This "Schizophrenic" thing that always happens to Catholics

[distracted]

I feel that this “schizo” thing i go through as a Catholic is “universal”, that all Catholics experience it…

I am one person while @ Mass… then when i leave, i become, as it were, someone else… I don’t like the person i am outside the Church (always) but i can’t seem to help it… Really weird…

I know other people go through this because… well, for lots of reasons…

I have seen priests suddenly become very different as soon as Mass is over…

I have come to accept this as just the way things are… After all, while @ Church, we are in Christ’s Presence and when we are outside the Church, we kinda aren’t…

I would just like to hear your stories about this “phenomenon”…

 

[Tonks40]

You can help how you behave outside of Mass! Be conscientious of the Word of God that you hear at Mass throughout the week…know that Christ, through reception of the Eucharist, lives in you, and thus, you should live in Him. It’s hard when encountering the things of this world, but be mindful of what the Lord has provided you. And yes, it is easy to fall away from Christ once you walk out of the doors of the Church. Do an examination of conscience every night to see how you were throughout the day, repent of any sins you may have caused, and vow to try and do better the next day.

Before you know it, you can begin to carry Christ not only in your heart, but people will see it, and you will notice it, too.

I’ll be praying for you and others that struggle with this (as I do and struggle with it, too!). God Bless!

 

[distracted]

You can help how you behave outside of Mass! Be conscientious of the Word of God that you hear at Mass throughout the week…know that Christ, through reception of the Eucharist, lives in you, and thus, you should live in Him.

i guess its my fault… but I feel you totally misunderstood me ( that happens a lot… ).

I do all these things you mention… In fact, i think some people think i am a “Jesus freak”…

It’s hard when encountering the things of this world, but be mindful of what the Lord has provided you. And yes, it is easy to fall away from Christ once you walk out of the doors of the Church.

No… again, you don’t understand. I do not fall away from Jesus… How could I? He is not only my best Friend, he is my ONLY friend… :hug3: :console: I just meant that… well, for example, while @ Mass or inside the Church, i feel different… I feel loved by God and that I am doing OK in His eyes… avoiding sin and all t hat… But when i am out in the world, i don’t feel very special… In fact i feel like i am “nothing” a lot of the time… and of course, since i don’t have a lot of worldy stuff, things the world values, its no wonder i feel tht way…

I could give other examples, but that’s the one that comes to mind right now…

Sorry i didn’t clarify exactly waht i meant… :whacky:

 

[CatsAndDogs]

No… again, you don’t understand. I do not fall away from Jesus… How could I?

He is not only my best Friend, he is my ONLY friend… :hug3: :console:

We are told to see Jesus in the faces of ALL people we meet. Can I do this all the time? No. But that practice is central to extending our “Mass experience” out into the world.

As a Catholic you have no choice but to “be a friend and make a friend” with ALL those you meet in the world (well, yes you do but it’s wrong to do otherwise).

Did you not feed Him when He was hungry? Did you not clothe Him when He was naked? If you do not know Him (in others) then He will not know you when you are expecting salvation.

I just meant that… well, for example, while @ Mass or inside the Church, i feel different… I feel loved by God and that I am doing OK in His eyes… avoiding sin and all t hat… But when i am out in the world, i don’t feel very special…

Never ever EVER rely on “feelings”! You need to take your LACK of “feeling special” when you’re outside of Mass and turn it into SERVICE, just as Mother Teresa did. Her “dark nights” and “drynesses” were profound, and yet she SERVED through them. That is your, and my, task.

In fact i feel like i am “nothing” a lot of the time… and of course, since i don’t have a lot of worldy stuff, things the world values, its no wonder i feel tht way…

Value yourself only by the service you do others. Anyone who values themself by “worldly standards” is in serious trouble, especially if they profess to be Christian, and very especially if they profess to be Catholic.

I could give other examples, but that’s the one that comes to mind right now…

Sorry i didn’t clarify exactly waht i meant… :whacky:

Yes, we all notice the difference between being undeservedly near God at Mass, or in adoration of Him, and being in “the world”, and that is a clue that we need to narrow the gap in “feeling” between the two.

 

[Flopfoot]

This apparent schizophrenia is a good thing in my opinion. Mass is a special event. It should be different to every other hour of our week. If it was the same as every other hour of our week then how exactly would we be worshipping God by going there? So of course we act differently than we would outside and we feel differently than we would outside. We “raise the bar a notch”, or less metaphorically we make extra effort raise our hearts to God, at this special event.

