Truly pleasing God

[Joelle_M]

I had my first encounter with a catholic from the Traditional church yesterday (Pope Pius X). It was on a catholic Fb page- on a forum about evangelizing to protestants.

I’ve been struggling with my faith for years now- at times- I don’t know what or how to believe. I attend mass weekly- sometimes several times a week. I receive on my tongue. I go to regular confession. I’m doing nightly devotions with my son. At times, I feel a bit dishartened when I think about the saints who suffered so long and hard- but who at least had first hand envounters with the divine to truly solidify the existence of God. It almost feels like they were given a leg up on the rest of us (that sounds selfish… I know I have no right to make demands or expect anything- I’m just thinking out loud).

Just when I think I may be on the right track- I fall over again. I get bombarded by protestant arguments (and I can see how they would think what they do- having been brought up and taught a certain way). What if they are right?? (I don’t think so- but what if?) But I feel half derailed now by a fellow catholic- who told me I’m not catholic at all because I go to a Novus Ordo Mass… that makes me part of a cult- not the catholic faith… and that I’m headed for hell.

I don’t know what God wants from me- or anyone of us for that matter. How does any one of us truly know- beyond a doubt- that we are truly pleasing God- that we are truly worshipping Him as he expects us to? What if everything I’ve done in my life to right the huge wrongs I’ve made are still not enough? I mean, I know I’ll never be perfect- I will strive to become better for as long as I can- but what if I die before truly realizing what it is that He has been trying to lead me to? What if everything I believe is wrong- and I’m headed for hell? I want to believe that God is leading me and that as long as I am making the hard decisions in my life to follow catholic doctrine that I’ll be ok- but everyone believes what they believe with so much conviction- that at times it’s incredibly hard to decipher what my next step will be!

I want to know what God wants- I wish I knew exactly which church he wants me to follow so that I can truly worship Him in a way that is most pleasing to Him. I don’t want to offend him anymore.

What do I do? The voice in my head is telling me to just stop trying- and to pray on it. To keep going to mass and stop trying to understand everything everyone else is doing… to just do what feels right. But how do I know that’s not satan whispering in my ear? LoL

This post was half a rant, I’m not sure anyone will be able to clear my doubts or confusion- but I wanted to let it out. Maybe one of you has similar concerns, or has faced the same questions. Maybe I’m being tested… if so- I’ve been undergoing this test for a long time- am I ever going to come out of this feeling complete?

 

[truthquester]

Just when I think I may be on the right track- I fall over again. I get bombarded by protestant arguments (and I can see how they would think what they do- having been brought up and taught a certain way). What if they are right?? (I don’t think so- but what if?) But I feel half derailed now by a fellow catholic- who told me I’m not catholic at all because I go to a Novus Ordo Mass… that makes me part of a cult- not the catholic faith… and that I’m headed for hell.

Ask yourself who is really heading towards hell, judge not lest ye be judged. What right does she have to say that to you? We are not supposed to Lord over one another.

Been there done that and it does get better especially when you have a willing heart. I went to al anon and when I learned about how to pray to God for His guidance towards what His will is for our lives that made a big difference. We all have that little voice of doubt but that gets very small when you put your trust in Him.

 

[RPRPsych]

I had my first encounter with a catholic from the Traditional church yesterday (Pope Pius X). It was on a catholic Fb page- on a forum about evangelizing to protestants.

I’ve been struggling with my faith for years now- at times- I don’t know what or how to believe. I attend mass weekly- sometimes several times a week. I receive on my tongue. I go to regular confession. I’m doing nightly devotions with my son. At times, I feel a bit dishartened when I think about the saints who suffered so long and hard- but who at least had first hand envounters with the divine to truly solidify the existence of God. It almost feels like they were given a leg up on the rest of us (that sounds selfish… I know I have no right to make demands or expect anything- I’m just thinking out loud).

Just when I think I may be on the right track- I fall over again. I get bombarded by protestant arguments (and I can see how they would think what they do- having been brought up and taught a certain way). What if they are right?? (I don’t think so- but what if?) But I feel half derailed now by a fellow catholic- who told me I’m not catholic at all because I go to a Novus Ordo Mass… that makes me part of a cult- not the catholic faith… and that I’m headed for hell.

I don’t know what God wants from me- or anyone of us for that matter. How does any one of us truly know- beyond a doubt- that we are truly pleasing God- that we are truly worshipping Him as he expects us to? What if everything I’ve done in my life to right the huge wrongs I’ve made are still not enough? I mean, I know I’ll never be perfect- I will strive to become better for as long as I can- but what if I die before truly realizing what it is that He has been trying to lead me to? What if everything I believe is wrong- and I’m headed for hell? I want to believe that God is leading me and that as long as I am making the hard decisions in my life to follow catholic doctrine that I’ll be ok- but everyone believes what they believe with so much conviction- that at times it’s incredibly hard to decipher what my next step will be!

