What do you do when...?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kettle
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
K

kettle

Guest
A little backstory first…

I’ve been “searching for home” my whole life. It’s taken me a long time to finally see where I’m going, and now that I know where I want to be, I am so HAPPY!!! 😃 My husband and I are in RCIA, and I’m in the beginning stages of the annulment process, and life feels good.

With that said…

It seems like, all of a sudden, there are so many things “popping up” to discourage me or get in the way. Just to give you a small sampling of what it’s been like since late June:
  1. I got Strep Throat and had to miss Mass and RCIA.
  2. A week later, I was diagnosed with Mono (at 35 years old!) :eek: and missed RCIA and Mass again because I was so sick.
  3. The church I was baptized in as an infant FINALLY returned the phone call to Sister (Sister said she’d try on my behalf, since they wouldn’t return my calls!) and told her that they could not find any record of my baptizm! :eek: (I know when and where I was baptized, and so does my mother. We were there! :rolleyes: LOL)
… and this is just a small sample. :rolleyes:

So, my question to you is this: Is there a particular prayer you say? Or do you have a special Saint that you might ask for help when it seems like you’re up against the impossible? I mean, I know God is in charge and He knows my heart’s sincerity. I trust Him and I very much believe that everything will be ok. 🙂 It just seems like something is trying to stop me or discourage me from coming home, and I’d just really be grateful if you’d share what you’d do (or have done) to help you get through a rough spot! 🙂

Thank you.
 
St Jude Thaddeus the Apostle and St Rita are well-known as patron saints invoked in particularly difficult or even impossible situations.
 
Sounds like a battle to me. “St. Michael the archangel, defend us in battle…”
 
Kettle,
I feel for your situation! Since January our lives have been filled with turmoil, joy, turmoil, joy, turmoil…so I understand. I reverted to the church about 5 years ago, but just decided 14 months ago to never miss mass if I could help it. I pray the morning and evening offices daily, along with the Rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet. If it weren’t for doing these things, I’m sure it would have been a much more difficult time dealing with the earth shaking difficulties my wife and I have been dealing with this year. Through the Rosary I have been able to begin meditating on the mysteries, and through this, I have found such peace! I would suggest finding a daily time to meditate and pray in the quiet and peace. Fr. Anthony Delisi of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit has written a book called “Praying in the Cellar” which was a great help too.
Things do “pop up” but God is much bigger than the popups! As far as your baptismal cert., I’m sure you aren’t the first to have this situation, so I’m sure there is a remedy.
Blessing and Peace upon you,
Kevin

The Voice of Truth tells me a different story…
 
kettle said:
A little backstory first…

I’ve been “searching for home” my whole life. It’s taken me a long time to finally see where I’m going, and now that I know where I want to be, I am so HAPPY!!! 😃 My husband and I are in RCIA, and I’m in the beginning stages of the annulment process, and life feels good.

With that said…

It seems like, all of a sudden, there are so many things “popping up” to discourage me or get in the way. Just to give you a small sampling of what it’s been like since late June:
  1. I got Strep Throat and had to miss Mass and RCIA.
  2. A week later, I was diagnosed with Mono (at 35 years old!) :eek: and missed RCIA and Mass again because I was so sick.
  3. The church I was baptized in as an infant FINALLY returned the phone call to Sister (Sister said she’d try on my behalf, since they wouldn’t return my calls!) and told her that they could not find any record of my baptizm! :eek: (I know when and where I was baptized, and so does my mother. We were there! :rolleyes: LOL)
… and this is just a small sample. :rolleyes:

So, my question to you is this: Is there a particular prayer you say? Or do you have a special Saint that you might ask for help when it seems like you’re up against the impossible? I mean, I know God is in charge and He knows my heart’s sincerity. I trust Him and I very much believe that everything will be ok. 🙂 It just seems like something is trying to stop me or discourage me from coming home, and I’d just really be grateful if you’d share what you’d do (or have done) to help you get through a rough spot! 🙂

Thank you.
Click to expand...
Get this little Book: Here is the online version
angelfire.com/ca3/rafaelmarie/ThePieta/athepieta.html
catholicbooksonline.org/item.asp?PID=294
 