The other point to mention is that Jesus is physically present in the Eucharist. Sure he’s still present to us in the outside world by the fact that we can pray to him whenever we want, but he is never as present any other time than he is in the Eucharist (unless you lived in 0-33 AD and met him face to face). So that’s another factor that will make things seem different at Mass.

That doesn’t mean we have to feel distant from God whenever we’re not at Mass. All you need to do if you want to talk to him is pray.

 

[1ke]

I feel that this “schizo” thing i go through as a Catholic is “universal”, that all Catholics experience it…

I would just like to hear your stories about this “phenomenon”…

It is not a Catholic phenomenon. And, it certainly is reversible.

First of all, this is how I felt before I was Catholic. I attended church with my friends-- mostly baptists-- and everyone was so fake-nice at church, praising and worshipping, only to engage in totally different behavior the other 6 days of the week. Me included. My faith did not inform my life.

I have not experienced that as a Catholic.

I think the Catholic Church teaches an integration of faith into daily life especially through the liturgy, sacraments, devotions, and teaching regarding corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

It’s a conscious decision to live you faith. Start today.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

I feel that this “schizo” thing i go through as a Catholic is “universal”, that all Catholics experience it…

I am one person while @ Mass… then when i leave, i become, as it were, someone else… I don’t like the person i am outside the Church (always) but i can’t seem to help it… Really weird…

I know other people go through this because… well, for lots of reasons…

I have seen priests suddenly become very different as soon as Mass is over…

I have come to accept this as just the way things are… After all, while @ Church, we are in Christ’s Presence and when we are outside the Church, we kinda aren’t…

I would just like to hear your stories about this “phenomenon”…

That’s not schizophrenic. That’s multiple personality.

Actually, in your case, all it is, is a change in personality. It’s something you can work on.

 

[jeanannemarie]

What has helped (and still does help me) on a daily basis it to have a book about one saint or another to read at night before bed or during a daily break. Sometimes I have a couple going at once, because some of them are hard going. I think Teresa of Avilla is rather hard. I keep smaller books in my purse, things like a Catholic devotional collection and The Divine Mercy and read whenever I have to wait or be otherwise stuck somewhere with nothing to do. Then I actually enjoy the time passing. I read Augustine, St. Francis de Sales (Introduction to a Devout Life is very good, also, his Golden Counsels.) I read about the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort, Imitation of Christ, etc; I just finished reading St. Theresa of Lisiuex (sorry, bad at French) and her “little way” to Heaven. All so very inspiring. That’s what the saints are for. To inspire us and it works; I find myself thinking about what they did and said and I get great encouragement from all that I read. Maybe this could work for you if you haven’t already tried it. I try to reach for the “Godly” material and not the worldly material when I have a choice. The worldy things just lead me off in the wrong direction. Last night I wanted to watch a DVD while I worked on an art project to relax. I put in “The Nativity Story” and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

 

[onetimeposter]

It is not a Catholic phenomenon. And, it certainly is reversible.

First of all, this is how I felt before I was Catholic. I attended church with my friends-- mostly baptists-- and everyone was so fake-nice at church, praising and worshipping, only to engage in totally different behavior the other 6 days of the week. Me included. My faith did not inform my life.

I have not experienced that as a Catholic.

I think the Catholic Church teaches an integration of faith into daily life especially through the liturgy, sacraments, devotions, and teaching regarding corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

It’s a conscious decision to live you faith. Start today.

??? With all due respect…have you not noticed that a Church that normally has 1200 people attend on a Sunday, will have over 15,000 people show up for the various Xmas masses?

Catholic my whole life and I’m in my 30’s, I’ve never known one Catholic who reads the Bible regularly. I live in Canada where 43% of the population is Catholic. Our Bishop had to put out a broadcast telling people that the mass doesn’t end until the Priest has walked down the aisle…people are just gunning for the exits, seemingly white knuckling it through mass…I am one of them some of the time.

Catholics are no better than any other Christian imho.

Go where you find Jesus. The schizophrenic analogy, I don’t understand the point the OP is making.

Rose colored glasses for your view of Catholics…I’d say yes.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

??? With all due respect…have you not noticed that a Church that normally has 1200 people attend on a Sunday, will have over 15,000 people show up for the various Xmas masses?

Catholic my whole life and I’m in my 30’s, I’ve never known one Catholic who reads the Bible regularly. I live in Canada where 43% of the population is Catholic. Our Bishop had to put out a broadcast telling people that the mass doesn’t end until the Priest has walked down the aisle…people are just gunning for the exits, seemingly white knuckling it through mass…I am one of them some of the time.

