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. My prayer life deepened and I experienced the consolation of the Holy Spirit in prayer before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. I lost the fear of speaking of my faith, and of evangelizing. What had occurred is that I had realized my charism. I see it as extremely important for Christians to know what their charism is, so that they may put it to work. A charism’s purpose is not personal - rather, we receive them for the building up of the Church. Charisms are gifts that we are given by the Holy Spirit at our Confirmation. Consider the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus tells of the increase that the Master expected from his servants upon his return after trusting them with talents (currency, but think: gifts). Those who made a return to the Master were greatly rewarded, while he who hid his talent was punished. Our charisms are our talents, and we are expected to use them for the Lord’s increase.

To many members here at CAF, charisms and the baptism in the Holy Spirit (which is not a Sacrament) are controversial subjects. Many conjure up the specter of Benny Hinn and rolling on the floor while babbling incoherently. Not at all. One’s charism may be very quiet by its nature. Others may receive a more visible and active charism. From the catechism:

799 Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world.

800 Charisms are to be accepted with gratitude by the person who receives them and by all members of the Church as well. They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of Christ, provided they really are genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit and are used in full conformity with authentic promptings of this same Spirit, that is, in keeping with charity, the true measure of all charisms.253

801 It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church’s shepherds. "Their office [is] not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good,"254 so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together "for the common good.

Note that I am not advocating that one must be in any particular movement within the Church. What is important is to realize one’s charism and put it to work. Your faith life will be forever improved.
 
pablope said:
When I read Scott Hahn’s Rome Sweet Home…when he said/wrote (paraphrasing)…You catholics are lucky…you do not know what you have (in the catholic faith)…you do not appreciate what has been given to you…

Then I had a spiritual rebirth…and learned my faith more deeply…started appreciating the Mass more…praying more.

Then more reading…and learning…

And have you not noticed…the closer and closer you get to God…the more trials you have?

This I experienced almost immediately…trials that made me pray more and more…

My ole simple story…
Click to expand...
Thank you for your ole simple story!

Yes, you are right and I do notice the closer we draw to get to God, the more trials we have. Probably, the devil trying to knock us off that narrow path that leads home! But, Praise God for all we have to do is call out His Holy Name and He comes faster than the devil ever could hope to!

Peace 2U
 
clem456 said:
The short version:
Was raised as a cradle Catholic iin the 60’s, way before teaching of V2 was able to filter through the Church. The faith was presented to us as a rigid set of rules, some of them erroneous. All non-Catholics were going to hell for ex.
As soon as the rules were breakable I broke them and fell away through my youth, until getting married and raising a family. Through a combination of just punishments for my waywardness and grace I became converted to a life of faith. One very good catechist in particular played a large role. She was able to explain the faith to me in practical terms that made sense, and in a much deeper, spiritual, more substantial way than was done in my youth. I had many objections which she did not simply refute, but led me through them with common sense and compassion. She helped me realize that Catholicism is not simply a straight jacket of rules, but a life of commitment, Love and service that required me to step up and stop objecting, and start serving.
Click to expand...
Thank you for posting your short version!

I loved what you said: “I had many objections which she did not simply refute, but led me through them with common sense and compassion. She helped me realize that Catholicism is not simply a straight jacket of rules, but a life of commitment, Love and service that required me to step up and stop objecting, and start serving.”

I too had many objections up until my second conversion. Its a beautiful thing when we finally let ourselves belong to Him and trust in Him even if we can’t completely understand His Ways!

Isn’t God amazing that He still cares enough no matter how far we have fallen to send particular people to us to receive His message of Truth.

