To all Roman Catholics in exile

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Well, things may change. Keep thinking about it. You’re young, yet. Comparatively.
 
Hi lilypadrees,
Thanks for acknowledging that Methodists are Christians. Otherwise, there is no basis for further discussion and I am just wasting my time here on CAF. I’ve been contemplating leaving it.

I just wanted to clarify that I am not “a Catholic in exile”. I have never been Catholic, so perhaps I never should have posted on this thread to avoid confusion. I was just floored when I read a particular poster who claimed Jesus was not present in Protestant worship services, not just during communion. I found that very insulting and untrue.

The official Methodist position regarding holy communion, as I understand it:

The Communion elements, the bread and cup, bring about powerful, spiritual change. These elements do not become the actual body and blood of Christ, but as symbols of his body and blood they help us be Christ’s body in the world today, freed from sin by Christ’s blood. We pray over the bread and the cup that they may make us “one with Christ / one with each other, / and one in ministry to all the world”

Holy communion is offered every week at one of the worship services at my local church, and about twice a month at the other two. I think Methodist pastors are given latitude as to the frequency of communion, with some doing it just once monthly.

I realize Catholics believe that they truly receive Jesus Himself in the Eucharist (Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity) a belief that I respect and assent to. I also realize that the Catholic Eucharist is the focus of the Catholic faith, and I respect that as well.

What I have a problem with is when a Catholic treats all non-Catholic Christian worship services with so much disdain that they can’t even acknowledge that Jesus resides in our sanctuary during worship services, even in the parts of the service that don’t involve communion.

I respect Catholicism and its beliefs, and I have benefited overall from Catholic teachings on radio (EWTN). I have grown closer to Jesus, have become a better husband and father, and believe that I am overall a better person through some of the self-discipline I’ve learned on EWTN. Doing an examination of conscience related to my sins has helped me very much.

I believe that Jesus is present in the hearts and souls of all those who love and follow Him in faith, repent of their sins, and who strive to serve Him with all their hearts and minds. He wants to be with all Christians in our daily lives, not only just when we partake of holy communion.

I like what St Patrick said and hold it dear:
“Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.”

That means Christ can be with us and in us 24x7, not just when we partake in holy communion, as important as that is.
 
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Thank you for your edifying post, @Tommy999, which so warms my heart, and for including portions of St Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer. I was thinking of those same words when I was typing my earlier post to you.

You expressed everything so well that I can’t think of anything to add.

Again, thank you for your response. It means more than you will ever know.
 
I’m sorry this is long!

I was raised Catholic by a Catholic mother and atheist father. Mum took us to Mass most weeks and we went to a Catholic primary school. I have fond memories of those days, doing the Sacraments, reading about the saints, saying different prayers etc.

In high school, I started to struggle with doubts about the faith, but also intrusive thoughts of OCD/scruples, and so began an ongoing battle of fighting my thoughts. I felt that I could never please God and I never knew if I was going to Heaven or Hell when I died. I was often guilty of deeds considered to be mortal sins, and although Confession provided some relief, it didn’t last (either through my sin or my thoughts). Living out the faith seemed arduous, and full of fear and guilt. I started wishing I wasn’t Catholic.

I stuck with it until my late teens/early 20s, then thought I needed a break. I could never concentrate in Mass and was usually ineligible for the Eucharist, and - as selfish as I now realise this sounds - I didn’t feel I was getting anything out of it. I also eye(d) the Church with great suspicion. I adopted more of an agnostic mindset, but remained very interested in God and hoped I might one day be convinced that what I’d been taught was true after all.

In my early 20s I started making a lot of friends who happened to be Protestant Christians, and I started going to Alpha/church with them. Believing that Christianity was true, I decided to “become a Christian” (again?) and started attending Baptist churches. One of these friends gave me a book on all the things wrong with Catholicism and it shattered my perceptions of the Church even more until I believed it was as wrong as they say, but interestingly:
  1. I never wanted to do the adult immersion baptism because it seemed like an insult to my upbringing
  2. I knew I wanted to give Catholicism a chance to defend itself. Despite my upbringing, I didn’t understand the faith well
  3. I’ve never been able to let go of the Catholic guilt (sorry for the expression, but that’s how it feels!) and truly believe all my sins are forgiven without Confession to a priest - I feel my early conditioning in Catholicism ruined Protestantism for me, even though part of the appeal of Protestantism was that I didn’t have to jump through all the hoops!
In the last few years I’ve been working for a Christian radio station (lots of influences there!) and was going to a Reformed church for a while, and I now go to an Anglican church but some Catholic Masses and a Catholic Enquiry Group.

I am in some serious turmoil about what to believe. I don’t trust my biases (both for/against Catholics/Protestants). I am obsessed with not being “deceived” and perplexed about indicators (which I believe are from God) that I’m already forgiven (even though by Catholic standards I’m an apostate in mortal sin) and that He might want me in another denomination (e.g., He has given me a lot of Protestant friends/this job). Some of Catholicism is starting to make more sense, but I’ve heard so many stories of God working/healing through Protestant ministries/people, which raises questions…
 
Churchmen today aren’t responsible for the actions of churchmen of the past just as Trudeau isn’t responsible for the actions of governments of the past, despite his apologies with such consistency that they’ve become meaningless. It’s one thing for churchmen today to express dismay at how things may have been done, but in my opinion it should be emphasized that no apologies will be given for having spread the message of Christ to those who didn’t know it.
 
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Facts don’t care about your feelings.
 