Catholics are no better than any other Christian imho.1ke meant she, herself has not experienced it since she became a Catholic. She did not mean it doesn’t happen to Catholics, period. 1ke was talking about personal experience.

Go where you find Jesus. The schizophrenic analogy, I don’t understand the point the OP is making.

Rose colored glasses for your view of Catholics…I’d say yes. You know, you did this yesterday in a Family Life thread, too. I don’t understand why you misread what people say.

 

[Cathryn]

Becoming one with Christ through Grace is our goal as Catholics. We are all called to be Holy. The Sacraments make this possible. Any schizophrenic thing isn’t Catholic. It’s not living up to what it is to be a Catholic. A real relationship with Christ and letting Christ live in us and us in Him is the solution. This is the Gospel. Some live it, and some struggle with it, and some don’t get it at all. We are all called to help each other know Christ.

 

[whatevergirl]

??? With all due respect…have you not noticed that a Church that normally has 1200 people attend on a Sunday, will have over 15,000 people show up for the various Xmas masses?

Catholic my whole life and I’m in my 30’s, I’ve never known one Catholic who reads the Bible regularly. I live in Canada where 43% of the population is Catholic. Our Bishop had to put out a broadcast telling people that the mass doesn’t end until the Priest has walked down the aisle…people are just gunning for the exits, seemingly white knuckling it through mass…I am one of them some of the time.

Catholics are no better than any other Christian imho.

Go where you find Jesus. The schizophrenic analogy, I don’t understand the point the OP is making.

Rose colored glasses for your view of Catholics…I’d say yes.

Catholics are no better than anyone, as we were created equal in the eyes of God. Yes, there are Catholics who ‘gun’ for the doors before mass is officially through but there are plenty who stay. Be careful to not look for so much of what is wrong with the Church, that you don’t see anything good before long. I’ve been Catholic my whole life also, I’m 39, and I see far more positives than negatives. Sure, there are people everywhere, in every religion, who are just going through the motions. As a Catholic, we shouldn’t be complacent when someone comes to us confused about their mass experience, or down about it. We should pick up our brothers and sisters, and offer encouragement. I mean, we are not superior to anyone, but we should be grateful for our faith, and want to shout that from the rooftops, and tell everyone we know how great the Church really is! If you know very few or no one who reads the Bible…start a BIble study with your Catholic friends…but, don’t assume that the majority of the Church is a bunch of going-through-the-motions-can’t-wait-to-leave-mass-don’t-ever-pick-the-Bible up Catholics.

 

[quiet52]

I feel that this “schizo” thing i go through as a Catholic is “universal”, that all Catholics experience it…

I am one person while @ Mass… then when i leave, i become, as it were, someone else… I don’t like the person i am outside the Church (always) but i can’t seem to help it… Really weird…

I know other people go through this because… well, for lots of reasons…

I have seen priests suddenly become very different as soon as Mass is over…

I have come to accept this as just the way things are… After all, while @ Church, we are in Christ’s Presence and when we are outside the Church, we kinda aren’t…

I would just like to hear your stories about this “phenomenon”…

Schizophrenic episodes are breaks from reality. The Oxford Dictionary states schizophrenia is “a severe mental disorder in which a person becomes unable to act or reason in a rational way, often with delusions and withdrawal from social relationships.”

Well, I think it CAN be appropriate to use this analogy to how we witness to our faith outside of Mass. We can consciously choose to make the Mass part of our living reality outside of Mass. Or not.

“We pray what we believe” during Mass – and when we are dismissed at Mass, we are “commissioned” or “sent” out to live and preach the Word of God – to make it a reality in our lives with each breath we take.

So let us each continually pray about how we’re allowing our Lord to be our “reality” every day, every hour.

We let ourselves, others, and God down, of course – and others let us down – but we can make the Mass a reality during these times by choosing to pray, to forgive, and to love. “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…” We can make Mass a reality by choosing to “rejoice in the Lord always” no matter what – and that “through Him, all things are possible.”

Or … we can delude ourselves with negative and spiritually-unhealthy thinking, which leads to overt sin and acts of omission. Especially by justifying or excusing our sins, being indifferent to the needs of others, or ignoring our responsibilities within our relationships. We can convince ourselves we’re helpless to this “condition” – that it’s just too hard to overcome. If we can’t “feel good” then it’s not worth the effort. This is when we “break” from the reality of God’s presence – but it’s from our will, not from any real helplessness.

