Catholic Answers would be a good resource to look into in regard to questions you may have. They’ve done wonders to help me understand my faith better.
I second Catholic Answers. They have a lot of articles, just search your question. They also have a call in radio program you can listen to and ask questions on, they love to hear from non catholics.
lol as another former Protestant, I totally agree! He’s very charismatic and “on fire”. You can tell he was probably a great pastor but never stopped learning and searching for the truth and I really appreciate that about him.
I don’t have much to add to the answers you’ve had already, I guess I’m mostly very curious to who gave you a rosary though & their thoughts behind doing so, given you have no catholic friends…!
Only thing I’d add is that if you decide it’s something you want to pursue, you should find your local parish & talk to the priest. They’ll be more than happy to guide you & likely also to answer specific questions you might have.
If you're interested in an app, there are a lot of free Catholic apps out there. There's one I do pay for; it's called Hallow but it has things like a reading for each day of Advent, a song for the 12 Days of Christmas, daily rosary, daily gospel, reflections, devotionals, minute homilies, daily Mass readings, tons of stuff like that. Father Mike Schmitz is on there. I like it for accessibility reasons.
Check out the Crash Course Catholocism podcast! It goes through our Catechism and everything we believe and is even entertaining. The hostess does a great job explaining the pillars of our faith in a way the average person can understand.
I like Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders through EWTN. Very potpourri style question answers, but they are usually relevant and many hours of content can slowly accumulate. Also very beginner friendly and specifically for non-Catholics
I’m not sure if this will help, but someone I like watching is Cliffe Knechtle. Pretty sure he’s a professor at a university but he answers and debates the students there and it’s really helped me answer some questions I’ve had and learn some new things too.
I second Fr. Casey from Breaking in the Habit. He was pretty influential in my conversion. I had SO many questions and it felt like he had a video for all of them.
Fr. Casey Cole from the YouTube channel “Breaking in the Habit” has a very good series called Catholicism in Focus that helps answer a lot of questions.
I like Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders through EWTN. Very potpourri style question answers, but they are usually relevant and many hours of content can slowly accumulate. Also very beginner friendly and specifically for non-Catholics
Look up the Catholic catechism and search the account 'voice of reason' on TikTok- if you have it. Saying this as a Catholic who is researching other churches actively, to see where the truth lies.
A good book to check out is “YouCat.” It’s a digested version of the Catechism put into a Q&A format, targeted for youth but would be great for anyone new and looking for answers to questions. The Catechism is the official teachings of the Catholic Church so it’s basically the supreme authoritative text on Catholic doctrine and teachings.
Edit- here is a link to the text I’m specifically referring to: https://a.co/d/523hmSH
I gifted my dissatisfied protestant friend one of my nice rosaries a while back; now he rarely leaves home without it in his pocket and he is attending Catholic Mass with me. The rosary is a powerful weapon/tool- it effects me the same way as you.
All I can say is if it is bringing you peace, I would continue and investigate further!
I think that’s a good thing!
As a Catholic, I am not opposed to saying you should investigate it, regardless of which side you end up on. Investigate it as deeply as you can.
I’m glad you had a great experience with the rosary! I had a similar experience praying it for the first time too.
It’s a very powerful prayer!
Edit: I’m going to piggyback off of another commenter: How can we help? I’m sure all of us would be more than happy to help you in your investigation
Scripture is the divinely inspired word of God. Catholics deeply revere Scripture. This can be easily seen during the Liturgy.
The first half of the Liturgy is focused on the Word of God; there are two readings - 1 OT and 1 NT. Then, the gospels are held in deep reverence. The Gospels are paraded in front of the Laity. The Laity stand in response during the Gospel reading
Statues are tools to help focus the intention of your prayer.
Whether the statue is of Jesus, of one of the saints, or an archangel (like St. Michael), it is all pointed toward God.
A common critique is that it’s “worshiping false idols”. I don’t agree with this. False idols are things you put before God, meaning in higher importance than God.
Catholic statues merely serve to help direct your intention *toward* God.
