what is the best way to draw closer to Christ?

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my answer:

the rosary… and the Mass…

and when you can’t do that, making the sign of the Cross is powerful when you feel the presence of the devil…
 
St. Teresa of the Little Child and her little way, which is to offer everything you do, especially the small little things, i.e. washing clothes, cutting grass etc to God as an offering. Put God in all your actions, and very soon you will always be thinking of God.
 
All those things are good. But I wonder if spontaneous prayer is the best way.

I mean, praying, “Hey, Lord, how you been? Me, I’ve had a rotten day! Let me tell you about it … .” seems a good way to me to get closer to Him. Isn’t conversation the way we get close to one another?

🙂
 
spockrates said:
All those things are good. But I wonder if spontaneous prayer is the best way.

I mean, praying, “Hey, Lord, how you been? Me, I’ve had a rotten day! Let me tell you about it … .” seems a good way to me to get closer to Him. Isn’t conversation the way we get close to one another?

🙂
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I agree with you. When I pray I don’t use pre-written prayers or prayers that someone eles says. I pray whats in my heart. To me spontaneous prayer is from the heart, not something someone wrote down long ago, although there is nothing wrong with praying that way if that is what you choose. To me just talking to God does the trick for me. I feel comfortable not using pre-written prayers. Just pray what is in my heart and on my mind, doing it that way seems more personal to me. May I ask you why “closet Catholic?”
 
rev_kevin said:
I agree with you. When I pray I don’t use pre-written prayers or prayers that someone eles says. I pray whats in my heart. To me spontaneous prayer is from the heart, not something someone wrote down long ago, although there is nothing wrong with praying that way if that is what you choose. To me just talking to God does the trick for me. I feel comfortable not using pre-written prayers. Just pray what is in my heart and on my mind, doing it that way seems more personal to me. May I ask you why “closet Catholic?”
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Me too, Rev. I wonder if this is just a Protestant thing? I mean, I used to be one.
 
spockrates said:
Me too, Rev. I wonder if this is just a Protestant thing? I mean, I used to be one.
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I ues to be Catholic. I left the Catholic faith for several reasons but to put it in a nutshell I disagreed with some of the teachings and their ways. I reall don’t know if it is a Protestant thing or not but I prefer to pray directly to God and in my own words. I’m suprised you haven’t gotten remarks about closet Catholic from some here.
 
There are as many ways to draw closer to Christ as there are people who want to draw closer to Him!

Certainly frequenting the sacraments is an excellent way for many - but then again in the Middle Ages many laypeople tended to confess and commune infrequently (hence the Church law requiring us to do each at least once a year, as many didn’t even do so that often!), and it didn’t stop them from leading saintly lives.

I don’t think there is just one path for everyone, as long as one sticks to the precepts of Church law and scripture.
 
i would answer…prayer.

that is how i come closer to Christ. when i remember to stop struggling, fighting, and freaking out, and lay my ego aside long enough to say “Lord, please help me…” or “Lord, thank you for what You have done for me…” the world seems to melt away.

prayer, reading the Scripture, and being totally honest with my Father as i do both work best for me, as a believer.
 
Reconciliation repairs the damage that our sins do to our relationship with the Lord. It instantly removes the separation between the Lord and us which was caused by our sins. To hear the words of absolution as Jesus spoke in the bible (Matthew 9:2, Mark 2:5, Luke 5:20, Luke 7:48) renews the spirit.

The Mass makes Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice present to us. We encounter Christ in: a. the congregation b. the Word, c. the priest and d. the Eucharist. Just our normal Sunday (and daily!) service is four encounters with Jesus.

The Rosary: a very powerful, contemplative prayer. It is praying the Gospel of Christ. This is profound worship and draws you closer to Him.

Adoration: To spend time in His presence at adoration, experiencing His love and receiving revelations is sublime. Miracles occur there. Conversions.

