I was born and raised Southern Baptist. I was taught to read the Bible from a very early age. I went to Sunday School class after every service. I quit going to church in my 20s but always read the Bible. Used to get drunk to gospel music, especially Hank Williams gospel. I always believed in the Good Lord, but knew there had to be more to being Christian than going to church and listening to a fire and brimestone preacher telling me I was going to hell if I didn’t change my ways. Got married to a Catholic gal in the early 80s and both daughters were raised Catholic. I would go to all the cathacism classes with them and discussed the Bible. I would occasionally attend Mass but didn’t understand what was going on. I got a divorce in the late 90s, met a very devout Catholic lady and would occasionally go to Mass with her. I got to know a lot of people in church and was taken back by how friendly they were, especially a friend who ended up being my sponsor and who also headed the RCIA class. We met for a few months and read the Bible, discussing scripture. Then RCIA class started and last for 6 months. He was surprised that I already knew a lot of scripture and of course it was because I was brought up reading the Bible. He was also a convert, who had been in and out of various Christian denominations, before, as he put it “I finally found the one I was looking for in the Catholic Church, it took me a lifetime but I found it”. On Easter Saturday 2008 I was accepted into the Catholic Church. I have tried to live the faith. It’s not easy being a good Catholic. This was all explained to me by my friend who sponsored me into the Church. He also said a lot of people would make fun of me for being Catholic and I would lose some friends. Both have been the case, but the real friends supported me. I struggle every day with my faith, but with the Grace of God I try my best, and that’s all God wants in us. To try our best, and He will always be there to pick us up when we fall.
Your post was beautiful. But wrong, Scripturally. God is not interested in us doing our best. Why have Christ die for our sins if doing our best would be enough? I pray you, in Christ’s stead, read 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 prayerfully. THIS is what God wants from us. And THIS is what He has done for us, in order to be reconciled to us. All I ask of you is to read it. That’s all. And if you want to talk about it, you can private FReepmail me. It’s up to you.
God Bless,
smvoice
God bless you, Vet, for your testimony! I maintain a personal list and pray for those souls each day. You have been added to it. Once on .. it is forever. No one has ever asked me to remove them : - )
God Bless You, my FReeper brother in Christ. The fire in the Spirit that glows from those that come into the church through RCIA is truly an inspiration for me. You are so right that it is not easy being a good Catholic, especially if we take the words of Christ to heart. When I read Matthew 25, I ask myself if, when the Son of Man comes into his glory, will I have brought extra oil for my lamps, will I bring as many talents as I have been given, will the king welcome me into the kingdom, for I ministered to the needs of the least of my brothers? I struggle with these questions every day.
Peace
Welcome home!
"Come to Me, all who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.
My yoke is easy."
Why do you want to be a good Catholic? Or a good anything? Being good won’t get you into the kingdom of God.
Why don’t you want to be a child of the Living God and have a personal relationship with Him?
I don’t like hellfire and brimstone teachers either, but just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean what they are preaching isn’t true.
I was also raised Southern Baptist and left for those same reasons. But thank God when my time came and I had my changed yanked hard and needed someone, Jesus was there to pick me up. Not a Catholic spouse or a Catholic friend or anyone else.
HE PICKED ME UP AND SAVED ME!
Until you know complete and utter dependence on God, others can always lead you astray no matter how kind or good-hearted their intentions.
My allegiance is to Him and Him only.
“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Winston Churchill
My testimony is just the opposite, raised devout RC, said my prayers and believed in God and did not knowingly doubt what i was taught and affirmed, but no real reality. So later i worked and partied till God convicted me at age 25 of my lost state, and i really repented, went to confession, but then trusted the Lord Jesus to save me by His merit, not mine own, with evangelical radio helping.
Even nature seemed new to me after that, but being in a RC area and not knowing much of any other church, i contd to go to every RC service, taught CCD and became a lector, seeking to serve God (also going on a 8 day retreat) while witnessing to other souls about being saved.
Only a couple in my parish could identify with what i experienced in my conversion, others had no real interest in talking much about the Bible and salvation. I sought for some life in the (marginalized) RC charismatic meetings, which were better, but handicapped by hierarchy (which joined them to a Marxist “peace and justice” commission) and traditions. And on my own i was led by God do such things as tell people outside strip joints to repent (after working about 60 hours a week).
But when i finally had the faith to ask God to show me if it was His will to go another church then the Lord did so the next day, and which decision He has abundantly affirmed.
I go to a evangelical church, thank God, and have no personal animosity against Rome (i wish priests would talk to me rather than walking away when i try to raise issues), but with truly born again souls, unlike with RCs, the particular church one goes to is not central, but peripheral, as their fellowship is around the person of Christ, having a shared conversion experience and relationship with the Lord Jesus.
My desire is that all that is within me cry glory to the Lord, and to see the Lord Jesus exalted in my heart and thru me (and others) as i serve Him, which i daily seek to do but grieve over that which contrary to that in heart or deed, yet and rejoice in the daily manifestations of God’s grace and His using me. And growth in grace is contrary to the institutionalized religion which predominates among Catholics and most mainline Prot church as well. May the Lord alone be exalted. Which He will be. (Is. 2:11,17)
Such a lovely post!
You are right, it can be difficult to be a Catholic Christian in this world. Grace is a gift and God will pour it out on you for whatever you need. Just ask:)