What are the benefits of remaining a faithful, practicing Catholic?

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Hey everyone. What are the benefits of remaining a faithful, practicing Catholic as opposed to a non-practicing, fallen away Catholic? I ask because I feel like if I knew, it would encourage me to stay faithful to the Catholic Church and I am often tempted to not stay faithful. I feel like it would encourage others as well.
 
Well, salvation is the biggest one obviously. If we know the Church is true, but willfully fall away, we will be lost.

But other than that, there’s the Eucharist, the source and summit of our Faith. If it is truly the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, how could we ever leave? If Christ, the creator and redeemer of the entire human race, goes to so much trouble to give himself as food for us, to be completely united to us in body and soul, even though we can do nothing for him or give him anything that he doesn’t already have, how could we ever turn that down and refuse him?

He didn’t have to do this. I mean really, the God of the entire universe not only became man and died for us, but then he goes and lets us eat him as food? It’s mind boggling. But that’s how much he loves us.

If we quit practicing, we are essentially rejecting that love - love we don’t even deserve in the first place - and telling God that something else is more important to us.
 
There’s chances to reduce or eliminate time in Purgatory.
 
All of the above and peace of mind and soul. A chance to help yourself and others grow in holiness and closer to the Lord.
 
When you are a faithful Catholic, you receive notable consolations from God in the Sacraments and prayer, and you will have a peace of heart which the sinner does not have.
 
If you believe the Catholic Church to be the Church established by Jesus as a way to order your life to His Will, there are great benefits to remaining faithful.
Forget heaven, purgatory hell and the eschatological issues for a minute and concentrate on your relationship with the Saviour. Do you love Him? Do you wish to follow His will for you in your life? Do you have that need to get closer to Him?
If yes, then what other way do you have than follow faithfully His church of sinners in their hard road to His mercy?
Chesterton said that Christianity was not tried and found wanting; it was found hard and not tried at all. I think we all have the feeling that we could let go and still call on His mercy at the end and He would forgive us. That is so as far as it goes. But what will you bring to the table? Sin? Forgiveness. More sin? I hope that He sees through those years and years we failed for the scraps of the little things He can wrap in His Sacrifice sufficent a present to put to His Father. For He is our Advocate. Why make His job any harder? Put something in to reflect the talents you have been given. That is the value of remaining a faithful, practicing Catholic. So He may recognise us on the Last Day and claim us before His Father.
If we love someone even in our weakness, do we not put our best foot forward and try to be there for them through thick and thin? So it must be with our greatest Lover.
 
Holly3278 said:
Hey everyone. What are the benefits of remaining a faithful, practicing Catholic as opposed to a non-practicing, fallen away Catholic? I ask because I feel like if I knew, it would encourage me to stay faithful to the Catholic Church and I am often tempted to not stay faithful. I feel like it would encourage others as well.
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Good advice from a good Catholic…
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.
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For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance… - 2 Timothy 4:1-12
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Holly3278 said:
Hey everyone. What are the benefits of remaining a faithful, practicing Catholic as opposed to a non-practicing, fallen away Catholic? I ask because I feel like if I knew, it would encourage me to stay faithful to the Catholic Church and I am often tempted to not stay faithful. I feel like it would encourage others as well.
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What are the benefits of being a non-practising, fallen away Catholic?

Loss of God’s grace?
Loss of friendship with God?
Loss of Truth, Salvation, and Life?

for the sake of

temporary pleasure, relaxation and self-absorption?

Do you assume you have years of comfortable living ahead of you?
Do you presume on God’s mercy at the last minute?

Your question poses another; Even in this life, lived without God, there are many circumstances which require us to suffer a little now for much greater benefits later. Would you always prefer instant gratification at the expense of future security and enjoyment?

I ask myself these questions whenever confronted with temptation… 😉
 
First, and foremost it would be eternal life and happiness in Heaven in union with our Creator. If someone fell away from the faith, then that person would most likely burn in hell for all eternity (even then we are not to determine if their soul is in hell or not). Temporarily speaking, the benefits you get here on earth are nothing compared to anything else in this life. By allowing Christ to live in us we bear the sufferings in this life with Christ. To try to meet the demands of the world creates an unbearable amount of suffering for us. But we must remember what Christ said:
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. (Mt. 11:28-30)
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. Also take to heart what St. John Vianney said:
I tell you that you have less to suffer in following the cross than serving the world and its pleasures.
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Pray the Rosary!!!
 