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Catholic Deacons are allowed to marry, and they’re ordained. However they have to be married before they actually become deacons. And it depends on whether they’re transitional or permanent. Transitional deacons eventually go on to become priests and so obviously that means they can’t marry. Permanent deacons serve in the diaconate and are allowed to be married
 
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JohnStrachan said:
Why did you leave? Where did you go? Do you yearn to return? If so, what has to change (in your heart or in the life of the church) to make that possible?
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Very interesting question.

I’m not currently in "exile’ from the Church. But was.

I’m one of those poorly catechised cradle Catholics. My family had issues before I could remember & a lot of those had me questioning God, His plan, & all that. My parents divorced when I was 7 & I remember questioning what God wanted from me back then.

CCD most Sundays, Baptist bible school in the summer, I didn’t catch on to divisions of Christianity.

But because of the divorce, close relatives dying, we basically stopped going to church before my first communion. Still very much believed God exists but I felt like he didn’t want to be involved in my life. I remember saying, “If you want me to know you on a personal level then I’ll know you on a personal level. Until then I’m not going to spend a lot of time getting to know you.”

At 21 I was counting my blessings & realized even though I’m an idiot, God never left me. He’s been deeply involved in my life & actually saved me from death more than once.

I started reading the Bible. Realized it is the love story of all love stories. So I started “studying” love. I was married at the time & thought all I needed to know was there, between me & my wife. Then my 1st daughter was born & realised I didn’t know anything. The love I felt for her was selfless, not sexual in any shape or form, asked nothing of her, but inspired me to give all of myself.

That was God.

So I started looking for help trying to understand that. To learn more. I looked into “everything” eastern religions, Islam, Judaism, Christianity. Of course I remember the love story of all love stories & started reading the bible again. This time understanding a lot more than I did the previous time. Reading the Gospel of John which explains that love I experienced & I knew it was Christianity.

Started looking into the different expressions of Christianity. For me it came down to sacrifice. What does it mean to give all of myself. & I saw that in the crucifix. No one digs into or tries to explain the crucifix like the Catholic Church. Not even the Orthodox.

& Jesus tells Peter to feed his sheep. So I jumped into the Catholic Church. It hasn’t always been smooth & I’ve questioned that decision a few times. & still do. But it’s Peter he commands to strengthen his brothers. How can I go where Peter is not?
 
Been reading this thread and catching up.

Jesus is most definitely present at Protestant services. I think he is also present during bible studies or anywhere two or more are gathered in his name.

In regards to Protestant Eucharist – I do think he is there as well. I was baptized Anglican before I converted to the Catholic Church. And the elders there told me to always genuflect for the Eucharist there as others have failed to do it and been knocked on their rear ends by a unseen force!!😯 That said, I think he is there probably to a lesser degree than in the Catholic or Orthodox Churches. Is that fair?

How does one actually measure this? I don’t know, but I’ve received many protestant Eucharist and not ever really seen any difference in my life. I have now been receiving Catholic Eucharist for 2 years and have noticed a change in my overall being. The biggest change is that my level of compassion for fellow human beings has grown exponentially. Either the Eucharist is the result and it does what the RCC says it does, or it is some weird coincidence. In either event, I am thankful as I believe this is maybe the greatest of all the virtues to have.

Thank you for your presence in this forum. I hope that you stay and that you always feel welcome here.
 
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To be perfectly honest, if someone is hoping for woman priests and acceptance of gay relationships then they are better off staying away from the Church. Furthermore you have no idea what my experiences growing up in the Church were to make such a statement. Facts are still facts and it doesn’t matter if they bother anyone.
 
Why did you leave?

I didn’t leave, initially, my parents did. Though they never told us why. The timing points to changes after Vatican 2

Where did you go?

Nowhere, at first.

Do you yearn to return?

Of course, you can’t baptized a kid and get them catechized and going to FHC then just stop going to mass. My shock was returning to the church once I was in college. Nothing like I remember. No help from the parish for a teen wanting to return to the church. So this time I just wandered away because I, too, thought the Catholic church ceased to exist. I wandered through protestant denominations looking for my Catholic Mass. Met a few really good Christians on my journey. I made a last ditch effort to reconcile with the Catholic church and it failed me again. I was rescued by the Eastern Catholic church my husband converted to. I am Catholic, but not Roman Catholic.
 
This sort of language is not helpful and it creates resentment. That Jesus founded a church is without question, did he mean to found a church that looks like the RC church is debateable. RC’s often use that line on me and I can assure you, I’ve seen both sides. The Anglican church is not the “perfect” church, but I feel the Holy Spirit at work and for me it is where I need to be right now. The RC church embodies great beauty and a sophisticated and well thought out deposit of faith. I don’t believe that the RC church truly lives out what it teaches and thus I don’t feel comfortable worshipping there.
 
I never left the Church, but for awhile I was not strong in my faith, and was not a practicing Catholic.
Fortunately, that changed. I want back to confession. And now I again am a practicing Catholic.
I call for all my brothers and sisters who may be lukewarm Catholics or those who have been on exile, to come back to the church. God bless you in your journey back. 🙏🙏🙏
 
YourNameHere said:
I call for all my brothers and sisters who may be lukewarm Catholics or those who have been on exile, to come back to the church.
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You can call, but I’m pretty sure I’m not ready to respond. There are things about the RC that I love and miss. I believe if the church made an effort to live out the challenge of VC2, I’d be there in a heartbeat.
 
I mean no disrespect. As it is not clear to me what I might have said that is so offensive, can you please let me know and I will use discretion.
 
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