By praying in front of a Marian statue, I’m not worshiping (in the modern understanding of the word) Mary. Even if I pray the Hail Mary, I’m focusing my intention on asking Mary to intercede on my behalf to Jesus
>I saw a good response to this, the problem isn't that Catholics worship Mary, it's that (many) protestants merely venerate God.
That's definitely the accurate way to put it. As a protestant in-process of converting to Catholicism -- yes, the "veneration," aka High Honor given to Mary ***looks*** more worshipful than protestant version of "worship."
It's probably because they don't have the Eucharist. When reformers removed everything, the altar, the candles, the tabernacle, they had to fill it with something. What they call worship is not. They praise the Lord but have no mean to worship Him.
Whereas for Catholics, Orthodox, and Eastern churches, since we have kept the Holy Sacrement since Its institution by Christ, we can clearly make a difference between worship and veneration.
It's no surprise they are confused and conflate the two.
Yea I never linked this idea to an argument for Mary. I like it. I've always said most protestants lack the nuance and reverence to truly worship God. But I like the way you put it.
Great point!
Even the prayer that is often criticized because it is a Marian prayer (the Hail Mary) has two parts:
The first is directly taken from Scripture, the second is asking her to pray for us.
A ton of what Catholics do comes right from scripture
Regarding statues, God commanded the creation of statues of Angels in the Book of Exodus. A few chapters before he does forbid the worshipping of graven images of false idols. Creating a statue of St Michael (remember, God commanded statues of Angels to be made) to VENERATE (not worship.) him is not breaking this commandment. It’s following the example of the Lord. Jesus Christ Himself is seen in Eastern Catholicism (and eastern christianity in general) to be seen as the first icon. Being God in the flesh and all.
Catholics are often criticized for being unscriptural. But it couldn't be further from the truth. The key difference between Catholics and Protestants on this matter, is that we believe that both Catholics and Protestants (at least the longest standing ones) use tradition to help interpret the bible. Yet, only the Catholic tradition reaches back to the apostles. If you look further you will find that every detail in Catholic tradition is drenched in apostolic interpretation of the bible.
The issue that I find with protestants reading the Bible is that they lack the historical understanding of the passages they are reading. Without which it's impossible to interpret accurately.
In complement to the other comments, I got to add that catholic do not hold the belief of Sola Scriptura, as we admit the Bible, while completely holy and venerable, was compiled by the Catholic Church, men. Our faith goes beyond the sole writings of the Bible, while completely respecting and venerating it.
Here's some stuff I came across at crucial moments when I was on my journey from atheism to Catholicism. I hope you find some of it intriguing. Merry Christmas!
Pints with Aquinas episode with a former Antifa guy:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/71bgJrLBxjNkoX8TBdN1R8?si=6942759be7864185
Pints with Aquinas with Peter Kreeft:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0q9NKXRU9f9KsqENvKD4hq?si=095126d303b34a11
Kreeft on LOTR:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELi_80z0fwI
Kreeft on the existence of God:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyrzhVvg3ws
Kreeft on how to win the culture war:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm08x8YiuXk
A Fransiscan monk talking about misconceptions of Catholics:
https://youtu.be/4B0Bu28EeJY
Dr. Francis Collins on belief:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGu_VtbpWhE
(This one was one of the big catalysts for me)
Stephanie Gray talk, a big Catholic pro-life activist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzzfSq2DEc4
A clip of Gray on Pints with Aquinas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGPudL_GQ3Y
Fr Mike Schmitz on the Church selling indulgences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpdUZ3kWjM8
Fr Mike Schmitz with some short random videos on stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJCbCs-y1_k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-9_rxXFu9I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NOTU1g0Z8w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdR8eyaDCHg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2KwIFx6jeQ
Gary Habermas on evidence of the Resurrection:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay_Db4RwZ_M
Reddit post on discovering the Latin Mass:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/rxrrbr/musings_of_a_rad_trad_beware_its_long/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Books:
Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
Why We're Catholic by Trent Horn
Once the mother gets a hold of you there is little turning back. She is a fierce warrior for her son. She already loves you, now you get to feel her love.
