What do you do with your life if you are a catholic?

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shinytoy

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hi guys.

im new to this forum. im catholic, 25 years old from the UK. i did the RCIA when i was 18 and am the only catholic that i know under the age of about 50.

anyhow. i have thought about this a long time. i very much love the Lord. i have since converted 2 other people to the Faith. I often attend EF mass. and obviously i do belive in the Lord’s Word.

but i am not sure what the consequence is of being catholic.

what does the Lord require of us other than not to sin, and to try to convert others? i mean, does the Lord require us to learn loads of knowledge, learn Latin, learn church history, study theology and have great knowledge about Him?
or does the Lord require us to sing in fine voices, create beautiful art and speak wonderful things to convert as many others as possible?
or does the Lord need us to serve others with our lives, and if this is the case then why dont we all work for charities, as doctors, nurses, teachers? why are there catholic plumbers or bankers if the main purpose is to serve the Lord and serve others?

what im getting at is, if you love the Lord, how comes is your whole life and vocation not aimed at the Lords works? if i have any free time does the Lord require me to use it all in prayer, singing in Latin, and evangalising or charitable works? if not, then what is the purpose of life?
 
I’m 25 and I spend my life going to school full time. I was baptized as an infant and grew up in a lukewarm Catholic family. Now I’m left to pick up the pieces, so I do spend time on the internet reading and listening to sermons on moral theology. Right now I have the priviledge to attend an FSSP priest’s TLM who gives long informative sermons, which gives me something to go on for the rest of the week to study. I don’t actively try to convery people, as I find I’m not properly taught to do that, and I would do more harm than good,

Have you considered the Spiritual and Corporal Acts of Mercy? I know Catholics are asked to do those.

The Corporal Acts of Mercy are:

To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy are:

To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.
 
Love_Divine said:
I’m 25 and I spend my life going to school full time. I was baptized as an infant and grew up in a lukewarm Catholic family. Now I’m left to pick up the pieces, so I do spend time on the internet reading and listening to sermons on moral theology. Right now I have the priviledge to attend an FSSP priest’s TLM who gives long informative sermons, which gives me something to go on for the rest of the week to study. I don’t actively try to convery people, as I find I’m not properly taught to do that, and I would do more harm than good,

Have you considered the Spiritual and Corporal Acts of Mercy? I know Catholics are asked to do those.

The Corporal Acts of Mercy are:

To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy are:

To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.
Click to expand...
oooh yippeeee! for some reason i thought i would be the youngest on this forum and that everyone owuld be like 40-60.

thanks. but if this is required, then why dont ALL catholics spend ALL their lives doing charitable works? why dont all catholics spend all their lives only studying stuff at uni like theology? why even go uni if you are to spend all your life in prayer and charity? isnt the natural consequence of beliving in prayer and charity to become a monk or nun? so why isnt this everyones calling? what is the purpose of life?
 
*We are all called to different ministries in the church. Perhaps praying and listening you will be able to discern your calling.

PTL Blue.*
 
shinytoy said:
hi guys.

im new to this forum. im catholic, 25 years old from the UK. i did the RCIA when i was 18 and am the only catholic that i know under the age of about 50.

anyhow. i have thought about this a long time. i very much love the Lord. i have since converted 2 other people to the Faith. I often attend EF mass. and obviously i do belive in the Lord’s Word.

but i am not sure what the consequence is of being catholic.

what does the Lord require of us other than not to sin, and to try to convert others? i mean, does the Lord require us to learn loads of knowledge, learn Latin, learn church history, study theology and have great knowledge about Him?
or does the Lord require us to sing in fine voices, create beautiful art and speak wonderful things to convert as many others as possible?
or does the Lord need us to serve others with our lives, and if this is the case then why dont we all work for charities, as doctors, nurses, teachers? why are there catholic plumbers or bankers if the main purpose is to serve the Lord and serve others?

what im getting at is, if you love the Lord, how comes is your whole life and vocation not aimed at the Lords works? if i have any free time does the Lord require me to use it all in prayer, singing in Latin, and evangalising or charitable works? if not, then what is the purpose of life?
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum!

God gives each of us talents, sometimes they are obvious, sometimes not. My vocation is to be a wife and a mother. Discerning your vocation is important, but do not think that every person must devote their life to prayer and preaching. We need priests and deacons, but we also need volunteer religious education teachers, moms to work in the nursery, doctors and dentists to work in the free clinics, etc.

