Why Are You Catholic?

[historybrat]

History. No seriously history is what lead to me converting and becoming Catholic. Once I determined that Christianity in fact was true, I studied the history of all the major denominations. How they were formed, their founder, their development, etc. Catholicism had it all. It had the authentic history, its development gave from its founder and the early church fathers. It has everything.

 

[Graceful_Lamb]

Is your Episcopalian parish knee deep in SSM couples/weddings? I understand the SSM thing has upset you but I’m not quite understanding why you don’t want to attend your own church.

Are you never going to attend your own church again or is it temporary? I only ask because I sense a spiritual unease of unspoken anger and resentment towards your own church in your post…or am I reading too much into it.

I have no idea if the Episcopal parish I belong to is doing SSM or not. The parish I am registered at is out of state. I never transferred my registration to the local Episcopal parish. Probably not going to attend my own church ever again.

 

[Padres1969]

I have no idea if the Episcopal parish I belong to is doing SSM or not. The parish I am registered at is out of state. I never transferred my registration to the local Episcopal parish. Probably not going to attend my own church ever again.

Out of curiosity do you attend the local Episcopal parish or a different parish?

As for SSM thing, never seen it in my face at my parish. I know there are a some SS couples in my parish, but they don’t stand out on an average Sunday any more than anyone else does and I’ve never seen a wedding at my parish (hetro or homosexual). The thing that did stand out to me initially was the female and married clergy seeing as the dean of my church is a woman as are about half the clergy. And the first priest from the parish I ever sat down with to talk is married with his wife being another of the parish’s priests.

 

[rweidn]

Circumstances initially,being that my wife’s family are cultural Catholics and my wife wanted our boy to go to Catholic school. So it started as a somewhat cynical attempt to get him in to school which meant having to go to Church. Fell in love with it though. I had been a Baptist for a short period many years before so i had a springboard so to speak. But i fell in love with listening to Fr Rob Barron and people like Jimmy Akin. Catholic culture seemed to me to be similar to what i had previously known as Christianity, but like Christianity on steroids!!

 

[Graceful_Lamb]

Out of curiosity do you attend the local Episcopal parish or a different parish?

As for SSM thing, never seen it in my face at my parish. I know there are a some SS couples in my parish, but they don’t stand out on an average Sunday any more than anyone else does and I’ve never seen a wedding at my parish (hetro or homosexual). The thing that did stand out to me initially was the female and married clergy seeing as the dean of my church is a woman as are about half the clergy. And the first priest from the parish I ever sat down with to talk is married with his wife being another of the parish’s priests.

I did attend the local Episcopal parish once, a few years ago. Recently, I have been attending the local RC church with my RC husband.

 

[Della]

Well, my story is quite complicated, but I’ll try not to bore everyone with too many details.

I was brought up Episcopalian until my dad died. My mom got interested in a home Bible study with friends of hers and ended up taking us out of our Episcopal parish to the Assemblies of God–which was a huge shock to my very consevative nature. We attended the AoG (as we called it then) weekly, which meant 2 services on Sunday with Sunday school for all and a Wed evening prayer service. I became deeply, passionately involved to the point of getting a B. A. in Bible at one of their Bible colleges. But something was missing.

At the time I was a student at the Bible college C. S. Lewis was all the rage. Funnily though, reading his books led me away from the AoG back to the Episcopal Church–not an outcome any of my AoG pastors or friends anticipated. Anyway, I’d hoped to find in the ECUSA my final home, but again, something was missing. I didn’t know what. I was miserable over it because I so wanted the church of my childhood to be the one that would give me my answers.

I’d read some Catholic apologetics but just didn’t want to believe what they said. I’d gotten a rosary–for what reason I couldn’t have explained, but I found just holding it while I prayed gave me a powerful sense of God’s presence–deep, peaceful, and rich in spiritual promise. I’d seen an animated version of Lord of the Rings. It wasn’t a great film, but the premise and themes grabbed my attention. I bought the book, followed Frodo’s adventures to the end in one weekend, and at the end of the weekend I was a different person. I knew I wanted the depth of spirituality I’d sensed in that book.

I married a non-practicing Catholic in my Episcopal parish, but he never tried to influence me. But he wanted to return to the Church. I decided to give the Catholic Church a try–big of me wasn’t it? The modernist parish we attended wasn’t ideal, but still I knew that God was present there in more than spirit. There was a living, breathing Someone who resided there–I came to find out that was his eucharistic presence. Unknowingly, I received the Eucharist, but I’m rather happy I did because it fed me when my head and heart were still wrestling with all I was learning in RCIA. Anyway, I was reconciled to the Church at that Easter Vigil. After kicking and screaming against becoming Catholic I entered into the joy of serving Our Lord in the fullness of his truth. I’d come home.