Peace 2U
 
po18guy said:
I was not born Catholic, but entered the Church at the age of 35. I quickly began acting like a cradle, or cultural Catholic - not a good thing. What changed everything for me years later was the reception of the baptism in the Holy Spirit at the hands of a Priest. It involves the allowing, or the making of oneself docile to the Holy Spirit, followed by the laying on of hands. What I experienced then, and afterward, was a complete and total awakening of my faith. I was drawn to the Eucharist - both at mass and, for the first time, outside of mass at adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. My prayer life deepened and I experienced the consolation of the Holy Spirit in prayer before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. I lost the fear of speaking of my faith, and of evangelizing. What had occurred is that I had realized my charism. I see it as extremely important for Christians to know what their charism is, so that they may put it to work. A charism’s purpose is not personal - rather, we receive them for the building up of the Church. Charisms are gifts that we are given by the Holy Spirit at our Confirmation. Consider the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus tells of the increase that the Master expected from his servants upon his return after trusting them with talents (currency, but think: gifts). Those who made a return to the Master were greatly rewarded, while he who hid his talent was punished. Our charisms are our talents, and we are expected to use them for the Lord’s increase.

To many members here at CAF, charisms and the baptism in the Holy Spirit (which is not a Sacrament) are controversial subjects. Many conjure up the specter of Benny Hinn and rolling on the floor while babbling incoherently. Not at all. One’s charism may be very quiet by its nature. Others may receive a more visible and active charism. From the catechism:

799 Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world.

800 Charisms are to be accepted with gratitude by the person who receives them and by all members of the Church as well. They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of Christ, provided they really are genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit and are used in full conformity with authentic promptings of this same Spirit, that is, in keeping with charity, the true measure of all charisms.253

801 It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church’s shepherds. "Their office [is] not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good,"254 so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together "for the common good.

Note that I am not advocating that one must be in any particular movement within the Church. What is important is to realize one’s charism and put it to work. Your faith life will be forever improved.
Click to expand...
I enjoyed your post emensely! Thank you for the link “baptism in the Holy Spirit”.

I received my baptism in the Holy Spirit on Pentecostal Sunday, June 12, 2011. It was a beautiful moment in my life and will never forget receiving such an enormous amount of His grace aside from my confession 3 months prior. I had been away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation for many, many many years. I got about a mile down the street after my penance (which quite frankly, I thought I’d be in Church praying Hail Mary’s for an eternity) and was so overcome, had to pull over and cried some enormous bittersweet tears. It was at that moment I knew all of Heaven rejoiced with me as I had restored my relationship with God and His Church!

I pulled up your link and I see an article titled, CONCERNING THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap. God truly is amazing in how He works to connect us spiritually. I just finished reading the book, Sober Intoxication of the Spirit, Part Two by Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M.Cap. Great book and very uplifting. In his book, he writes, "It was 1975, and I was invited to a prayer group in Rome. I came with quite a critical attitude, so the leader was telling people, “Do not go to that friar. He is an enemy of the renewal!” However, seeing a priest among them, some of them asked me to hear their confessions. It was the first real charismatic shock of my life. I had never seen such genuine repentance. Sins seems to fall away from their souls like stones, and there were tears of joy at the end. I could only say to myself, “God is here!”

Peace 2U - meet you in Heaven at those restful waters!

ps another great book is by Father Michael Sears, The Charism of Tongues, A Gift of Prayer and Edification. Happy summer reading to you!
 
clem456 said:
The short version:
Was raised as a cradle Catholic iin the 60’s, way before teaching of V2 was able to filter through the Church. The faith was presented to us as a rigid set of rules, some of them erroneous. All non-Catholics were going to hell for ex.
As soon as the rules were breakable I broke them and fell away through my youth, until getting married and raising a family. Through a combination of just punishments for my waywardness and grace I became converted to a life of faith. One very good catechist in particular played a large role. She was able to explain the faith to me in practical terms that made sense, and in a much deeper, spiritual, more substantial way than was done in my youth. I had many objections which she did not simply refute, but led me through them with common sense and compassion. She helped me realize that Catholicism is not simply a straight jacket of rules, but a life of commitment, Love and service that required me to step up and stop objecting, and start serving.
Click to expand...
The first part of your story sounds like my own. My reversion came when my father-in-law passed away 15 years ago. I guess that’s when I started to question things and realized that Earthly life has a finality, and that the only hope beyond that was through faith. I returned to the Church later that year.