“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”

Love,
God
 
Holly3278 said:
Hey everyone. What are the benefits of remaining a faithful, practicing Catholic as opposed to a non-practicing, fallen away Catholic? I ask because I feel like if I knew, it would encourage me to stay faithful to the Catholic Church and I am often tempted to not stay faithful. I feel like it would encourage others as well.
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The faith grounds us. We easily take it all for granted but the Catholic faith claims to know something: that the very foundations of the universe are based on goodness and love-with purpose. Our lives aren’t futile or meaninglessness now, in this life-or following this life-it’s meaningfulness blossoms and extends into eternity.
 
If you are a faithful Catholic, how could you not know the benefits. Have you ever been away from the Church? Are you asking what will happen if you go away from your faith? I can tell you that there is nothing of value to your soul out there. Your light will start to dim. But this is not to say that there is nothing to be learned from questioning your current relationship with God, perhaps you are ready for a deeper level of understanding of God’s truths. Pray for a renewal. I will pray for you too. God Bless you and your family!
 
1ke said:
“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”

Love,
God
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:clapping:

Speaking of Life, I’ll piggyback by adding

"So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:53-54
 
Holly3278 said:
Hey everyone. What are the benefits of remaining a faithful, practicing Catholic as opposed to a non-practicing, fallen away Catholic? I ask because I feel like if I knew, it would encourage me to stay faithful to the Catholic Church and I am often tempted to not stay faithful. I feel like it would encourage others as well.
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True, it’s not easy to be a practicing Catholic.

However, what the secular world promises is fleeting. The world really does only satisfy temporarily. One needs to keep re-filling over and over with diminishing returns.

The Catholic Church offers the highest form of truth. When you practice, you also find a sense of peace that is not fleeting. Perhaps it comes at a cost, however in the end the world cannot bring you peace and salvation.
 
Hey Holly,

Let me give you some different sorts of reasons. All the other replies were giving you religious reasons, but in those moments when you’re doubting, the religious reasons are less likely to be convincing. If you’re wondering whether it’s true, being told why if it’s true you should stay isn’t going to help. Here are some non-religious reasons:
  1. It’s psychologically hard to rebuild your whole view. Really, do you want to do that?
  2. Religious people are happier. The research is pretty clear on this.
  3. You lose your community. If you really drill down into, most secular people don’t have the sort of built in community that comes from being a member in a church. You will probably also have issues with your family. Do you really want to lose that connection to your family members?
  4. It grounds your morals. Most secular people are moral too, but in moments when it’s hard, it’s good to have an extra push.
  5. Religious people are much more likely to have friends from lower socio-economic classes. Probably because of mixing at church. That also serves a great way to ground your perspective.
  6. In moments of despair, even secular people will often pray to God. But you know it has to be of scant comfort to them. If you try to hold onto your beliefs, they will comfort you more at those times.
  7. Sunday Mass is a great escape from the world. Many people complain that they’re bored there (think almost every teenage ever), but even if you don’t believe, you can look at as one hour a week in which you can step back from the turmoil of the world and ponder the big questions. Really, why would you want to do without it?
All that said, these are only reasons to get you through a crisis. In the long run, if you don’t believe, you aren’t going to stay around even if all the research suggests you’d be happier if you could just believe. But maybe these are reasons to convince a temporarily doubting mind to hold off just a while longer until the Faith returns.

God bless.
 
Holly3278 said:
Hey everyone. What are the benefits of remaining a faithful, practicing Catholic as opposed to a non-practicing, fallen away Catholic? I ask because I feel like if I knew, it would encourage me to stay faithful to the Catholic Church and I am often tempted to not stay faithful. I feel like it would encourage others as well.
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Looking at this positively

here’s just 2 of my favorite selections.

(all emphasis mine)

**1 Cor 9: 24 **Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; 27 but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

**2 Tim 4: **4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. 5 As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.
6 For I am already on the point of being sacrificed;a] the time of my departure has come. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day,

Jesus established ONE Church. Outside of which there is no salvation
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