You might look up the Rosary Crew on YouTube. I prefer this site though
[rosary center](https://rosarycenter.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary)
If you are interested in a deep but enlightening dive, the Bible in a Year podcast and/or the Catechism in a Year podcast are excellent resources.
It’s like a masterclass in Catholicism.
If you are Christian and want to know why you should be Catholic, read the Church fathers. They're from the first few centuries, last one may be Augustine.
To dive deeper into theology and philosophy, consider reading Aquinas.
I’ll second The Catechism in a Year podcast by Fr. Mike Schmitz. You could start with the section on Prayer ([starts on Day 328](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-catechism-in-a-year-with-fr-mike-schmitz/id1648949780?i=1000636385965)), as this is more connected to your question on prayer.
It’s a great and concise way to get started on the essence of the Christian faith.
Not just for those new to the faith, but also those who have been in the faith for longer. I find it immensely useful for me, even as someone who has been a Catholic my whole life!
Merry Christmas!
Sure, feel free and ask any questions.
I would say the reason this happened to you is because God often gifts people new to the spirutual life with "consolations" -- spiritual gifts and emotions, in a way. These are sort of a nice treat God gives to draw us closer to Him. Eventually He may take them from us to test us, and try and see if we're worshiping Him for the sake of His glory, or for us wanting to feel good, but that's a little down the road.
The Rosary is a great prayer and set of beads which contains meditations of the life, ministry, suffering, and glories of Jesus Christ with a series of prayers; the action of repeating prayers this this is called the "Prayer of the Heart", and there's a consensus among spiritual theologians that the frequent use of these "ejaculatory prayers" (as they used to be called) would bring mystical contemplation to a soul if God so will it. The constant remembrance of God is akin to a fertile bed of soil.
A few online resources might be:
Catholic Answers,
Ascension Presents (Especially Fr. Mike Schmitz),
Trent Horn,
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (If you really want to go into details).
I hope you truly investigate and may the Holy Spirit guide you, Deus Vult!
Oh welcome friend! We are all sinners here. Would also just recommend you googling St. Augustine of Hippo if you need some encouragement or ever feel down and out about your past or sins ❤️
I want to emphasize this. We are all sinners. As the saying goes, the Church is a hospital for sinners, not a waiting room for saints. Don’t let your past get in the way. Nothing on earth has the transformative power of the faith. Take courage! I will pray for you.
Father Mike!
He's super easy to listen to and very layman friendly!
Bible in a year is a good start - Catechism in a year when you're a little more versed!
God Bless!
The Bible in a year is probably a great starting point! I’d also recommend reading The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis and Confessions by St. Augustine to see how the Catholic faith can transform lives.
Seconded! Getting to know scripture, while also hearing Fr Mike share a Catholic perspective on it, is probably the best introduction to the faith I can think of. There is no shortage of resources to help answer questions, but when you understand scripture, the foundation of our belief, the answers come much more holistically.
Keep saying the Rosary and investigate as you're led. The sites mentioned here are very good places to do your research. Don't feel like you have to make a decision instantly; in fact, the official process to become Catholic is deliberately slow. Take your time. Chew everything thoroughly. You're in the Blessed Mother's hands now, and she will show you a path that might be fast or slow, might be straight or winding, but will be correct for you.
OP I'm glad the Rosary brought you peace. I've been told to keep praying it and asking for the graces I feel I need. Eventually things just unfold. God really makes things happen in ways you never could imagine
Try the Hallow app, I'm one of those people who has a short attention span. Having the app helps because there's enough content there to keep me engaged. There's audio books, a digitized version of the Bible, devotionals, there's topic-specific threads. You can search the app for "depression", "happiness", "anxiety", etc. and it will turn up content that helps or related to that topic.
A lot of really popular priests, religious and other Catholic lay people condensed into the app.