But it wasn’t until 2002 when I entered the formation program to become a Benedictine Oblate that a real conversion started to take hold.

I too was brought up to follow a set of rules. I sort of thought back in '97 that adherence to those rules again would free me from my various sins and temptations. At one point I realized that all of us, since Eden, are actually broken inside, after a spiritual meltdown a couple of years ago. That our unity as a carnal, and spiritual being and with our personality has been damaged by Original Sin, and that only Jesus represents that true unity.

I seen the rules differently now. They are an example of the behaviour that this unity of soul and person would exhibit if we were in still in the perfect harmony that existed before the Fall. Of course perfection in that is impossible. If we simply try to blindly follow the rules the change will be superficial only. Anybody who thinks he can effect deep internal change simply by following rules is fooling himself. I know a young monk who was the “perfect monk”. He managed to keep up appearances for a good 10 years +, then he came apart at the seams and left the monastery. Another that joined about the same time, had no such pretensions of perfection and just says “I will take it a day at a time” and is content to just simply be a brother who works the monastery’s apple orchards.

So those “rules” are, IMHO, a set of ideals that we all converge towards, if we work at true inner conversion. They are not really “rules”. None of us are there yet, some are further away than others, saints are the ones that came closest to it, and only Jesus and his sinless mother perfectly converged to the ideal; they could do no other, and we can do no other than be entirely reliant on His redemption because alone, we will never make it.

And that’s where the Rule of St. Benedict helped. In the Rule, the sacred and the earthly converge, St. Benedict tries to help us restore that unity of soul and person that was broken at the fall. An example is how for example he insists on treating every day objects with the same care and reverence we would show for the sacred vessels of the altar.

What I see here sometimes makes me ill: rigid adherence to rules, scrupulous confessions with lists, etc. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a wonderful tool for healing. It’s not about rigid adherence to rules. It’s about recognizing what inside of you is broken and needs healing. Approaching it with a list of broken rules just won’t work. What needs to happen in the confessional, is a coming to terms about who the real me is, which includes what’s right and what’s broken. Only when we come to terms with our own potential for darkness can we let light in. I have a wonderful 80 y.o confessor who sees this, and recognizes the need to accept ourselves for who we really are in order to really heal. He provides gentle encouragement to improve, not condemnation for failure.
 
I was a “practicing” Catholic up through High School but with poor catechesis. I was a cafeteria catholic for most of my young adult to mid adult life. Got married had kids, terrible marraige then spiritual rock bottom. My spiritual rock bottom coincided with the fact that I was barely going to mass, just on Easter and Christmas! I married someone who was not catholic but I didn’t see it as a big deal because she was still a christian. (Non-denominational). Well, after I realized that my personal life was a mess I started going back to mass on occasion. I went to confession after 10 years (at least). Stumbled on an orthodox priest whose homilies were very frank, straight-forward and no-nonsense. All the things that I needed to hear. You know when you hear Truth, It hurts and I wanted to hear more. I realized that mamby-pamby non-sense was not what I needed. That sort of catholicism was what led me astray. This priest challenged us to know our faith. Know “Why” we do the things we do. It was the first time I heard someone, a priest, talk like this. In all fairness, it may be because it was the first time I was really listening. So, I started to read the Bible. Search for info on the internet. That’s when my faith really took off. I came across a website that was called Realcatholictv.com and is now ChurchMilitant.tv Same style as that priest and tons of info. Again the style is no-nonsense and direct. But, since my background is military I gravitate toward that approach. Michael Voris and that staff have helped me tremendously and I will always be grateful to them and to the Holy Spirit for leading me to Father James and that on-line apostolate.

I then had to ask myself this simple set of questions. Do I believe in God or not? If yes, then what I am I doing to demonstrate to God that my answer is “yes”? BOOM faith fountain erupted. I have become much more in love with God due to learning His faith. It is amazing and beautiful and I thank Him for it.

My relationship with my wife has changed so much for the better. Thanks be to God! Not to mention my relationship with my kids, the fact that I am taking a direct role in their faith formation, which is so cool. My world has changed and they way I see the world has changed. Thank you GOD!!!

