Those here who weren't catholic, but became catholic.

[Guyonthestreet]

What was the clincher for you?

Was it something you read?

Something you saw?

Something you heard?

An inner voice?

I’m stuck. I’ve read and studied the catholic church. I attend a catholic church regularly, to pray, along with other churchs. There is nothing so far that is making the penny drop for me. I’m not struggling with anything I’ve studied. I can see the logic, and I have some excellent books and tapes that all make perfect sense to me. I can even dismiss a lot of counter arguement on the strength of some of the great catholic apologists I’ve read.

But it’s just not happening for me. I don’t know why.

I’m interested to hear your story.

 

[Louie1983]

Not to sound like a broken record here but have you studied the eucharist? I know a lot of people who when they come to terms with this usually embrace the faith because they realise what (or who) the eucharist is. Once they realise the gift of the eucharist they rarely go back!

 

[jenlovesyu]

Hi I just became Catholic this past Easter. About a year ago, after believing so many false things about Catholicism, all I had to do really was come to Catholic Answers and read the library tracts. After coming to an understanding of why Catholics believe what they believe, I was hooked for good. I also studied some history of Christianity to get a better understanding of where this religion, as well as the several other Christian faiths, came from. The fact that all the other Christian faiths came afterward convinced me that either Catholicism is the one or Christianity just ain’t it at all. I had a hard time believing that Christ would leave us with a gap in history until His actual Church popped up. Especially with some of those faith groups that started in like the 1800s. Catholicism was here from the start of Christianity all by Her lonesome.

God bless

 

[Wesley7]

You become Catholic Coptic after considering several years of the conversion process.

 

[josie_L]

What was the clincher for you?

Was it something you read?

Something you saw?

Something you heard?

An inner voice?

I’m stuck. I’ve read and studied the catholic church. I attend a catholic church regularly, to pray, along with other churchs. There is nothing so far that is making the penny drop for me. I’m not struggling with anything I’ve studied. I can see the logic, and I have some excellent books and tapes that all make perfect sense to me. I can even dismiss a lot of counter arguement on the strength of some of the great catholic apologists I’ve read.

But it’s just not happening for me. I don’t know why.

I’m interested to hear your story.

You have as you have stated pursued the intellectual/theological aspects now you must get at the heart of the Catholic faith, the eucharist. I would advise you then to go to eucharistic adoration and there you will find the reasons for being Catholic. Jesus will not let you down.

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

The easy way out is usually wrong. Work and adversity build character.

The Catholic Church seemed harder, confession, penance, calender full of reminders of God, etc… In opposition to religion being easy when you can proof-text your way to justifying anything (an eye for an eye… can justify murder). That is the logical extension of a proof-text, individual interpretation tradition.

Rock of Peter means something. Jesus, being God, doesn’t have to state ambitiously that He is the basis for the Church. “You are rock and on Me I will build My Church”??? Easy way out to justify doing ones own interpretation.

Philosophy, natural law, works, moral absolutes. This in opposition to “less thinking, more faith”. People’s kids dying when instead of going to a doctor, they prayed. Seems opposed to what is reasonable. Catholics pray like everything depends on God (it does) and work like everything depends on us.(our cooperation with grace does). Reasonable.

Lourdes, or St. Bernadette made it up. Same with Fatima, St. Faustina, Guadeloupe, etc. Holiness for the True God is reasonable.

All this was years of searching and testing of every spirit.

 

[NHInsider]

What was the clincher for you?

Was it something you read?

Something you saw?

Something you heard?

An inner voice?

I’m stuck. I’ve read and studied the catholic church. I attend a catholic church regularly, to pray, along with other churchs. There is nothing so far that is making the penny drop for me. I’m not struggling with anything I’ve studied. I can see the logic, and I have some excellent books and tapes that all make perfect sense to me. I can even dismiss a lot of counter arguement on the strength of some of the great catholic apologists I’ve read.

But it’s just not happening for me. I don’t know why.

I’m interested to hear your story.