It is wonderful to see a young person who loves the Lord. Perhaps you are called to religious life? I encourage you to spend time in Adoration of the Body of Christ.

God Bless
 
Bloom where you’re planted. God put you where you are for a reason. You can serve Him in everything you do.

When you first are converted exuberance is great. After time it becomes less wild and all- consuming. When I first really turned to Christ I experienced great joy. All I could think about was God and how to serve Him in the Church. I tried to work on ways that I could serve the Churrch. I studied theology and worked on improving my musical talents to name two obvious ways. The Lord put insurmountable obstacles in my way in both instances. I stepped back and realized that what God really wants from me is to take care of my immediate family.( There are specifics, but no need to go on about them,.)The things I was trying to do to serve God were actually taking me away from what I needed to do - to live my my vocation as wife, mother, daughter, etc.
 
shinytoy said:
oooh yippeeee! for some reason i thought i would be the youngest on this forum and that everyone owuld be like 40-60.

thanks. but if this is required, then why dont ALL catholics spend ALL their lives doing charitable works? why dont all catholics spend all their lives only studying stuff at uni like theology? why even go uni if you are to spend all your life in prayer and charity? isnt the natural consequence of beliving in prayer and charity to become a monk or nun? so why isnt this everyones calling? what is the purpose of life?
Click to expand...
Each person is unique and is called for a particular purpose. What was Mary’s purpose? What was Paul’s purpose? Peter’s? Mother Theresa’s? We have a whole lot of examples to follow but how we follow may not be obvious. We are asked to love God and be open to His direction.

Pro 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

Pray and listen to the Holy Spirit. He will direct you.

Oh and remember, inside of every person there is a younger person. I still feel like a teenager even though I am a little older than that (64+ But don’t tell anyone.)
 
The catholic life is a life of prayer( 7 times per day LOTH). The mass is the pinnacle of prayer. the Eucharist is the pinnacle of the mass.

peace
 
It is good you are so fired up and inspired! I’m 27, and I’m doing my best to try to be a good follower of Christ as well.

I can’t answer all your questions, but I can answer some of them. I know some Catholics are plumbers, bankers, ect instead of all of us being full time university students studying theology, or all monks and nuns. I’m a customer service rep, for example.

Some people have to support a family! I’m getting married next month, and I need to have the means to support myself, my future wife, and future children. I have to try to supply them with the best resources and education I can, so the new souls I help usher into the world will have everything they need (and more!) to thrive and be healthy in this world…to aid in their development mentally, physically, and (most important) spiritually. If I dedicated all my spare time to theology studies or asceticism, I would not be able to do this.

God calls each of us to different paths in life. Some of us are called to be soldiers, or policemen, or customer service reps. We must fulfill our duties as if we were serving Christ, no matter what position we are in. It helps us see Christ in each other, in the seemingly mundane tasks of everyday life, and this helps us grow and know God better. God is everywhere, all around us, and in each other, and can be experienced in such…not just in religious studies or church history (needless to say, those are very interesting and important areas of knowledge!).

However, if you feel inspired to do something more, or to serve Christ in a deeper way, why not consider the religious life? It’s a very noble thing!
 
larsenl1 said:
Welcome to the forum!

God gives each of us talents, sometimes they are obvious, sometimes not. My vocation is to be a wife and a mother. Discerning your vocation is important, but do not think that every person must devote their life to prayer and preaching. We need priests and deacons, but we also need volunteer religious education teachers, moms to work in the nursery, doctors and dentists to work in the free clinics, etc.

It is wonderful to see a young person who loves the Lord. Perhaps you are called to religious life? I encourage you to spend time in Adoration of the Body of Christ.

God Bless
Click to expand...
thanks! i love spending time in the Adoration. for a few days i fasted and prayed because at that time everyone was getting married o living with their boyfriends and i was the only catholic that i knew. i was very lonely . so i said to the Lord, i have alot of lust, but apart from that i am cool if You want me to do your will with my life and devote it to healthcare in teh third world or something. but i want to knwo what to do. so i asked to Lord to help me discern my vocation. and the Lord said to me, your vocation is NOW. you are already your vocation. everything you do is already your vocation because your life is your vocation. then i understood that day to day what you do is part of that vocation. but i cant help thinging that people in office jobs arent really serving the Lord in their day to day lives.

also somehow i look about the church and see loads of women all overweight and boring looking nursing small babies and wearing veils. now thats great and everything. but whats the point? why are they having babies and devoting their life to new lives, when they can help those that are already here? what about all those kids that need adopting or fostering? being a mom seems a waste of life. so what. you raise babies that you created. that doesnt help anyone but yourself.
Hecares said:
Bloom where you’re planted. God put you where you are for a reason. You can serve Him in everything you do.