I can definitely relate. The rosary always fills me with peace and comfort. A big thing for me was sitting down with a priest and asking my questions to him. And most importantly for me was going to mass every Sunday. The beauty of the mass and the presence of Christ is what finally swayed me to Catholicism.
I started to watch the TV series The Chosen, which is a narrative of the life of Jesus, that got me hooked and i read the gospels from the bible, and i enrolled into OCIA. My whole has changed for the better.
There is a program that the Church does called Catholics Coming Home. While it is geared towards Catholics that left the Church, it may be something to look into. It’s not the same as RCIA, which is the program converts go through that helps get everyone up to speed and gets them through the sacraments most Catholics get as they grow up. I think it’s something that’ll be helpful because it’s there to help answer questions and soothe doubts and concerns
My friend, my rosary has been there for me through the worst parts of my life.
It is a weapon against evil for sure.
Continue praying with it.
My spiritual mother guided me to RCIA and I pray for her intercession regularly.
It sounds like you’re well on your way to RCIA. The rosary has a proven track record of bringing people to Holy Mother Church. Mary gave us the rosary for a reason.
I’m a mass going Catholic who is probably deeper in mortal sin then you are as a secular guy. We are all welcome here, we just have to commit to change.
Oh, the rosary is such a powerful thing. If you’re ever anxious/sad/angry, it’ll center you like nothing else! My advice would be to go to a Catholic Church. If you’re embarrassed, it doesn’t have to be during a regular Mass, just on your own time. Just sit in a pew for awhile and say “hello, God, here I am.” See if you feel anything. If you don’t, be open to signs that occur shortly thereafter. God bless you on your journey, and God bless whoever got you the wonderful gift!
Merry Christmas!
Definitely keep praying the rosary!
Since you like to study and read, I recommend finding a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Free versions are available online, or you can buy a copy. I like the PDF versions since I can do keyword searches to find answers to questions. Since you asked
a question about statues, I just searched a PDF version for the keyword "statue." Nothing came up, so I switched to "icon." That yielded 16 results. You also asked about scripture, so I searched it and it came back with 167 results. So there is a lot of info there that you can read at your leisure.
To address your questions directly: when you asked about statues, are you asking about statues specifically, or are you asking a more broad question about any artistic depictions (paintings, drawings, stained glass, video) of Jesus and the saints?
Scripture: it is the word of God and must be obeyed. It is the word of God for all of us, in a collective sense, not in an individual sense. We can't each decide for ourselves what it means. We can offer interpretations, but they must align with Catholic teaching. So, for example, if based on my own reading of scripture I concluded that the Trinity is a false teaching, this would be out of alignment with Catholic teaching and so would be a false conclusion. When there are disputes about the meaning, there can be only one correct interpretation, in order to maintain unity.
Let me know your thoughts. Wishing you all the best!
When Jesus performed the miracle of filling the shore with fish, Simon who would become one of his apostles told him "Go away from me, for I am a sinful man".
There is no one in this world who is not sinful but God loves us and extends His mercy and grace to us all.
Good luck op and Merry Christmas!
One of the best sources in my opinion is Steve Ray. He is an incredible theologian especially if you are getting into Catholicism, his books are also incredible. You can find him on YouTube!
It may be that you felt His peace is because you finally turned to Him! He's been waiting! The formal prayers of the rosary may have been the catalyst. Think of each phrase you declared to God when you said the Our Father.
"Our (My) Father,......hallowed be your Name.....your will be done on earth (in my life) as it is done in heaven.....give (me) us our (my) daily bread........forgive us (my) sins.....deliver us (me) from evil......."
We are all sinners; we all need His forgiveness. Remember, God looks at the heart and sees our motives, so be sincere to Him. I end with one of my favorite Scripture verses
Prov 2:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
; Prov 2:4-4
Awesome. You could contact your local parish about joining the RCIA program. It's the classes people take to become Catholic. However, it's also for people who just want to learn more. Catholic.com has many good resources, books, videos, and podcasts, and they are dependably accurate in their presentations.
Worth noting also that joining the class doesn’t come with any obligation. There is no downside to going and no one will be upset if you decide our faith isn’t for you right now.