I firmly believe that as you draw ever closer to our Lord, the evil foe will throw all kinds of obstacles in our way. I have used St. Jude and St. Rita for impossible causes, but St. Michael is the best defender against Satan. I will pray for you.
 
kettle said:
  1. The church I was baptized in as an infant FINALLY returned the phone call to Sister (Sister said she’d try on my behalf, since they wouldn’t return my calls!) and told her that they could not find any record of my baptizm! :eek: (I know when and where I was baptized, and so does my mother. We were there! :rolleyes: LOL)
    .
Click to expand...
No problem. Tell the Priest your situation, and ask for a CONDITIONAL Baptism. To be done as soon as possable, and quite seperately from the catecumans.

It should be a private ceremony, you, priest, and a witness or two. The Priest will say something along the lines of “If you have not been previously baptised, I baptise you in the name of The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”
 
St. Jude, yes certainly:D I started a novena two nights ago upon starting RCIA, as I am faced with a disaproving family, and when my soon to be former church finds out…oh brother 😦 . I am pretty much alone in facing my journey, aside from my fellow candidates.
 
I understand that loneliness. Sometimes it helps to think of Mary holding my hand and leading me to Jesus, her Son.
 
Just before Easter I started getting very nervous and saw what could be ‘signs’ not to get Confirmed. Someone on these forums had posted a thread to all of us in RCIA, saying don’t give up, we’re almost home, and that to expect some hard blows against our faith as the devil’s last chance to prevent us from entering The Church. That person was influenced by Our Lord or something because I remember quite a few of us responding and saying that it was just what we needed to hear.

So: Don’t give up! You’re almost home! Expect some hard blows against your faith - it’s The Devil throwing things up to prevent you from the Truth! 👍 (he’s just started a little earlier on you)
 
Prayer is very strong.
Keep praying.
I just said a prayer for you too. 🙂 🙂

Kathrin
 
kettle said:
A little backstory first…
  1. I got Strep Throat and had to miss Mass and RCIA.
  2. A week later, I was diagnosed with Mono (at 35 years old!) :eek: and missed RCIA and Mass again because I was so sick.
Click to expand...
I don’t mean to downplay your struggles at all, just so you know, BUT a side note: Mono is often misdiagnosed as Strep because it takes longer to get a mono test result than it does for strep. And the symptoms are much the same for the beginning stages of Mono. That was just a fun fact for anyone with kids. :o
 
Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply to me and to pray for me. ❤️ I bought a St. Jude chaplet today, and can’t wait for it to arrive in the mail.
kedera said:
St. Jude, yes certainly:D I started a novena two nights ago upon starting RCIA, as I am faced with a disaproving family, and when my soon to be former church finds out…oh brother 😦 . I am pretty much alone in facing my journey, aside from my fellow candidates.
Click to expand...
You’re not alone. You have a whole entire family in the Church (and those of us who are also on our way home!) who are with you all the way. :grouphug:

Thanks again, everyone. 🙂
 
thanks for the prayers, it provides consolation that I have folks praying for me :hug1:
 
If you bring them a picture from your baptism, perhaps they will write you a certificate. That’s what the Catholic churches offerred to do when we were struggling to find my husband’s baptismal record.

Remember that suffering is gift from God, designed to bring you closer to Him. Remember Christ and the cross, and embrace your crosses. No matter what happens, it will be worth it in the end when you receive the Sacraments.

I go to Mass and Adoration very frequently when I am struggling. If you get to sick for that, maybe reading the Book of Job or the Gospels. I personally like to read stories about the martyrs and Saints, because what they went through is so much worse than the things I go through.
 
Thanks phoenix and OneAugustKnight! ❤️

Sister called me and told me that I’d need a notarized statement from my mother, affirming my Baptism and the approximate date in which it occurred. We lost all but a few family pictures in a flood in 1993, so those pictures don’t even exist anymore. Both of my godparents (my aunt and uncle) are deceased, so it’s just my mom who can vouch for my Baptism at this point. Sister said that, based on the circumstances, the diocese said that a notarized statement would be sufficient. So that is definitely GOOD news!!! 😃
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top