What gives you faith?

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allegrodonfuoco

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Hello! This is my first post on this forum, so I hope I do this correctly (and I apologize if this is not in the right sub-forum… I didn’t know where to post it).

I’m currently exploring the christian faith (specifically catholicism) and would like to know people’s personal stories/experiences that helped them to believe or continue to believe.

A little history about me… I was raised in church (mostly Lutheran, although I attended a baptist church with friends in high school). We attended church regularly, but religion wasn’t a big part of our lives outside of church (not a lot of discussion at home…). Looking back, I don’t think religion ever really “took” for me. I just sort of went with the flow. In college I stopped believing (or perhaps acknowledged that I never really believed to start with). My attitude in general was that while the thought of a God was appealing, I didn’t see any evidence and I had never had a subjective experience that made the presence of God known to me. As I’ve gotten older (I’m 30 now), I’ve been looking more into religion and I feel like it is something that I want in my life.

I recognize that there are aspects of the human experience which are not explained by science or objectively observable facts. I am a classical musician, and I recognize that while music theory and other “academic” fields of music can explain much about music, they are ultimately inadequate exploring the way it effects one’s soul (and I do believe that music effects the soul). From this fact (along with other experiences in my life), I recognize that there are valid aspects of life that cannot be “proven” with science or physical evidence. I’m not satisfied to just explain the effects of music in terms of neurotransmitters and sound waves… I know there is something more to it, and I believe this is also true of our spiritual lives. After much soul searching I’ve become able to acknowledge this fact openly.

I’m particularly drawn to Catholicism from what I’ve learned about it (although that’s not the primary point of this post). Logically, it all makes sense as a philosophical system and is very appealing to me. Intuitively however, I’m still looking for that “a-ha” moment when I FEEL god’s presence, not just assume it intellectually.

I’ve been reading the bible and reading a lot about catholic history and beliefs/practices. I haven’t prayed yet, although I’m interested in using this as a tool to find God (I just want to avoid being like “hey God… if you’re up there give me a sign”. I feel that’s insulting). I’m looking for ways to make myself more receptive to God in hopes that my “aha” moment will come.

I guess my main question, then, is what kind of things have other’s done to help them find their aha moment. I’m not looking for a one-size-fits-all answer. I know this doesn’t exist. However, I hope that other people’s experiences might give me some hints of ways I can open myself up and be receptive to feeling God’s presence.

I know this is a massive question (and longwinded…). I would appreciate any personal experiences or advice you might be willing to share.

Don
 
"I just want to avoid being like “hey God… if you’re up there give me a sign”. There’s nothing wrong with asking God to reveal himself. The Lord knows everything about you. He knows you are searching. He’s waiting for you to invite Him in. (“Behold, I stand at the gate and knock. If any man shall hear my voice and open to me the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him: and he with me”) If you are sincere, tell Him that you are ready to give yourself to Him. Ask Him to help you with your faith, ask the Holy Spirit for illumination. After all, the scriptures say “Ask and you shall receive” and “You have not, because you ask not”

Faith doesn’t just come from nothing, it’s a gift that the Heavenly Father gives to us. (“Jesus says to [the disciples]: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: You are Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering said to him: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven”) Matthew didn’t elaborate on why God chose Peter to receive this revelation. Maybe Peter prayed for this knowledge. I could picture Peter in one of his private moments asking God, “who is this guy who raises the dead?” 😃

My own personal story is like yours, exactly. Except substitute “Catholic” for “Lutheran”. I searched all over, even looked at Wicca (I’m so glad I didn’t go there!) and eventually came to the conclusion that there probably is no God. Or at least, no God for me. Until one day, I took a tour of a haunted house. No kidding. The Whaley House, in San Diego. That house is absolutely haunted. It’s on the Department of Commerce’s list of “authenticated ghost houses”. I walked through a cold spot just like you see in movies. I took a picture of a mysterious greenish fog in the shape of a ball hovering in the air. When I got that picture back from the developer, I was quite amazed and disturbed. Just the thought that there could be something unseen out there was really rocking my agnostic world. I went to bed that night thinking that there just might really be a God out there, after all. That photo I took was just the kick in the pants I needed to open myself to the possibility, the probability, of the reality of God. The next day, my aunt called and asked me if I wanted to go to church with her. This was the first and only time she had ever done that. We weren’t even close. She just called out of the blue. I went to church with her and accepted Jesus right then. I was ready. The workings of God in my life couldn’t have been more obvious. He knew that I wanted to know Him, and He cleared a path in a way I could understand and believe. I’m a science major. We are very hard-headed about faith in the unseen. We need to be kicked in the pants by something more dramatic than just other people’s testimonies about the warm-fuzzies they get when they think about Jesus. We need things like photos of ghosts! God works in mysterious ways! Indeed!
 