For me it started with learning from studying history about the Church that carried on the work of the Lord from the 60s to the 1500s - growing up as an Evangelical I had absorbed the notion that Christianity just sort of disappeared between Paul and Luther. That led me to the early church fathers and the discovery that most of what I had learned about the Catholic Church adding stuff to the faith was wrong, that in fact the earliest Christians had been far more Catholic than “Reformed.”

But the “penny dropping” moment was one evening, reading the John 6, when I was suddenly overcome with the understanding that there was a consistency to those who rejected the reality of the Eucharist, whether they were those early doubters in John or the Calvinists in the 1500s – that they said “this is hard to understand” and so they walked away - and Jesus didn’t correct them. And then I just knew that the Real Presence was Real, and if I had the opportunity to receive the Body and Blood of my Lord, how could I not? I still had hundreds of intellectual objections to overcome, but overcome them I must, or just put them aside, if need be.

Now, apart from my story, an observation - you have taken a highly intellectual approach to the faith, and that is a very good thing. But ultimately, faith is not an intellectual exercise, it is a yielding of the will to the will of God. I think what you may be missing the **heart **aspect of “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength.”

Perhaps it’s time to stop thinking and start being. Turn your dilemma over to the Lord and trust Him to show you the way. Ask His mother to lead you. Pray simple, child-like prayers. Read poetry instead of theology (Gerard Manley Hopkins comes to mind, but poetry is a very personal thing and he might not be right for you). Spend some time just sitting (or better still, kneeling) in front of the Tabernacle.

Listen to faith-filled music - again, what style depends on your taste. I really like Vivaldi and Bach, and I really like Rich Mullins and some of David Haas. Some people respond to Gregorian chant and some people go to sleep (although there is plenty of connection between the brain waves of sleep and those of contemplation, so don’t dismiss it too quickly).

Finally, don’t be afraid to take the “leap of faith.” There’s a reason for that phrase. Israel couldn’t cross the water until Moses held out his staff. Peter couldn’t walk on the water until he stepped out of the boat. Each had to obey what sounded like a stupid instruction before he could experience the power of the Lord. Consider Paschal’s wager - what have you got to lose?

And there is always my favorite prayer, from the desperate father in Mark 9:24: “Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief.”

 

[twopekinguys]

What was the clincher for you?

Was it something you read?

Something you saw?

Something you heard?

An inner voice?

I’m stuck. I’ve read and studied the catholic church. I attend a catholic church regularly, to pray, along with other churchs. There is nothing so far that is making the penny drop for me. I’m not struggling with anything I’ve studied. I can see the logic, and I have some excellent books and tapes that all make perfect sense to me. I can even dismiss a lot of counter arguement on the strength of some of the great catholic apologists I’ve read.

But it’s just not happening for me. I don’t know why.

I’m interested to hear your story.

My journey is somewhat similar to yours, with the exception of attending other churches at the same time.

I think that is something that may be causing your dilema.

For me, I attended Methodist only, then Baptist only, etc. etc. Once I realized that for me, there was something missing in a particular faith, I would stop attending that one, and start over new, at another. That way I was being distracted by the different teachings from one church to another.

Once I started attending the Catholic Mass, everything seemed to just “come together”.

I attended RCIA, joined the Church at Easter Vigil 1995, and am now the Lay Coordinator for the RCIA program.

Talk about God grabbing you by the collar and moving you along!!!

So, long story short. I would suggest attending just the Mass, and exclude any other distractions. See if that helps the penny drop so to speak. If it doesn’t, then I would suggest doing the same thing with another faith.

Best of luck. I know how difficult this is. We will pray for you.

 

[jpk1313]

I converted to christianity three years ago and was baptized in a protestant church (was the first church I walked into that offered to baptise me). I then had to find a church to belong to so I looked at all the different denominations. the protsetants have thoulsands of churches each teaching something different and from that lack of unity I crossed them off the list. I looked at the anglican church but saw they were in the prosses of spliting in two. Then I came to to the catholic church which is the oldest church whose theology has not changed was not tearing itself apart and taught the same things I had come to belive while doing my personal syudy of scripture. So I was confirmed at the easter vigil this year. I listened to the holy spirit and was led to the one holy apostolic catholic church and though there are problems within they are due to people strugling to live the gosple which is not easy but that does not detract from the truth the church teaches. In my mind the catholic church is the only logical church to belong to when you look at the other churches out there they are falling apart or do not even really know what they teach. Part of the reason I rejected the protestant churchs is that they are not really up front with what they teach and was worried I might accedentaly join a cult. They claim the are bible beliving churches but then so did jim jones and heavens gate and the branch davidsons ect,. the catholic church is the only safe church in my mind, all the others are confused theologicly or moraly and always changing but the catholic church remains the same yesterday today and forever.