I want to know what God wants- I wish I knew exactly which church he wants me to follow so that I can truly worship Him in a way that is most pleasing to Him. I don’t want to offend him anymore.

What do I do? The voice in my head is telling me to just stop trying- and to pray on it. To keep going to mass and stop trying to understand everything everyone else is doing… to just do what feels right. But how do I know that’s not satan whispering in my ear? LoL

This post was half a rant, I’m not sure anyone will be able to clear my doubts or confusion- but I wanted to let it out. Maybe one of you has similar concerns, or has faced the same questions. Maybe I’m being tested… if so- I’ve been undergoing this test for a long time- am I ever going to come out of this feeling complete?

Though it may be difficult, the best thing to do with such posters is to ignore them. Like Protestant “campus crusaders”, political “ideologues” and Islamic “recruiters”, these people’s agenda is to make proselytes - and therefore, they will use every trick in the playbook to make you feel uneasy, insecure or doubtful about your faith.

Consider what St. Paul says in Galatians 5: 19-21:

“Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (bold mine)

Those who aggressively try to recruit members to their faction, in other words, are serving “the flesh” (human weakness / sin) and not God.

Are they more Catholic than the last five popes, all of whom celebrated Mass in the Ordinary Form? (Don’t let them railroad you into using the term Novus Ordo; they will use it as a link to all sorts of wacky conspiracy theories.)

 

[JimR-OCDS]

First off, don’t listen to members of SSPX, who are attached to the Catholic Culture of the past, rather than Jesus Christ. They do not follow Catholic teaching, but their own ego-identity attachments, which is why they attack the Novus Ordo and other Catholics who are not part of their identity group.

People who have a relationship with Jesus Christ, which can be achieved through contemplative practice, receive the transforming grace to open their hearts and minds to God and will see God in everyone and all things.

Prayer is the path to God, first and foremost. The Sacraments will become what they’re suppose to be, when you are centered on Jesus Christ.

Centered In Christ Jesus
Jim

 

[RPRPsych]

First off, don’t listen to members of SSPX, who are attached to the Catholic Culture of the past, rather than Jesus Christ. They do not follow Catholic teaching, but their own ego-identity attachments, which is why they attack the Novus Ordo and other Catholics who are not part of their identity group.

People who have a relationship with Jesus Christ, which can be achieved through contemplative practice, receive the transforming grace to open their hearts and minds to God and will see God in everyone and all things.

Prayer is the path to God, first and foremost. The Sacraments will become what they’re suppose to be, when you are centered on Jesus Christ.

Centered In Christ Jesus
Jim

I’m a little ambivalent about this post.

First of all, we shouldn’t paint everyone in the SSPX with a broad brush. I’m sure there are many of them, especially the laity, who are simply trying to lead good Catholic lives without proselytizing or getting into online arguments. It is always dangerous to judge a group by the small fraction of them who are into the “Internet apologetics and evangelization” cottage industry. This fraction tends to be shrill, strident, and (as you brilliantly point out) bound tightly to identity politics, just as the “gender ideology”, “gay rights” and “liberal Catholic” factions tend to be.

Second, even among the SSPX clergy, there is a spectrum of opinions. Pope Francis himself acknowledged that Bishop Fellay was more open to dialogue than the SSPX members he had known in Argentina, or loose cannons like Williamson.

Third, I think a major problem with the “Traditional” movement as a whole is that it attracts a lot of Protestant converts. These people want fundamentalism and a hard identity, not Catholicism per se. Williamson was an Anglican convert. The “geocentric” guys (can’t remember their names) are Protestant converts. St. Paul had it down pat when he warned against letting “new converts” become teachers of the Faith.

And finally, your response to the OP is fantastic. Thank you for posting this. It’s something we could all stand to remember.

 

[AnneElizabeth]

…

I don’t know what God wants from me- or anyone of us for that matter. How does any one of us truly know- beyond a doubt- that we are truly pleasing God- that we are truly worshipping Him as he expects us to? What if everything I’ve done in my life to right the huge wrongs I’ve made are still not enough?..

That’s just the thing though… if we KNEW exactly what it was that was pleasing to God we couldn’t call it FAITH. We’d call it knowledge of God, which none of us are privy too (except maybe parts of it), and probably couldn’t handle anyways. “Gods ways are so far above our ways…” I’m speaking about knowing God entirely… not basic snippets of what we know about God.

The Scriptures say about faith…

 Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Romans 8:8
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Romans 8:24
For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see?