Sorry for rambling but this can go on and on.😃
 
Short version: I was a cradle Catholic for many years, but very much “on fire” for God in my teens and early twenties. Somehow I slowly backslid…too slowly to even notice for a long time. Eventually, between the backsliding and some things that happened in my life, I began to seriously doubt the existence of God. It didn’t help that I didn’t understand the different ways people interpreted the Bible, and some who preached the gospel of prosperity pretty much convinced me God couldn’t exist.

Ultimately I decided to look into things more closely before deciding I couldn’t believe. That’s where I grew to love God’s church and become devotedly Catholic. Having said that, the right priest was also in my life at that time, and he helped my desire to serve God grow enormously.
 
Some very interesting reads, with great inspirations.

I was born and raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools from Kindergarten to Masters (19 years). Since I was born in 1958, my youth fell right during Vatican II. I had a few years of thought for the priesthood during high school, but girls and other interests got in the way. My father was not Catholic at that time, and he was ambivalent about me becoming a priest.

I have never left the church–per se–but I did have a period of several years where I was ignorant and sinful. I should have been more orthodox in my faith. I received holy communion in a state of sin. I committed adultery. I also had other personal and professional failures that humbled me. My wife told me that as far as she was concerned, I was “dead” to her.

But through all this I kept going to Mass with my children. Eventually I recognized that the Lord had shown me a new path. I started reading the bible and went to confession and started to check out internet sites like CAF and listen to Relevant Radio. Then I started to read about the ECF to reaffirm my early faith.

I am very grateful for such a great gift, finding God in so many places. 🙂
 
What a wonderful thread! Thank you for all of these inspiring and humbling testimonies. Beautiful!

There are plenty of cradle Catholics in my parish who have testimonies of conversions. Most of these CCs never fell away from the Catholic Church, but continued to believe and practice their Catholic faith right through Vatican II, right through the building of our “modern-architecure” church building, right through the rise of Christian rock music, and right through the rise of many large evangelical mini-megachurches in our city.

However, even though they never fell away, they grew complacent and took the Lord Jesus and His Church for granted, and it didn’t mean anything much in their everyday lives.

It’s exciting to hear their various testimonies of what happened to wake them up.

For many of them, their conversion happened after making our parish retreat called “Light of the World.” And for others, the conversion happened when they had children and realized that they were responsible for their little ones’ souls. And for others, the conversion occurred because they attended a Billy Graham or Leighton Ford crusade, and were encouraged by the counselors to go back to their childhood church (Yay, Billy Graham!) Lots of them received an awakening to Catholicism through various Protestant outreaches–interesting and inspiring.

And lately, we’re hearing CC testimonies of awakenings and conversions after reading or hearing one of the new Catholic apologists e.g., Scott Hahn, Tim Staples, etc., or one of the new priests who have a preaching/teaching ministry and travel around. When Scott Hahn came to our parish a few years ago, it was packed out, and even the overflow rooms (he was televised into these rooms) were packed. The priest realized that there were not enough Hosts for Holy Communion at the Mass, so he put out the call to other parishes, and they had to bring over extra hosts, and even then, the hosts had to be broken into tiny little pieces to accomodate all those who came forward for Holy Communion!

God bless the new apologists and the new priests!

Anyway, keep the CC testimonies coming! It’s sure a pick-me-up to read this thread!
 
Cat said:
What a wonderful thread! Thank you for all of these inspiring and humbling testimonies. Beautiful!

It’s exciting to hear their various testimonies of what happened to wake them up.

And lately, we’re hearing CC testimonies of awakenings and conversions after reading or hearing one of the new Catholic apologists e.g., Scott Hahn, Tim Staples, etc., or one of the new priests who have a preaching/teaching ministry and travel around. When Scott Hahn came to our parish a few years ago, it was packed out, and even the overflow rooms (he was televised into these rooms) were packed. The priest realized that there were not enough Hosts for Holy Communion at the Mass, so he put out the call to other parishes, and they had to bring over extra hosts, and even then, the hosts had to be broken into tiny little pieces to accomodate all those who came forward for Holy Communion!