As for God’s presence, he is omnipresent – everywhere, all the time. We’re so blessed to partake in His most intimate presence – body, blood, soul, and divinity – during the celebration of the Mass, of course – but He remains with us outside of Mass. His Spirit continues to empower us, if we allow. We can be visible reminders of God’s presence to others. Remembering that my body is a temple of His Holy Spirit helps me to do this sometimes – even if my body is a temple in great disarray. We serve with our bodies – with our minds, our hands, our listening ears, our voices, our smiles, our gestures, our many good deeds. We pray with our hearts and minds as we serve. That is bringing the reality of God’s presence to others. When we do this, God rewards us with the fruits of His Spirit.

 

[whatevergirl]

distracted–your feelings are very normal, actually. Sometimes, we feel closer to Christ at mass. While Christ is always present in our everyday lives, there is something very special about mass, because we are about to experience the Eucharist. Nothing does compare to such a beautiful event. But, Jesus wants you to have great joy…He came to provide a better way, and if you are struggling with things, like the rest of us to varying degrees, just continue to give it up to God, and ask Him to guard your heart and mind. Soon, you’ll be able to carry that mass experience with you throughout the week…

God bless!

 

[KestrelRose]

Is this so very different than when one is with ones family. In our homes we relate to people differently, sometimes better, sometimes worse, but we are not quite the same people as we when we interact with strangers.

I don’t think it is a matter of being hypocritical. It is just a matter of the complexity of human nature.

I feel that this “schizo” thing i go through as a Catholic is “universal”, that all Catholics experience it…

I am one person while @ Mass… then when i leave, i become, as it were, someone else… I don’t like the person i am outside the Church (always) but i can’t seem to help it… Really weird…

I know other people go through this because… well, for lots of reasons…

I have seen priests suddenly become very different as soon as Mass is over…

I have come to accept this as just the way things are… After all, while @ Church, we are in Christ’s Presence and when we are outside the Church, we kinda aren’t…

I would just like to hear your stories about this “phenomenon”…

 

[Cat]

I believe that while we are at Mass, we are very much protected from the attacks of Satan and his demons. I had a quickie vision once at Mass in which I saw thousands of angels and saints crowding into the church. How could Satan stay there?! It is a holy place, and Jesus is right there with us in Person!

No wonder we love it and feel so good at Mass! It is a foretaste of heaven, free from sin and evil. (Yes, I realize that there is still sin, but it doesn’t have a strangle-hold like it does out in the world.)

But once we’re outside those church doors, we are fair game for Satan and the demons. I think they pounce as quickly as they can, sometimes before we even get to our cars, and try very hard to steal joy and peace away from us. Then they work on making us feel guilty that we don’t feel “good” anymore. Eventually we become convinced that we are totally messing up our lives and that our faith is worthless. We don’t tell anyone about our glorious Church and Jesus, and then Satan has triumphed! He has stopped us from living abundant lives, and he has stopped us from bringing other people to heaven with us.

Be aware of Satan’s battle for your soul and ask the Lord to fight for you. Deny him the victory that he craves.

 

[maryj]

I believe that while we are at Mass, we are very much protected from the attacks of Satan and his demons. I had a quickie vision once at Mass in which I saw thousands of angels and saints crowding into the church. How could Satan stay there?! It is a holy place, and Jesus is right there with us in Person!

No wonder we love it and feel so good at Mass! It is a foretaste of heaven, free from sin and evil. (Yes, I realize that there is still sin, but it doesn’t have a strangle-hold like it does out in the world.)

But once we’re outside those church doors, we are fair game for Satan and the demons. I think they pounce as quickly as they can, sometimes before we even get to our cars, and try very hard to steal joy and peace away from us. Then they work on making us feel guilty that we don’t feel “good” anymore. Eventually we become convinced that we are totally messing up our lives and that our faith is worthless. We don’t tell anyone about our glorious Church and Jesus, and then Satan has triumphed! He has stopped us from living abundant lives, and he has stopped us from bringing other people to heaven with us.

Be aware of Satan’s battle for your soul and ask the Lord to fight for you. Deny him the victory that he craves.

Finally words of wisdom!!! I know what distracted was talking about. I have also noticed that sometimes, not always, that the minute I walk out of Mass I get angry, at someone or something. Thing is I’ve noticed it and taken control of it. I’m sure this happens to many. Is this what you were refering to distracted? Ask God for help, because He will. God Bless you. And Cat, I’ve also seen those angels and saints, I chuckled once audibly, and thought I didn’t know that many angels could fit into the sanctuary!