 

[Robbinson]

I haven’t crossed the Tiber yet - but the craving for the Eucharist - to share in this experience with the Lord, and the desire to experience the unity of the body of Christ, is intense. It is to me, like a lamp or fire at night is to a moth.

Hopefully, some day, I will experience it fully - for now, I continue to think and pray about it.

I agree with the earlier respondent - reading the catechism section on the eucharist - buy magnificat and read through the mass focusing on the liturgy of the Eucharist and liturgy of adoration, and spend time alone (just you and Christ) in adoration before the tabernacle containing the Eucharist. You will find Jesus (and the answer to your searching) there.

Blessings,

Brian

 

[Kdesiel]

What was the clincher for you?

Was it something you read?

Something you saw?

Something you heard?

An inner voice?

I’m stuck. I’ve read and studied the catholic church. I attend a catholic church regularly, to pray, along with other churchs. There is nothing so far that is making the penny drop for me. I’m not struggling with anything I’ve studied. I can see the logic, and I have some excellent books and tapes that all make perfect sense to me. I can even dismiss a lot of counter arguement on the strength of some of the great catholic apologists I’ve read.

But it’s just not happening for me. I don’t know why.

I’m interested to hear your story.

I was a lifelong member of the LDS Church. I served a Mission for two years; I was married in the temple and had/have a family. I had struggled for some time with quite a few points of doctrine being taught through the LDS church. I felt as though I wasn’t learning enough about Christ, I didn’t have peace within myself, I felt like an outsider.

I didn’t know a whole lot about the Catholic Faith. I took a Coaching Job at a local High School. As team policy we attended Mass on Friday’s prior to the game as a team. As I sat through the Mass I felt like I was at home. For about an hour I felt as though I was being spiritually fed. I had a lot of questions as you could imagine. I befriended the Priest who performed the Mass and he became my spiritual advisor. We debated, sometimes argued, I was scared at first because a realization hit me that what I was learning was true. A whole lifetime of being a Mormon, the Mormon lifestyle, my entire Family being Mormon, everything was about to change because not only did the facts make sense, but it felt right.
I prayed, and studied, I was reluctant due to my religious background. It took awhile and I can honestly say I was afraid for how people within the LDS church would perceive me due to this conversion. My mother used to tell me when I was a child, With God on your side who can stand against you? Those words finally hit home and I put them into practice.

It took a bit of time, and effort, study, prayer, and the willingness to make a move to something my body and soul told me was right.
I will agree with one of the posters, once I learned of the Eucharist and my souls necessity for it, I knew that I had to become a member so that I could receive a gift that would draw me closer to my God.

My prayers are with you, I wish you the best. Have comfort in the knowledge many of us not just me have similar stories and struggles, similar fears, and similar apprehensions, but in the end God wants you to be with him and he’ll show you the truth. Be open to receiving it.
All the best.

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

What was the clincher for you?

Was it something you read?

Something you saw?

Something you heard?

An inner voice?

I’m stuck. I’ve read and studied the catholic church. I attend a catholic church regularly, to pray, along with other churchs. There is nothing so far that is making the penny drop for me. I’m not struggling with anything I’ve studied. I can see the logic, and I have some excellent books and tapes that all make perfect sense to me. I can even dismiss a lot of counter arguement on the strength of some of the great catholic apologists I’ve read.

But it’s just not happening for me. I don’t know why.

I’m interested to hear your story.

The biggest influence on my journey was the testimonies of other converts. They answered questions that I hadn’t even asked yet.

Here’s a better way of looking at it, from my perspective.

Given that we all agree that protestantism came out of Catholicism, can you justify your protest?

If not, then what are you waiting for?!

