What struggles did you face when returning to Rome?

[sambos671]

I’m recently returning to the Church and I have certain struggles. I wonder about others who made the choice to come home to Rome and what stuggles they faced. Anyone want to share?

 

[SingleMomMonica]

I’m recently returning to the Church and I have certain struggles. I wonder about others who made the choice to come home to Rome and what stuggles they faced. Anyone want to share?

I’m a convert, my difficulties were doctrinal:

1. Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist - this was squashed the second I read for myself John 6. And was later even more confirmed when I began reading the writings of the Christians of the Early Church.
2. Papal Infallibility - I knew it was true that Christ gave, as outlined clearly in the Bible Isaiah and Matthew, St. Peter the Supreme Authority and building the Church on him, so I believed this without fully understanding. It remained a difficulty until I began reading the writing of the Christians of the Early Church times and realized that they believed it whole heartedly and were martyred in terrible ways because of the Christian beliefs - no one would undergo that kind of death unless they were really faithful to the truth handed down to them and they knew it was the truth.
3. Veneration of Mary - this was squashed when I read of the “woman” of Genesis 3 and Revelation 12 at the same time realizing that Jesus followed the Law completely as a Jew - honored his parents, which included Mary and realized that Jesus’ love for Mary, considering He is God and all and that His Humanity was uncorrupted by sin, was a more pure and much more deep love and honor than I could ever come close to, so it made perfect sense that since through out the Gospels Jesus is clear that we are to “Do as He does” which would include loving and honoring Mary and that no matter how much we love or honor her, we will never exceed Jesus’ own love and honor of her. That combined with the fact that in a dream Joseph was commanded by God to “take Mary into your home” and that the Holy Spirit through Mary said that “All generations shall call me Blessed”. The only Church in the world that I know of that actually calls her the Blessed Mother is the Catholic Church! So I took Mary into my home as did Joseph and I took her into my heart - after all according to the last verse of Chapter 12 in the NT Book of Revelation, Mary is the Mother of all Christians! so she’s my mother too!

 

[bklynbrat]

I’m recently returning to the Church and I have certain struggles. I wonder about others who made the choice to come home to Rome and what stuggles they faced. Anyone want to share?

Are your struggles with Church teaching? Or personal?

I reverted after a 25 year absence. My struggle is all with myself. I struggle with all my guilt. It’s a heavy burden, but one I’ve brought on myself.

I married a non-Catholic 22 yrs. ago & it’s almost 2 years now since I’ve come back to the Church, I still haven’t gotten my marriage convalidated. Dh hem haws when I bring it up, so I drop the subject until it starts gnawing on me again. That’s a biggie.

We have a 12 yr. old daughter, that hasn’t been brought up in the church. I want her to come to church with me, he wants her to go with him. Major standstill right there.

I am surrounded by non-Catholics familywise. I constantly have to debunk their beliefs about Catholicism & Catholics in general.

There’s more but I won’t give you the rest of my sob story.

But I will say that with these struggles, my guilt, etc., I have absolutely no struggle whatsoever with accepting the Catholic Church for what she is.

Hopefully, some of these replies will help you out. Whether they be personal or doctrine struggles you’re dealing with, may the Lord lead you to peace.

God Bless

 

[sambos671]

Are your struggles with Church teaching? Or personal?

Probably a little of both. Before I returned, however, I’ve come to grips with some belief issues I had issues with. For me the personal issues is with what I personally call practical christianity.

As a Catholic I really didn’t know a lot about Jesus or the faith other than the basic minimum. I knew the apostles creed, I understood the Trinity. But it really didn’t matter in my life other than something I participated in on Sundays. I’ve had previous post to show how my family treated the Catholic faith. But ultimately, I really didn’t have faith other than “it’s just something I do because my family does it” The faith wasn’t personal other than remembering prayers and occassionally trying to “bribe” God to give me something I wanted. Sad but true was my early Catholic experience. When at 15 I came accross what the Gospel was really about and saw how I needed to have a serious relationship with God (personal one). I actually repented although I had been to confession many times before. And ever since I’ve prayed studied the scripture and participated in my Christian faith. Did some misson work, built some churches, witnessed my faith in Jesus to those I’ve met and have been the best witness I could be. It was actually applied Christianity. During the 27 years I’ve left the church my faith and live resembled Christianity a lot more than I ever did as an early Catholic. I married a girl I met at church and we have four children.

What has brought me back to the Church is serious study of how scriptures were put together, Early Church History, and especially the Eucharist. When I got to the point that I couldn’t reasonably argue against the Eucharist and thought well, if the Catholic church was right about that what else? And found the catholic church actually teaches all the things I hold dear. So my return is based on more academic reasons because I believe I already have faith in the same Jesus that the Catholic church teaches. I wanted to be obedient to God no matter what I felt though it is difficult returning to the church because my wife doesn’t understand why I need to return to the church. But I’m blessed because she isn’t hindering me, however, she will make comments like (especially when considering my two daughters) “you don’t really want them to be catholic do you. You know the catholic girl reputation.” and to a point she’s right. My kids know more about scriptures and Jesus than I ever did and I spent 5 years at perochial schools. My oldest daughter of her own volition wanted to be baptised at my baptist church because she wanted to show the world that she had a serious faith in Jesus as her savior. She’s always witnessing and it doesn’t matter who she’s speaking to. Kind of funny after note we shop at an indian grocery store sometimes and my daughter noticed a statue of Shiva. She asked the owner what it was and when she was told; she told him about Jesus and we got a NT in Hindi to give him. So, I struggle over fears that she will loose that type of heart. My younger daughter is entertaining the idea of baptism and also witnesses. My two sons are young yet but they know more about scriptures and Jesus than I did at their age. So I struggle with how this will affect my family. And as I’m dealing with this I come accross statements of believe (like here on the board) like Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus Est and wonder how accurate that may be. I believe I was in a better relationship with Jesus as a Baptist then when I was 1st a Catholic. Also I wonder at statements like you’ll never know your saved until you die. Where as that is true the emphasis is wrong. Because Paul also teaches that “He (Jesus) is able to keep that which I’ve commited to him agianst that day.” So am I kept true to the faith in fear that at any moment in weakness (or in alzhiemers) I say or do something offensive to God and loose it all in a moment? Or Do I keep true to the faith because I’m born agian and remain in him and trust him to deliever me and save me on that day. Or I stay in the faith because I’m obedient because I love him and am willing to obey him? I prefer the latter. But this isn’t what I’m encountering amoung Catholics I meet. At my Parish I feel somewhat Isolated and maybe its because I’m new. The fellowship or community is limited compared to what I’m use to. I don’t see anybody after Mass except on a few occassions.

These are the area’s I’m dealing with please understand. I’m not saying your parish is like that or that the Chruch is false but returning after a time has its stuggles and I’m looking for people who understand and may share some sagely advise.