Why is the church so confusing?

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Nelka

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It should be simple but it’s not. I feel I should have a masters degree to be catholic these days. Nothing seems to make sense anymore, or maybe it never made sense and I believed it did.

For me the catechism is a complete nightmare, I never understand a thing the popes have written. I feel Heaven is just for the intellectually elite.

Oh and we Catholics commit mortal sins just be thinking not pleasant things but non Catholics can still get to Heaven without breaking a sweat it seems.

I’m probably completely wrong but I have no idea what I’m doing anymore.
 
Nelka said:
I’m probably completely wrong but I have no idea what I’m doing anymore.
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It sounds like it.

But, you may just be over thinking it.

You may want to spend time in scripture and prayer (lectio divina?), and stay away from CAF for a while…which, like facebook and other social media sites, can make some feel substandard.

Praying for you!
 
Nelka God grant you peace of mind and soul.
Perhaps you don’t need to read anything so complex at this time.
Your history as shared in the past has been often difficult and stressful.
You need peace of simplicity before the Lord.

Jesus summed the commandments in two sentences … to love God above all, and to love others. When describing His judgment of souls, read Matthew 25 verses 31 to 46. His criteria is practical love of others.
There are those who reject your love. You can at least offer God the act of love of prayer for their souls. Any outcome may not be evident on earth. We are required to try, we can’t force outcomes, as you know well.
But God requires practical kindness to others even in small things that may not be noticed on this earth.

Merely to have thoughts pass your mind isn’t sin for either Catholics or non Catholics. To wilfully choose evil thoughts and actions is sinful for any Christian, Catholic or not.

Your life carries much pain and loss, and conflict for your heart and mind. That isn’t the Church’s doing. Part of it comes from the choices others have made that impact on your life.

May God help you to find peace in simplicity of love and trust, in quiet faith and faithfulness. Of course your faith is often under seige, when life’s hurts are extreme, as yours often are. Even Jesus on the Cross cried out to the Father in distress

May God embrace you in His love
 
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I understand what you mean. There is just so much mystery behind salvation, behind Gods love. I do wonder A LOT about what you’ve mentioned.
Remember that a lot of the great saints weren’t these intellectual powerhouses that knew everything about the faith.

They just had great faith and lived it. Years ago when I still lived with my mother before marriage and kids I recall getting angry at the state of sin and violence in the world , I was going on and on while she was trying to make dinner…finally she turned around and said something like “If you’re going to try to break your head all the time to understand everything about the mysteries of the world you’re gonna go crazy”.

When it all gets too much for me, in my heart I know that God knows just how hard I’m trying to understand with my limited mental capabilities, and in fact I sense Him telling me to stop trying to understand to the point of despair and try instead to trust and have faith like a child.

Take a break, knowledge isn’t going anywhere, pray to God to give you more faith (I used to feel ashamed but now I pray that). Tell God you’re gonna take a break from all the inquisitiveness and you need His help in this effort to just spend time resting in what you already know to be beautiful, like nature. Like your family.

None of us know all the answers, but some of us, it’s true, have greater faith, so perhaps try to take a break from trying to figure it all out, for now, and practice starting prayers with gratitude for what you already have, these blessings you have that we’re blind to because we see them everyday and forget they’re a miracle and pray to the Lord to increase your faith.

I know how you feel, I’ve come to accept I’ll never be or understand all of St Thomas Aquinas, and that’s ok. Like St Therese I want to be the little child the Lord picks up in His arms to which he says the Kingdom belongs.
 
Agatha, forgive me but I can’t leave unanswered your comment that we can’t know if non-Catholics go to heaven. Sorry Nelka, for highjacking your thread to answer, and to answer with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, given Your comments
Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism at that link addresses official Catholic teaching on non- Catholics Christians and other faiths and positions as well.
That salvation is not limited to Catholics is addressed carefully in the Catechism, however as Nelka comments, The Catechism of the Catholic Church is complex. Few of us, probably, know it’s availabile online and thus haven’t been able to explore it.

There is a simplified version, @Nelka, less taxing when a person is weary or stressed. I’ll see if I can find a link

Catechism of the Catholic Church, simplified
 
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I went to mass today. I worshipped God with pleasure. I spoke to one or two parishioners about the weather, their vegetables and we touched slightly on world peace (joking). And then I came home. Simple.

Then I came on CAF and someone is struggling with this, someone else is torn apart by that, I expect someone wants to debate something I’d need a PhD to discuss.

It is simple Nelka, remember?
God love you.
 
I went to Mass tonight and found it hard to focus, I prayed the Rosary tonight and found it hard to focus.

I even went to two supermarkets earlier to buy cat sand (for rabbits) but bought rabbit food instead.

😐
 
I learned something at mass today -
that the Holy Altar - was about the size - of the Ark of the Covenant.
And Mary - was the new Ark - with the word of God within her.

I agree with Trishie - on praying for peace.
Sounds like your harried …
Church is our refuge from the world !
Mass - is sharing, with others, the last supper !
The Eucharist - our strength !
 
Nelka said:
… we Catholics commit mortal sins just be thinking not pleasant things but non Catholics can still get to Heaven without breaking a sweat it seems.
…
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No, the baptized have the advantage since there is sacramental grace. A mortal sin requires a freely made personal choice to do what you have been told by the Church is a serious moral error (or from their conscience - not in conflict with what the Church teaches on it). A non Catholic must still seek the truth and make an effort to be charitable. For those that do not know the Gospel, there is still hope of salvation, if that ignorance is through no fault of their own.

The compendium and Baltimore Catechisms may be easier:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

Baltimore No. 4 has expanded notes for teaching.

 
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Nelka said:
It should be simple but it’s not. I feel I should have a masters degree to be catholic these days. Nothing seems to make sense anymore, or maybe it never made sense and I believed it did.

For me the catechism is a complete nightmare, I never understand a thing the popes have written. I feel Heaven is just for the intellectually elite.

Oh and we Catholics commit mortal sins just be thinking not pleasant things but non Catholics can still get to Heaven without breaking a sweat it seems.

I’m probably completely wrong but I have no idea what I’m doing anymore.
Click to expand...
All really have to know about Catholic Church is the confessional.
 
How is that funny? Do you think people going to hell possibly is a joke?
 
CatholicSinner said:
Only Catholics getting into Heaven is the biggest joke I’ve heard in awhile.
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That wasn’t what was said. And regardless, we have no way of knowing that anyone other than a canonized Saint is in heaven for sure.
 
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