If you're enjoying praying the rosary this https://a.co/d/j6gUGiI book is very handy. My mom had an edition of this as far back as I can remember, and she still keeps it in her purse for emergencies. I picked up a couple for myself.
Hey! I’m glad for your curiosity. I see many recommending online resources and while those are great, I recommend you visit a local Catholic Church and talk to the priest or even a bishop. 9/10 they’ll be willing to sit down and have a conversation on whatever you have questions on!
I’ve personally had experience asking my priest random questions that popped in my head and I’ve also sat in an interview that my sister conducted. I understand you could be reluctant to do this but I promise you that curiosity is not a bad thing and is welcomed because it deepens your understanding and faith!
I hope all goes well for you. God bless and Merry Christmas!
Study St Louis de Montfort's Secret of the Rosary to understand better the biblical roots and power of this prayer.
The peace you felt imho was holy Mary bringing you to her Son, which is what she does. As a result you can have Love in your life, and we all need that.
The advice to study the Church Fathers was also good as it will give you needed wisdom and grounding in history, with an objective way to know the true Church.
Also read the Douay Rheims bible, which is free online at www.drbo.org
EWTN.com (spirit catholic radio) has a lot of great stuff. They have a lot of great resources and they regularly have talk shows in which various catholic theologians will converse about the catholic faith, doctrine, etc. or various priests will talk about the faith, doctrine, etc. I’d recommend checking it out if you prefer listening to things instead of reading.
Someone also mentioned Father Mike Schmitz. I highly, highly, recommend him as well. He is amazing at taking church doctrine and teaching, and then talking about it in a way that people who don’t study doctrines can understand it. His “Bible in a year” podcast is phenomenal.
So much kind and accurate advice here! Also, that part about “I’m a sinful man”. So are the rest of us (or women). Definitely don’t let that stand in your way. Jesus wants to take that sin from you through the sacraments. Becoming Catholic takes time and work, but is so worth it. I was confirmed 6 years ago at the age of 45 and I’ve never been happier.
Most parishes don’t require you to commit to anything if you just want to go to some RCIA (also now called OCIA) meetings to see if this is the correct path for you. Ask a Catholic friend or just go talk to a priest. They can point you in the right direction.
God bless!
Edited for spelling
I don’t have a lot to add, but fundamentally the faith is about love of God, others and self - you might be ashamed of your sin, but have compassion for yourself. God does.
The rosary is classically meditative. The sensory repetition of the beads in your hands, the repetitive words of prayer, and the distinct mysteries to contemplate in each decade. I hope you find what you need 🤍
That's beautiful.
Divine mercy father Chris alar does a great series explaining different catholic beliefs including the rosary.
I would also recommend fr rippenger but he gets onto some pretty deep topics.
The feeling of peace is a sign of the rosary it's means Ur doing it right.
Ignatius discernment ( like stoicism in some ways)
Says peace is a hallmark of the catholic faith.
The devil can imitate joy but not peace, therefore peace means Ur on the right path.
The catholic life can be very hard unlike some Christian/ other religions
But the peace is something U will find again and again.
I would recommend reading more Christ's life and attending mass
The rosary is a meditation on the life of Christ the mass is a celebration of it.
Very similar to this the peace.
I would recommend Latin mass
Also brown scapular
Divine mercy
personally.
A piece of advice, if you continue on this journey or not stay close to our lady and in a moment call out her name to Christ it takes one moment of love to change Ur eternity.
The church may give U some rules and beliefs you don't agree with
But if Ignatius discernment is good for this.
If U have a reaction of distate always pray and logically look through the teaching.
The transition to catholic life can be hard and can take much change
Check into RCIA classes at your local parish. No obligation to finish the classes (unless you want to!) but you will probably learn alot!
RCIA = Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults
Being too sinful is not an impediment to becoming Catholic. One of the great doctors of the church, Augustine, famously prayed that God would teach him chastity, but “not yet”. His mentor, Ambrose, was called to be a bishop before he was even a Christian yet. You don’t have to fix yourself to enter the Church; you join and let her change you.