What first intrigued about the faith was reading the histories of some of the Saints, Padre Pio in particular. Later I had the opportunity to meet a living Saint, an Athonite monk of the Eastern Orthodox Church, I was very impresssed with both his piety and his spirituality. The fact that miracles occured around him didn’t hurt either. Lately I have been studying the various Marian apparitions. Other than these things I would say that nature also inspires me quite a bit, it is a wondrous creation.
 
ill second that 😃 padre pio definitely gave me greater faith, and i highly recomend you read about him. also perhaps you should try a book called “Rome Sweet Rome” by scott Hahn. that is what brought my dad into the faith. it answers your questions about Catholicism and is really a good read. or perhaps if you even struggle with the existence of God, get scott hahns book, “Reasons to believe” it shows why the Catholic Church is the true Church and religion. he starts out by showing how we know there is a God, and then moves on to protestantism and so on and builds up to the Church. both good books.
 
Gosh - I wish I could give you a quick and simple answer to this but while the answer IS simple, it cannot be expressed simply…

Lets see…

What gives me faith is - in a sense - hope - What reinforces both my faith and my hope is Love - Agape in the Greek - a deep profound “Brotherly Love” (as distinct from romantic love).
It is really Love that is at the root of our faith and our hope - our very being as Christians.

As to my own journey…I was raised Catholic but drifted away at 18 and while I never denied the existence of God, there were many times when I simply forgot about Him, or ignored Him, or - as is so common - figured that He would never condemn ME…no matter how self centered and egotistical (deeply sinful) I was in my life.

But over time, I began to be drawn back. Things in life did not satisfy. There had to be more…
As I began to read and to discover the basic Truth of Love - as I point out above - so many things began to fall into place. Then the Mass - the Eucharist began to call me. The pinnacle of Love and the point where we touch God and God touches us…Body Blood Soul and Divinity. I hungered to come home.
Unfortunately I had done things in my life that created obstacles - obstacles that took some years to overcome.
But when the obstacles were overcome and I returned to the Eucharist - I knew I was home…I KNEW it…

I have to say that there was a HUGE amount of things in and about the Church that still troubled me. Teachings I had yet to embrace and things abut my past that I had yet to fully come to grips with.
But it was Love - God’s grace in us - that lifted me up and carried me forward.

I could never express this Love better than St Paul did in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, but for me, that core - that Love speaks to that which is the very creative force of God for it IS God (1 John 4:7-8). Love creates, it never destroys. It builds up, never tears down.
So - it is God’s Love that gives me faith…

Peace
James
 
What gives me faith? The inner workings of the Holy Spirit.
 
What gives me faith?

I am a former atheist and the seed of faith, was given to me as a gift from God. I had to nurture it through educating myself on the what the Church teaches and through constant prayer. Everyday life can also be used to make faith grow.
 
allegrodonfuoco said:
Hello! This is my first post on this forum, so I hope I do this correctly (and I apologize if this is not in the right sub-forum… I didn’t know where to post it).

I’m currently exploring the christian faith (specifically catholicism) and would like to know people’s personal stories/experiences that helped them to believe or continue to believe.

A little history about me… I was raised in church (mostly Lutheran, although I attended a baptist church with friends in high school). We attended church regularly, but religion wasn’t a big part of our lives outside of church (not a lot of discussion at home…). Looking back, I don’t think religion ever really “took” for me. I just sort of went with the flow. In college I stopped believing (or perhaps acknowledged that I never really believed to start with). My attitude in general was that while the thought of a God was appealing, I didn’t see any evidence and I had never had a subjective experience that made the presence of God known to me. As I’ve gotten older (I’m 30 now), I’ve been looking more into religion and I feel like it is something that I want in my life.