 

[Wannano]

Or Lutheran? Or Muslim? Or Jewish?

I was curious as to what made you become a member of your faith or what’s keeping you there. Is there some intellectual argument that really won you over? Is there some aspect of the faith that kept you going there?

Let’s use this thread to compare and contrast reasons for being Catholic, Baha’i, Buddhist, or whatever you are!

WHY AM I CATHOLIC: I have discovered over the past few weeks that I am Catholic because I was Baptized in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost even though it did not take place in a Catholic church. I have learned this from other posts here at CAF. Please, please correct me if I am understanding it wrong.

 

[guanophore]

WHY AM I CATHOLIC: I have discovered over the past few weeks that I am Catholic because I was Baptized in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost even though it did not take place in a Catholic church. I have learned this from other posts here at CAF. Please, please correct me if I am understanding it wrong.

You have receive a valid Catholic baptism. Now, whether you actually grow in your Catholicity will depend up on whether you grown in the grace provided to you in that Baptism, and supplement the grace you received with knowledge.

 

[Wannano]

You have receive a valid Catholic baptism. Now, whether you actually grow in your Catholicity will depend up on whether you grown in the grace provided to you in that Baptism, and supplement the grace you received with knowledge.

Thanks for answering guanophore. Could you narrow down a definition of Catholicity? I am familiar with the concept of “growing in your Christian life” would that be similiar?

 

[Peter_J]

WHY AM I CATHOLIC: I have discovered over the past few weeks that I am Catholic because I was Baptized in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost even though it did not take place in a Catholic church. I have learned this from other posts here at CAF. Please, please correct me if I am understanding it wrong.

Some define *Catholic *to mean “in communion with Rome”, but others say that is the definition of Roman Catholic. (Note that last one is also used as a shorthand for Roman-Rite Catholic, thus excluding e.g. Melkite Catholics.) So the answer really depends on your terminology.

It’s kind of like a Lutheran asking “Am I Evangelical?”

 

[SAVINGRACE]

WHY AM I CATHOLIC: I have discovered over the past few weeks that I am Catholic because I was Baptized in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost even though it did not take place in a Catholic church. I have learned this from other posts here at CAF. Please, please correct me if I am understanding it wrong.

You are “catholic” (small letter c).

I am "Catholic (capital letter C) aka Roman Catholic

When we refer to Catholic we are talking about all those baptised in the Catholic Church. Remember Roman Catholics are only one portion of the Catholic Church, the Western and the one most commonly portrayed and known. These Catholics participate in the Roman Rite of worship, e.g. Latin Rite.

There are million of Catholics, one or two you may see on here with religion showing as Melkite Catholics, Greek Catholics etc and they participate in Eastern Rites of worship e.g. Antiochene Rite, Armenian Rite, Byzantine Rite.

Not much is known about Eastern Catholics in the world because the world mostly thinks of Catholics being Roman Catholic when that is just one part of the Church albeit the majority.

We are all obedient to Rome.

 

[Wannano]

You are “catholic” (small letter c).

I am "Catholic (capital letter C) aka Roman Catholic

When we refer to Catholic we are talking about all those baptised in the Catholic Church. Remember Roman Catholics are only one portion of the Catholic Church, the Western and the one most commonly portrayed and known. These Catholics participate in the Roman Rite of worship, e.g. Latin Rite.

There are million of Catholics, one or two you may see on here with religion showing as Melkite Catholics, Greek Catholics etc and they participate in Eastern Rites of worship e.g. Antiochene Rite, Armenian Rite, Byzantine Rite.

Not much is known about Eastern Catholics in the world because the world mostly thinks of Catholics being Roman Catholic when that is just one part of the Church albeit the majority.

We are all obedient to Rome.

Thank you that is very interesting. I have always understood the small c concept of the universal or invisible church. I guess I was misunderstanding the other posts. There have been numerous posts on how the separated brethren should come back to the one true church. If I was to ever decide that I needed to pursue that I would want to make sure I got back to the very original foundation of Jesus’ teaching. With that in mind could you tell me which rite Pope Peter and the original Apostles initiated?

 

[eddie_too]

this is not the only reason I am catholic, but I have never heard or read of any system that makes more sense than roman Catholicism.

so, given the alternatives, RC is a slam dunk.

 

[Della]

Thank you that is very interesting. I have always understood the small c concept of the universal or invisible church. I guess I was misunderstanding the other posts.