When you first are converted exuberance is great. After time it becomes less wild and all- consuming. When I first really turned to Christ I experienced great joy. All I could think about was God and how to serve Him in the Church. I tried to work on ways that I could serve the Churrch. I studied theology and worked on improving my musical talents to name two obvious ways. The Lord put insurmountable obstacles in my way in both instances. I stepped back and realized that what God really wants from me is to take care of my immediate family.( There are specifics, but no need to go on about them,.)The things I was trying to do to serve God were actually taking me away from what I needed to do - to live my my vocation as wife, mother, daughter, etc.
Click to expand...
i dunno mate i converted 7 years ago. i have no family and no catholic friends or boyfirneds. which is why i need to figureout how best to serve the Lord.

but my question is, why are there catholics working in offices or as secretaries. if the Lord is the Truth, that is the most importatn thing in life, so you should devote all your life to serving HIm
 
Garyjohn2 said:
It is good you are so fired up and inspired! I’m 27, and I’m doing my best to try to be a good follower of Christ as well.

I can’t answer all your questions, but I can answer some of them. I know some Catholics are plumbers, bankers, ect instead of all of us being full time university students studying theology, or all monks and nuns. I’m a customer service rep, for example.

Some people have to support a family! I’m getting married next month, and I need to have the means to support myself, my future wife, and future children. I have to try to supply them with the best resources and education I can, so the new souls I help usher into the world will have everything they need (and more!) to thrive and be healthy in this world…to aid in their development mentally, physically, and (most important) spiritually. If I dedicated all my spare time to theology studies or asceticism, I would not be able to do this.

God calls each of us to different paths in life. Some of us are called to be soldiers, or policemen, or customer service reps. We must fulfill our duties as if we were serving Christ, no matter what position we are in. It helps us see Christ in each other, in the seemingly mundane tasks of everyday life, and this helps us grow and know God better. God is everywhere, all around us, and in each other…not just in religious studies or church history (needless to say, those are very interesting and important areas of knowledge!).

However, if you feel inspired to do something more, or to serve Christ in a deeper way, why not consider the religious life? It’s a very noble thing!
Click to expand...
i have considered religous life - since i have grown in faith by myself with no catholic family relatives or friends, i am accustomed to being alone in the faith. but i dont see how being enclosed in a monastry/convent is helpful to God.

i am deciding between studing finance which will hep my career OR not studying finance and instead using my spare time to study Gregorian Chant and Latin. it is an either/or as i dont have time to do both well. any help?
 
shinytoy said:
but whats the point? why are they having babies and devoting their life to new lives, when they can help those that are already here? what about all those kids that need adopting or fostering? being a mom seems a waste of life. so what. you raise babies that you created. that doesnt help anyone but yourself.
Click to expand...
What is a baby? It is a soul, brought into this world, to be start its journey of being perfected…for the glory of God. Imagine the rejoice of the angels when another body dies, and another soul enters the pearly gates. Imagine the rejoicing when 100 souls are brought into the glorious presence of God. Now imagine the jubilation of all the heavenly beings when 6 or 7 billion souls enter the afterlife, and are transformed into radiance, all praising God for what He has done.

That is the purpose of babies. The more the better. 🙂

Also, there is no greater love than to give up your life for a friend. Parenting is the ultimate sacrifice, dedicating your life to another who depends on you. It is the ultimate love. This pleases God.
 
shinytoy said:
oooh yippeeee! for some reason i thought i would be the youngest on this forum and that everyone owuld be like 40-60.

thanks. but if this is required, then why dont ALL catholics spend ALL their lives doing charitable works? why dont all catholics spend all their lives only studying stuff at uni like theology? why even go uni if you are to spend all your life in prayer and charity? isnt the natural consequence of beliving in prayer and charity to become a monk or nun? so why isnt this everyones calling? what is the purpose of life?
Click to expand...
We are supposed to live for the Lord and people do that in different ways. Many Catholics I know are involved in helping others by being part of different charities. Others are professionals who work for the glory of God. Basically, it means that what you do is always directed to the building of God’s kingdom. Some people go out and evangelise, others do not have that gift but evangelise in a deifferent way just by living their faith.