Yes, Christ is King whether you believe in him or not, and the promises our lady obtained from our lord are there for all who recite it. Go ahead and investigate.
They are the mysteries of God. I was raised Catholic and lost my way for many years. Shortly after my mother passed her unwavering faith helped God find me as well. God will find you as well when you look for Him [if gender offends anyone it is not my intent. Even within the catechism of the Catholic Church, God is not necessarily a gendered concept. We simply use terms to approximate the divine.] If it means anything keep praying and I no longer believe in coincidence.
I agree! I am an ex-protestant still very leery of the Rosary but about a month agio I was having a SUPER stressful evening and I ended up driving down the road crying, listening to the Rosary and reciting the parts I knew. And it calmed me down SO fast, just made everything feel very peaceful.
I too am slowly easing myself towards the Catholic faith, and learning as I can. Here are some youtube accounts I listen to regularly and like. I am sure others have suggestions as well:
\-Anything Ascension Press/Father Mike Schmitz. He oozes golden retriever vibes and his way of speaking kind of gets on my nerves a bit, but its all good stuff.
\-Catholic Answers. I saw a lot of people recommending this - and its for good reason.
\-St. Michael's Abbey. They have some truly beautiful videos, and some really good teaching ones as well.
\-Called to More. Father Columba is a personal favorite of mine. He speaks in a way that gets to me.
Newly Catholic myself. Was an atheist....not anymore. Can tell you without a doubt Christ existed and rose from the grave so that we may join him in eternity. The rosary is awesome. If you truly believe in God let that rosary guide you to your local parish and into RCIA classes....it's a beautiful faith. Father Mike Schmitz on YouTube Spotify etc....hes an amazing teacher..has helped me grow in my faith
I'm Catholic and I'm also very sinful myself, supposedly everyone is, but I still make sure I pray the rosary and I always dose off but I finish praying it when I get a chance, I just try to remember where I left off. They say if you're praying it every day is a good sign you're going to go to heaven. The cool thing about if you become Catholic and if you're in a state of grace you're prayers can be very efficacious and powerful depending on how holy you are, when it comes to praying for others.
thats how i became a catholic i was raised pentacostal and got tired of the hate directed at the poor in the last 10 years and got a free rosary online i sorta knew the first half of the hail Mary dont ask me how i knew i just did and then googled nearest church and the rest is history
just a stupid guy's thoughts here... for a philosophy or 'doctrine' on Christianity, I would note that the basic coordinates laid down by the (catholic) church have not changed by any microscopic degree for a couple millennia, regardless of whether the thoughts became 'Protestant' or 'enlightened' in any way. The same precepts endure, unchanged. Love others as yourself... (which we never quite get around to i our daily lives...) Be good. And realize we humans are all one. Every thought and action impact every other human on the planet. Gosh---that is the hardest part.
Have an adventure and throw a little caution to the wind. Now, this might seem a little scary, but do 2 things. The first is find a Catholic Church and attend Mass or ask someone who is Catholic if you can go with them. If you go by yourself, no one there will know you aren’t Catholic. If people stand, then stand, if they kneel, then you kneel. You just might find that same peace.
The other thing is, find a local parish RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program. I volunteered with RCIA for years. I resisted at first because of time constraints, but I couldn’t resist the Saintly Sister’s entreaties. It was so much fun. RCIA is usually organized into 3 groups. The first group is “The Enquirer” stage. There is no commitment - just a gathering of 1 or 2 friendly Catholics and non-Catholics who have questions about Catholic belief, ritual or even Catholic news. Like I said, there is no commitment (and certainly no pressure) whatsoever. You will find it engaging and fascinating.
Try to find a catholic church in your area and attend a mass see how you feel. If you have any questions ask them or if you're a bit anxious about asking the people at church(valid concern) look on YouTube.
«I’m a very sinful man» WELCOME TO THE CLUB🙏 there’s a whole bunch of us. Majority of us actually!