2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

If God doesn’t honor His Own Word, then he would not be god. So take heart in His Word, so as long as you are following Him. Don’t take to heart that which other people are shouting at you. It very may well be you are in the wrong church, or worshiping the wrong way… but how can God who says if you seek Him and you long to worship Him and do His will that he’s going to throw you in hell? He can’t by His own words.
Now, that doesn't mean that there isn't one faith that is HIS true faith/worship ways... Scripture does point to this as being so. Also, remember Jesus said about the parable of the Good Samaritan. Samaritans were not thought of as having the right faith,(look up Samaritans to understand it more) but this man did BETTER than what those who were supposedly in the true faith were doing. God sees the soul! Keep seeking God... if you sense through prayer that you need to make a change then do it, but if you don't, then don't. We can't fear man. We must fear God.. His Word says so, and also Scripture says that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. God protects those souls He knows are after His heart.

 

[Joelle_M]

I guess it’s time I just take a break from other people’s harsh criticism of where I am in my journey… and refocus my energy on God. My whole family (immediate family- meaning parents and siblings) are catholic- but practice to varying degrees. My parents and my sister are my biggest support systems with my faith- but even their practices are quite different. My sister, before moving to new Brunswick was living in BC and attending Latin masses. The more I study, the more I find that my faith is bowing in that direction. I can’t attend Latin masses here- there are none, but I wish I could. I am, although, very happy with my current church and my priests are extremely helpful- they are always honest and upfront with me. I may not always agree with everything that happens in my church- but I do recognise that I don’t know everything. What I don’t get- I don’t do, and just pray God sees my effort.
Getting advice from the 2 sources- i usually find myself somewhat in the middle- but leaning towards my sister’s practices a bit more. My thoughts are as long as the true presence is still found in our modern masses today- that it is still expected that I should attend… and my sister agrees. My parents, when retiring, took a post in the Yukon with an apostolate (through the catholic church). They are looking after a small parish in the Yukon and minister to the needs of the community while the priest can’t be there. Their beliefs are more modern, but I find no fault in anything they are doing- especially since it was ok’d by the catholic church. The longer they have been there, the more pious I see them becoming. They’ve had some pretty extraordinary things happen in the last few years… things that I have to take to mean they are headed in the right direction

 

[Joelle_M]

I know it is said that the Holy Spirit doesn’t yell, He whispers in our ears to guide us. Sometimes I wish He’d yell- and smack some sense into me though. I’m sick to death of struggling with doubts.

 

[Joelle_M]

Third, I think a major problem with the “Traditional” movement as a whole is that it attracts a lot of Protestant converts. These people want fundamentalism and a hard identity, not Catholicism per se. Williamson was an Anglican convert. The “geocentric” guys (can’t remember their names) are Protestant converts. St. Paul had it down pat when he warned against letting “new converts” become teachers of the Faith.

This really resonated with me. The guys’s words yesterday were extremely harsh- rude, condescending and insulting. I know he was a convert (he said as much)… the one word that kept popping up into my mind in our conversation was “protestant”. I kept my cool- and kept reminding him to be more humble- and to love his neighbors- but he always ignored me. It felt more as though I was speaking with a mean protestant (I’m not saying all protestants are mean). His words to me are that when Jesus said “Love thy neighbor”… He meant for us to love our fellow believers only and that we could be as rude as we want to be to the “others” because they are heretics who need to be woken up.

There was no love in his words. And i’ve always been taught that the Holy Spirit dwells in loving words and messages. If the message is angry and argumentative, it comes from the enemy.

My sister pointed out that the church is under attack- and anyone speaking words against our priests and the pope, is being led by satan. She said you’re either with the church, and trying to better it, or you’re on the other side trying to tear it down.

 

[CatholicRaven]

Keep loving God. The more we get to know Him, the easier it is to discern what He asks of us.

I know it is said that the Holy Spirit doesn’t yell, He whispers in our ears to guide us. Sometimes I wish He’d yell- and smack some sense into me though. I’m sick to death of struggling with doubts.

I know what you mean.

I don’t know if the Holy Spirit yells exactly… but I’ve been through the whispers and the more obvious signs–which usually hit when I already know what I’m supposed to do, if I’d listen, but I don’t want to. I’m procrastinating or avoiding doing what I should, and using, “I’m not sure that’s what God is saying” as an excuse–if I’d only admit it to myself. That’s usually when I get a “neon sign” and feel like I’ve been smacked upside the head with my own foolishness and unwillingness to listen.

So in my experience, getting some sense smacked in to you is very much a “grass is greener” scenario here… if/when you have it happen, you’ll realize it’s not a better way, just a different way.

We’re children, still learning right and wrong. We do our best, and that’s all that’s asked of us. We learn as we go, and we will make mistakes, but we also are given the Grace to get back up and try again. Thankfully, He is merciful (otherwise, I wouldn’t stand a chance)!