So if you feel you are called to live your faith in ways you have described, definitely do that. You will meet all sorts of faithful Catholics of all ages who contribute in their own, unique way.
 
shinytoy said:
i have considered religous life - since i have grown in faith by myself with no catholic family relatives or friends, i am accustomed to being alone in the faith. but i dont see how being enclosed in a monastry/convent is helpful to God.

i am deciding between studing finance which will hep my career OR not studying finance and instead using my spare time to study Gregorian Chant and Latin. it is an either/or as i dont have time to do both well. any help?
Click to expand...
Well, since you are young, I’d recommend studying finance (and using that knowledge in a God-pleasing way…whatever that may be) and studying Gregorian Chant and Latin as a kind of hobby. You have all your life to learn those things, but the best time to learn professional skills is when you are younger.

Just my 2 cents! 🙂
 
" He has shown thee, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of thee: to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God."

“Hear Oh Israel, the Lord your God is oneand is Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with All your strength and with all your might…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
 
If you want to grow in your love of God and your relationship with him through Jesus Christ and his Holy Church, read the writings of the saints who have gone before us. I would recommend (as Pope Benedict XVI just did recently) that you start with Ste-Therese of Lisieux and her “Little Way.” Her book, “Story of a Soul” is widely available. You can even find it on Amazon.co.uk.
 
raaucoin said:
" He has shown thee, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of thee: to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God."

“Hear Oh Israel, the Lord your God is oneand is Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with All your strength and with all your might…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Click to expand...
my point is, so what if you love the Lord? in society what is the difference between:

Mr A, a good guy who is kind to people and likes animals, but is atheist and lives with his girlfriend of 3 years who he loves, and is kind of pro choice and beilives in homosexual rights, and uses The Pill. he doesnt observe any sacraments and doesnt want to get married.

and

Mr B, a good guy who is kind to people and animals and is catholic.

the things which distinguish the two are very minor. surely there should be a bigger difference between the non beliver and the beliecver??
 
shinytoy said:
thanks! i love spending time in the Adoration. for a few days i fasted and prayed because at that time everyone was getting married o living with their boyfriends and i was the only catholic that i knew. i was very lonely . so i said to the Lord, i have alot of lust, but apart from that i am cool if You want me to do your will with my life and devote it to healthcare in teh third world or something. but i want to knwo what to do. so i asked to Lord to help me discern my vocation. and the Lord said to me, your vocation is NOW. you are already your vocation. everything you do is already your vocation because your life is your vocation. then i understood that day to day what you do is part of that vocation. but i cant help thinging that people in office jobs arent really serving the Lord in their day to day lives.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you need to look into Opus Dei. I believe that it might be able to answer some of your questions. Especially the ones about serving God in ordinary life. Just as the Lord told you in answer to your questions.

Here is the YouTube Channel for Opus Dei… there are many video’s for you to look over.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Peace
James
 
shinytoy said:
my point is, so what if you love the Lord? in society what is the difference between:

Mr A, a good guy who is kind to people and likes animals, but is atheist and lives with his girlfriend of 3 years who he loves, and is kind of pro choice and beilives in homosexual rights, and uses The Pill. he doesnt observe any sacraments and doesnt want to get married.

and

Mr B, a good guy who is kind to people and animals and is catholic.

the things which distinguish the two are very minor. surely there should be a bigger difference between the non beliver and the beliecver??
Click to expand...
Indeed on the outside tehre might be little to tell the difference. However on the inside there is great difference. The Believer, the Catholic, lives in hope of the Resurrection. The atheist in the dispair of ultimate annilation. He may not seem in dispair, but he has accepted his own death and destruction because he refuses to believe in hope.
The other matters of morality or immorality pale before this basic difference.

Peace
James
 
shinytoy said:
also somehow i look about the church and see loads of women all overweight and boring looking nursing small babies and wearing veils. now thats great and everything. but whats the point? why are they having babies and devoting their life to new lives, when they can help those that are already here? what about all those kids that need adopting or fostering? being a mom seems a waste of life. so what. you raise babies that you created. that doesnt help anyone but yourself.
Click to expand...
Most people are called to be married and have children. Being a mom is a “waste of life”? You comments here are rather rude. Are dads a waste of life too?

Why is it that you don’t think someone in an office job is not serving God or others? All kinds of roles are needed in order for society to function. Do you have a bank account? Have you gone to school? Do you buy groceries? Do you have electricity and water? All of these things require administrative support. As Catholics, we do whatever it is we are called to do and try to do it well, and in the spirit of service to others.
 
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