 

[CB_Catholic]

I understand the “schizophrenic” feeling. When I am at Mass I am completely comfortable, I am in my element. Everything I believe, everything I value is proclaimed, and I experience that feeling of being with others who share that with me.

But when I go out into the world, it is a different story. I feel like a stranger sometimes, like I don’t belong. I don’t value what the world values. I am not interested in the latest garbage on TV, I don’t admire the latest celebrity superstar, I don’t like having sexual images and filthy language barraging me from all four corners; money, wealth, power, sex and prestige are not my aim in life. I sometimes feel isolated and alone in general society.

My friends and I have discussed this often–they feel the same way. We have to live in this world, though, and it is no easy task being a Christian. We are counter-cultural. Our society is, as Father Corapi puts it, a “cesspool”, and we have to manage to wade through it without getting dirty. It takes the strength of Jesus to help us through every day.

I think this is what the OP might be trying to say.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

i guess its my fault… but I feel you totally misunderstood me ( that happens a lot… ).

I do all these things you mention… In fact, i think some people think i am a “Jesus freak”…

No… again, you don’t understand. I do not fall away from Jesus… How could I? He is not only my best Friend, he is my ONLY friend… :hug3: :console: I just meant that… well, for example, while @ Mass or inside the Church, i feel different… I feel loved by God and that I am doing OK in His eyes… avoiding sin and all t hat… But when i am out in the world, i don’t feel very special… In fact i feel like i am “nothing” a lot of the time… and of course, since i don’t have a lot of worldy stuff, things the world values, its no wonder i feel tht way…

I could give other examples, but that’s the one that comes to mind right now…

Sorry i didn’t clarify exactly waht i meant… :whacky:

Maybe what you are saying is that you feel in church that you are valued by God because you are yourself (and that is the truth). But outside church you see that people judge by outward appearance so you feel differently about yourself. You may not have close friends or family members who are affirming you and liking you for yourself. This was my situation in high school and college and for some time afterwards.

Christians are supposed to love one another. So church is a place we should be able to go and feel accepted and have friends outside of mass. Sadly, that doesn’t happen for all of us. Many people are just thinking about the everyday things of their daily lives and don’t reach out to others.

I asked God to bring people into my life who shared my love for Him, and didn’t think I was weird for thinking the way I do. When I look back over the last 30 years I can see He did this and gradually I became much more outgoing. People don’t realize I was very introverted at one time.

So have hope for the future and don’t give up. What you are going through in your life now can improve. We should be able to be happy because God is in our lives outside of church as well as at mass. I don’t know anything about your circumstances, but you might find it helpful to go through a Life in the Spirit seminar if a Catholic charismatic prayer group near you offers one. This was helpful to me and I met many caring people in the prayer group.

 

[distracted]

We are told to see Jesus in the faces of ALL people we meet.

I feel that i do see Jesus in others. I feel i love people but i do not feel loved BY them in return. I know that i am not supposed to care about that, but i am a human being and it bothers me that others treat me like dirt sometimes, for NO apparent reason… even people in the Church (maybe especially them)… When one is empty, it is hard to feel s/he has anything much to give… (when nothing is “coming in”, hard to ahve something “going out”)… so anyway… I do things for people but from a distance… anonymously. I feel that is the best way for me to serve God at this point…

Never ever EVER rely on “feelings”!

i know i shouldn’t but, in some cases, feelings are all one has…

You need to take your LACK of “feeling special” when you’re outside of Mass and turn it into SERVICE,

I feel i do this… to the best of my ability…

Value yourself only by the service you do others.

I don’t agree with this. I should value myself even when i am doing “nothing”… because God values me regardless of whether i am doing anythign “special” or not… It is wrong for people to feel that the only value they have is what they can do for “society” or some other person. If that were the case, people in nursing homes would be in trouble… That being said, They can pray and prayer is probably the best thing we can do for anyone.

Yes, we all notice the difference between being undeservedly near God at Mass, or in adoration of Him, and being in “the world”, and that is a clue that we need to narrow the gap in “feeling” between the two.

I don’t feel the gap can be narrowed… I feel (again) that this “schizo” thing (for lack of better word) is just something we all need to accept… I have triedto narrow the gap… and still continue to try in one way or the other… but after a point, that is not possible…