You are imperfectly united to the Catholic Church through your valid baptism, but you are not a Catholic of any rite unless you have been received into the Church through confirmation, thus making you a member. Unless and until then you may not receive communion or reconciliation or the other sacraments of the Church except marriage (as I understand it).

If you wish to look into being reconciled to the Church (converting) you’ll want to contact your local parish to ask about RCIA. Most RCIA programs begin in Sept, but in some cases the priest can give you private instruction, if that’s what he feels would be best for you.

There have been numerous posts on how the separated brethren should come back to the one true church. If I was to ever decide that I needed to pursue that I would want to make sure I got back to the very original foundation of Jesus’ teaching. With that in mind could you tell me which rite Pope Peter and the original Apostles initiated?

Peter and Paul were founding Apostles of both the Catholic and the Orthodoxy churches. They most likely celebrated Mass in their native language (Aramaic or Greek) because Latin didn’t become the official language of the Church until after their time.

 

[arthra]

When I read the title to the thread “Why are you a Catholic?” I assumed it was primarily for Catholics but reading the text of Alex’s thread read:

*"I was curious as to what made you become a member of your faith or what’s keeping you there. Is there some intellectual argument that really won you over? Is there some aspect of the faith that kept you going there?

Let’s use this thread to compare and contrast reasons for being Catholic, Baha’i, Buddhist, or whatever you are!" *

In the early sixties I was involved in the civil rights movement and later the peace movement during the Vietnam War. I also had studied various religions in my teens and early twenties… I reached the conclusion that the major religions all had the same spiritual truths and I could not reject any of them.

Then I recall reading a few Baha’i books in the public library and every thing I read supported my studies and involvement in civil rights and peace. I knew if I ever met a Baha’i I would have to declare my belief in the Faith. Within a few months I met the Baha’is and declared.

Later I married a Baha’i and raised our children in the Faith…so looking back over my life I’m thankful for the choices I’ve made.

 

[SAVINGRACE]

Thank you that is very interesting. I have always understood the small c concept of the universal or invisible church. I guess I was misunderstanding the other posts. There have been numerous posts on how the separated brethren should come back to the one true church. If I was to ever decide that I needed to pursue that I would want to make sure I got back to the very original foundation of Jesus’ teaching. With that in mind could you tell me which rite Pope Peter and the original Apostles initiated?

Correct you are part of the “catholic” church (small c). If you go to Heaven you will be Catholic with a capital C but right now you are not a member of the Catholic Church until you get baptised or confirmed in the faith. If you come over, you may not need to be baptised again depending on which church you were baptised into. We recognise baptisms conducted by some Protestant churches, including the Anglican, Lutheran, Uniting, Episcopalian and Baptist churches. If that were the case with you, all you would need is to be Confirmed and first Reconciliation.

A Rite simply represents a tradition about how Sacraments are to be celebrated. Peter and the Apostles celebrated the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion, Reconciliation/Confession, Holy Orders etc.

They wouldn’t have called it a rite but it was still a celebration of the same Sacraments we celebrate today.

I recommend you do RCIA classes at your local parish, it’s not a commitment to join the Church, you can leave whenever you want but it puts in a group of non-catholics who want to learn about the fundamentals of the Catholic faith and ask questions. Or you can talk to the local parish priest.

 

[guanophore]

Thanks for answering guanophore. Could you narrow down a definition of Catholicity? I am familiar with the concept of “growing in your Christian life” would that be similiar?

That would be specifically growing in your Christian life through the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic faith.

 

[Wannano]

That would be specifically growing in your Christian life through the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic faith.

That I can accept, it makes more sense than thinking Catholicity is learning all the doctrines and following all the rules. These things are important elements but do not produce salvation in my opinion.

 

[Della]

That I can accept, it makes more sense than thinking Catholicity is learning all the doctrines and following all the rules. These things are important elements but do not produce salvation in my opinion.

Well, they do produce salvation, but they don’t all apply to everyone at all times. The Church only has five precepts we must follow: Precepts of the Catholic Church. All Christians know we are to obey the Ten Commandments. Do these things and they will definitely benefit your salvation.

 

[Wannano]

Well, they do produce salvation, but they don’t all apply to everyone at all times. The Church only has five precepts we must follow: Precepts of the Catholic Church. All Christians know we are to obey the Ten Commandments. Do these things and they will definitely benefit your salvation.

Thank you Della, a question I have for you if ok is with the Sunday observance. What activities are prohibited on Sunday? We live in a farming community and our Catholic neighbours seem to work just as hard on Sunday as any other day. To read that there are restrictions for Sunday is a surprise to me. Hope I am not being offensive.