God bless the new apologists and the new priests!

Anyway, keep the CC testimonies coming! It’s sure a pick-me-up to read this thread!
Click to expand...
I am enjoying reading everyone’s testimonies as well.

I think our voice as cradle Catholics, whether we have fallen away and come back or have remained faithful to the Catholic Church is SO important. I have always heard “why are you Catholics so quiet - why are you afraid to speak about what He has done for you?”

I feel that one of the things that God wants me to do personally is to speak to people about conversions to those who have fallen asleep in light of His coming. And especially about the beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation. This truly would be the work of the Holy Spirit as the thought of public speaking frightens me . . .but Jesus does say alot “Do not be afraid for I am always with you.” I am entertaining the idea of a book and perhaps that would be the gateway to speak about these things. Right now, I am praying for God to send me His Spirit with the gift of COURAGE and WISDOM so that I may speak when He prompts me and to understand everything He wants me to reveal. :amen:

Also your post about the other parishes bringing more hosts over so everyone could receive Jesus reminds me of Jesus feeding the multitudes with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish!
 
Also, I wanted to leave this link that I found in another thread, which is wonderful and a great way to evangelize our family and friends through the computer - it is not us they deny, but Christ Himself. This way its like they are not really hearing it from us.

olgcparish.net/education/true_magnificence.html

scroll down to the video lessons. God Bless the person who originally posted this link and the lovely Priest who God is using to speak to us!
 
I went through a questioning in my middle teens. (It wasn’t doubt, just questioning) I couldn’t make sense of words and phrases I had heard my whole life. The biggest, was that I knew Christ had died for our sins, but I couldn’t tell you why he needed to die or how that took away our sins. :eek: I know that sounds really terrible for a Christian of any stripe.

Luckily at the time, my dad had started his great theological discovery and had tons of books around the house. I read “Born Fundamentalist, Born again Catholic,” and Scott Hahn’s “The Lamb’s Supper.” These two books really helped me to both frame and answer many of the questions I had. This is when Catholicism made logical sense to me and it became an assent of will. I had already had more emotional experiences as the parish I had grown up in was very charismatic. But emotional experiences with God don’t mean a whole lot if you don’t understand God. So this questioning probably saved my faith.

I am sure I will have to go through several “conversion” experiences in my life time, whether I again get too comfortable with common phrases and don’t understand what they mean, or go through a period where I need the consolations, or something else entirely. For now, it helps me to be connected to the Catholic community, here and on through blogs.
 
peace2u2 said:
This question is for the cradle Catholic.

Have you ever experienced a conversion to grow deeper in your faith and to remain Catholic? What did you experience and what was it that made you love your Catholic Faith more and want to stay?

I hear a lot of conversion stories from converts or reverts but the conversion of the cradle Catholic seems to be silent unless you have left the Catholic Church all together and then we hear your voice loud and clear about how the Church never taught you anything.

I would love to hear your story.
Click to expand...
Ooooo…what a great question! So many cradle Catholics become complacent, don’t realize the beauty of what’s right in front of our faces, and we take it for granted.

For me, it was when my husband died. After he died I found myself asking “What now? What the hell am I supposed to do now?” I ignored the small voice saying “I’m right here” for about 2 years before finally responding.

My church invites renewal candidates to participate in RCIA just like catechumens & candidates, to rediscover what they already know, to learn the things they slept through in catechism class :D, to questions and share. It was wonderful.

After that I prayed a lot, read the Bible like it was my job, read works from Hahn, Grodi, McFarlane and other converts, read the Bible some more, prayed more, rinse repeat. I realy think that reading the works of converts from Protestants actually makes me stronger in my Catholicism. They’ve spent their lives ‘proving it with the Bible’, and they make great cases for the Catholic church.

In addition to more reading and prayer, I’ve found Eucharistic Adoration, participation in a small Christian Community and involvement in a couple of small parish ministries to be helpful.
 
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