I recognize that there are aspects of the human experience which are not explained by science or objectively observable facts. I am a classical musician, and I recognize that while music theory and other “academic” fields of music can explain much about music, they are ultimately inadequate exploring the way it effects one’s soul (and I do believe that music effects the soul). From this fact (along with other experiences in my life), I recognize that there are valid aspects of life that cannot be “proven” with science or physical evidence. I’m not satisfied to just explain the effects of music in terms of neurotransmitters and sound waves… I know there is something more to it, and I believe this is also true of our spiritual lives. After much soul searching I’ve become able to acknowledge this fact openly.

I’m particularly drawn to Catholicism from what I’ve learned about it (although that’s not the primary point of this post). Logically, it all makes sense as a philosophical system and is very appealing to me. Intuitively however, I’m still looking for that “a-ha” moment when I FEEL god’s presence, not just assume it intellectually.

I’ve been reading the bible and reading a lot about catholic history and beliefs/practices. I haven’t prayed yet, although I’m interested in using this as a tool to find God (I just want to avoid being like “hey God… if you’re up there give me a sign”. I feel that’s insulting). I’m looking for ways to make myself more receptive to God in hopes that my “aha” moment will come.

I guess my main question, then, is what kind of things have other’s done to help them find their aha moment. I’m not looking for a one-size-fits-all answer. I know this doesn’t exist. However, I hope that other people’s experiences might give me some hints of ways I can open myself up and be receptive to feeling God’s presence.

I know this is a massive question (and longwinded…). I would appreciate any personal experiences or advice you might be willing to share.

Don
Click to expand...
God’s perfect Love for everyone.
and that He chose to be born in a manger ( :

merry Christmas
God bless You sir (hopefully you are a sir)
 
allegrodonfuoco said:
Hello! This is my first post on this forum, so I hope I do this correctly (and I apologize if this is not in the right sub-forum… I didn’t know where to post it).

I’m currently exploring the christian faith (specifically catholicism) and would like to know people’s personal stories/experiences that helped them to believe or continue to believe.

A little history about me… I was raised in church (mostly Lutheran, although I attended a baptist church with friends in high school). We attended church regularly, but religion wasn’t a big part of our lives outside of church (not a lot of discussion at home…). Looking back, I don’t think religion ever really “took” for me. I just sort of went with the flow. In college I stopped believing (or perhaps acknowledged that I never really believed to start with). My attitude in general was that while the thought of a God was appealing, I didn’t see any evidence and I had never had a subjective experience that made the presence of God known to me. As I’ve gotten older (I’m 30 now), I’ve been looking more into religion and I feel like it is something that I want in my life.

I recognize that there are aspects of the human experience which are not explained by science or objectively observable facts. I am a classical musician, and I recognize that while music theory and other “academic” fields of music can explain much about music, they are ultimately inadequate exploring the way it effects one’s soul (and I do believe that music effects the soul). From this fact (along with other experiences in my life), I recognize that there are valid aspects of life that cannot be “proven” with science or physical evidence. I’m not satisfied to just explain the effects of music in terms of neurotransmitters and sound waves… I know there is something more to it, and I believe this is also true of our spiritual lives. After much soul searching I’ve become able to acknowledge this fact openly.

I’m particularly drawn to Catholicism from what I’ve learned about it (although that’s not the primary point of this post). Logically, it all makes sense as a philosophical system and is very appealing to me. Intuitively however, I’m still looking for that “a-ha” moment when I FEEL god’s presence, not just assume it intellectually.

I’ve been reading the bible and reading a lot about catholic history and beliefs/practices. I haven’t prayed yet, although I’m interested in using this as a tool to find God (I just want to avoid being like “hey God… if you’re up there give me a sign”. I feel that’s insulting). I’m looking for ways to make myself more receptive to God in hopes that my “aha” moment will come.

I guess my main question, then, is what kind of things have other’s done to help them find their aha moment. I’m not looking for a one-size-fits-all answer. I know this doesn’t exist. However, I hope that other people’s experiences might give me some hints of ways I can open myself up and be receptive to feeling God’s presence.

I know this is a massive question (and longwinded…). I would appreciate any personal experiences or advice you might be willing to share.

Don
Click to expand...
Hi Don,

I would say grace to begin with. It gives faith hope and charity among other things. You grow faith by prayer and taking part in the eucharist that what we catholics believe anyway. As to whether or not a one size fits all answer exists or not I don’t know.

B
 
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