 

[RebeccaJ]

Of all the struggles I had, studying, reading, going to RCIA…it clicked when I accepted that the Catholic Church is Christ’s Church. I asked myself the question, “If I really believe this, then why would I struggle with any teaching/doctrine/dogma of the Catholic Church?”

If there are no issues, then commit to follow the Church. Sometimes that’s all it is.

 

[happilycatholic]

What was the clincher for you?

Was it something you read?

Something you saw?

Something you heard?

An inner voice?

I’m stuck. I’ve read and studied the catholic church. I attend a catholic church regularly, to pray, along with other churchs. There is nothing so far that is making the penny drop for me. I’m not struggling with anything I’ve studied. I can see the logic, and I have some excellent books and tapes that all make perfect sense to me. I can even dismiss a lot of counter arguement on the strength of some of the great catholic apologists I’ve read.

But it’s just not happening for me. I don’t know why.

I’m interested to hear your story.

Then why are you being rebellious?

Faith is not belief, understanding or agreement it is surrender even in the absence of those things.

Simply surrender. That is the ulitmate act of obedience.

Blessings,

HC

 

[twb1621]

I haven’t crossed the Tiber yet - but the craving for the Eucharist - to share in this experience with the Lord, and the desire to experience the unity of the body of Christ, is intense. It is to me, like a lamp or fire at night is to a moth.

Hopefully, some day, I will experience it fully - for now, I continue to think and pray about it.

I agree with the earlier respondent - reading the catechism section on the eucharist - buy magnificat and read through the mass focusing on the liturgy of the Eucharist and liturgy of adoration, and spend time alone (just you and Christ) in adoration before the tabernacle containing the Eucharist. You will find Jesus (and the answer to your searching) there.

Blessings,

Brian

You obviously have been Blessed with the guidence of the holy Spirit. Peace.

 

[ferdie]

You must humble yourself and see the greatness of God. Approach God as a sinner and acknowledge your unworthiness in His presence. Try taking all the mental and physical insult you can take without fighting back or answering back, humble yourself to people you don’t like. **Ask yourself why you, why did God die for an unworthy person like you? **Then maybe you will see the greatness of God, his love, mercy and justice, and then maybe it will start happening to you. Read books about enriching your spiritual life.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

What was the clincher for you?

Was it something you read?

Something you saw?

Something you heard?

An inner voice?

I’m stuck. I’ve read and studied the catholic church. I attend a catholic church regularly, to pray, along with other churchs. There is nothing so far that is making the penny drop for me. I’m not struggling with anything I’ve studied. I can see the logic, and I have some excellent books and tapes that all make perfect sense to me. I can even dismiss a lot of counter arguement on the strength of some of the great catholic apologists I’ve read.

But it’s just not happening for me. I don’t know why.

I’m interested to hear your story.

Gabriel of 12;

Baptism is all you need at this time for God to reveal himself to you.

Actually you are in the most critical moment in your life if you are seeking God and not feeling or looking for a sign. You may not realize it yet, but you have the full attention of God, this thing that is not happening for you? is your test if you really seek Truth and God will reveal himself to you, that one day will come and it will bring tears of great joy.

IF you think your gonna find God in a feeling or cataclysm event that is to far distant for God who loves you is much closer to you than you think.

Elijah could not find God in the Earth quake, in the thunder and lightning, after all this, Elijah finds God in the whisper of the wind. Seek Jesus in his body the Catholic Church, For know one comes to the Father except through the Son. When you least expect it God will reveal himself to you in a mysterious way. But he loves everyone of us distinctly because he knows (counts) the number of hairs on our head daily.

God will reveal himself to you if you have done all you can do, remain still and realize the “IAM” is God.

Its like when we pray at those times when we dont feel like praying, or are too tired to pray, yet we pray anyway through these tests and trials is when God truly hears and answers our prayers.
I will pray to our blessed Mother for you, the blessed Mother always points her children to her son Jesus Christ and tells us, “Do whatever he (Jesus) tells you”, for She gives him to us, just as Jesus gave his mother to his Church.

Simply put to begin the “pouring down” of Graces upon your soul, a great place to start is baptism, where all of your sins keeping you from entering his True Presence is washed away forever.

Peace be with you