But, the ne plus ultra for Christians is the:

Eucharist. The source and summit of our faith - Jesus Christ, in Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity present with us. To eat His Body and drink His blood (John 6:50-54, Matthew 26:26-28) is the ultimate. You can get no closer to Him than to be a living, breathing Tabernacle of the Lord. You then have life within you (John 6:53).

Each of the seven Sacraments was instituted by Christ to bring us closer to Him. Then, there are the many other Church devotions to our Lord. One’s life is not long enough to plumb the depths of worship and devotion.
 
rev_kevin said:
I ues to be Catholic. I left the Catholic faith for several reasons but to put it in a nutshell I disagreed with some of the teachings and their ways. I reall don’t know if it is a Protestant thing or not but I prefer to pray directly to God and in my own words. I’m suprised you haven’t gotten remarks about closet Catholic from some here.
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Most pay no mind to this pointy-eared, too-logical, new kid!

😃

May I ask what teachings of the Catholic Church you found lacking?
 
what is the best way to draw closer to Christ?
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Do as he taught rather than what well meaning men are teaching you.

A man should have only one teacher who taught to pray to the Father.

Those who love Christ will keep his commandants also.
 
spockrates said:
All those things are good. But I wonder if spontaneous prayer is the best way.

I mean, praying, “Hey, Lord, how you been? Me, I’ve had a rotten day! Let me tell you about it … .” seems a good way to me to get closer to Him. Isn’t conversation the way we get close to one another?

🙂
Click to expand...
i agree…

why are you a “closet” Catholic?
 
rev_kevin said:
I agree with you. When I pray I don’t use pre-written prayers or prayers that someone eles says. I pray whats in my heart. To me spontaneous prayer is from the heart, not something someone wrote down long ago, although there is nothing wrong with praying that way if that is what you choose. To me just talking to God does the trick for me. I feel comfortable not using pre-written prayers. Just pray what is in my heart and on my mind, doing it that way seems more personal to me. May I ask you why “closet Catholic?”
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repeittious prayer (rosary) is what made me, objectively speaking, a Christian…

before then, i had no power to overcome sin… and believed many false things… about God and self and etc…

the rosary is used in exorcisms and I know from experience why that is s o… Many of us have “demons” we do not reailize we have or don’t fully realize anyhow… and i am speaking of figurative demons as well as actual ones… those demons in our minds that come by way of ungodly relationships… that cause psychological damage… etc…

I LOVE repetitious prayers… the novenas that the Church has, for example… They are VERY effective in getting us closer to Christ…

I also see the value of the heart-felt prayer you speak of… i do think that sometimes Catholics are negligent in that area…
 
Steven_John said:
Do as he taught rather than what well meaning men are teaching you.

A man should have only one teacher who taught to pray to the Father.

Those who love Christ will keep his commandants also.
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To draw closer to Him, Jesus established a visible. living, breathing Apostolic Church, sending the Apostles forth. To conceal or deny that, or to reject the successors whom the Apostles themselves chose, cannot be spiritually sound practice.

Jesus did not found a group of egotists, who went forth teaching a watered down Gospel that felt good. Jesus taught denial of self, submission to “hard teachings” and obedience to His commands as the path to Him and to eternal life. This is the recipe for drawing nearer to Him.

The true Church is the one which traces directly back, through hands-on ordinations, to Christ. The true Church has power over sin. The true Church is the one which many leave or avoid because they find those teachings to be hard (John 6:66). This describes only one Church.
 
grace_singh said:
i would answer…prayer.

that is how i come closer to Christ. when i remember to stop struggling, fighting, and freaking out, and lay my ego aside long enough to say “Lord, please help me…” or “Lord, thank you for what You have done for me…” the world seems to melt away.

prayer, reading the Scripture, and being totally honest with my Father as i do both work best for me, as a believer.
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Yes I agree. Read the gospels over and over, and you will be very close to Christ - his teachings and his passion. Also pray. Pray in thanks, pray in need, pray in adoration. Listen to beautiful music that was written in his honor: Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Passion, Vivaldi’s Gloria, etc.
 
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