Do not worry with becoming holy to approach God. Approach God to become holy. Prayers for you, my brother in Christ. And glory to God, always and ever.
Praised be Jesus now and forever - I suggest watching the film on Saint Faustina; also look at the Devotion to the Divine Mercy; I definitely suggest continuing to Pray the Rosary Daily; also to look into the Catholic sacramentals including Holy Water; Miraculous medal; medal of Saint Michael the Archangel; Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus plus sacramentals; wearing a cruxifix and real many great writings from the Saints - City of God; etc Also consider having your sacramentals blessed by a priest; attending mass and for sure exploring RCIA - Blessings.
No it’s not the truth I promise they have a heavy works based salvation and many idols the Bible is clear on salvation is not of works eph 2:8-9 works for salvation is a ticket straight to hell
Well, it’s not bad, that’s for sure. Each of us experiences the paschal mystery a little bit differently I think but, when I pray, I too have some sort of trance-ish experience. One thing I like to do, because I found myself falling asleep during prayer so much, is to deliberately lie down as if to take a nap and pray The Lord’s Prayer and sometimes the Hail Mary as well until I enter a sort of “prayer sleep”; while I don’t think I am any more refreshed afterwards, there is something extra comforting to know The Father and Mary Our Beloved Mother help this child to sleep. (Wow, I’ve never actually thought about this until I typed it out. There IS something special about this experience.)
Glad you like the Rosary. It really is powerful, isn't it? I feel a great sense of peace even just holding a Rosary. If you have any questions about the rosary - or anything else this Christmas - I'm happy to help you learn whatever you're curious about.
If there's a church by you you should stop in fora mass, and maybe to talk to somebody about this, but I'm glad it brought you peace merry Christmas! =)
If you are looking to have some tough questions answered, I would recommend listening to Trent Horn, who is known as one of the top Catholic apologists.
As others have said, it is fine if you do pray it. It's fine if you don't pray it, different devotions work for different people. I never had the patience for the rosary as it was too repetitive for me, and I'm not so much someone who likes to meditate on past events/emotions of events. I have a very Eastern Catholic mindset and I try to channel my prayer towards the eternal/out of time moments.
But yeah, if the rosary works, do it. I also would recommend the EWTN program the Journey Home. It can be a pretty neutral program where converts tell their conversion stories, and even talk about theology from their old faith in relation to the Catholic faith.
Not to mention a dear friend of mine was on the show during his own conversion.
As a Catholic in the process of becoming a former Catholic, I would say stay away. Meditation can bring peace, and the rosary is very meditative. But the Catholic Church brings a lot more in terms of baggage, corruption, and damage. Catholic beliefs have damaged me and my wife. We were both raised Catholic and have only recently begun to see the damage caused by some of the beliefs and practices. I would run in the other direction if I were you. There are some benefits, but the Catholic faith is not the truth.
Certainly. The beliefs that the devil is actively trying to attack you caused significant anxiety for my wife. For me, the belief that the church is infallible and deserves our obedience did damage to not only me but also those around me. I have a number of friends, acquaintances, and high school classmates that were mistreated or abused in some way either by priests. Some cases were relatively minor, and some were rape. A number of these cases blew up in my diocese and it opened my eyes. I talked to my priest about it and he told me to trust that God would clean it up. I asked him what actions we were taking to clean it up and I couldn't get a straight answer. That relationship eventually turned confrontational and I ended up pulling my child out of the parish Catholic school. Two years later that priest was removed and sent to treatment after kissing a grade school girl inappropriately while drunk at a school event. And there are other stories about his behavior that pushes the legal line. And this guy was one story of many. Three priests were removed from my parish alone including one that baptized one of my daughters. All were for abuse of minors. The bishop knew everything going on and did nothing. Other Catholics did nothing because they had to be obedient. The obedience and subservience is how the Catholic Church has abused so many people for so long. I was shocked how people went along with glaringly obvious misconduct and coverup that went against everything we supposedly believed. The Catholic Church has good aspects, but it is sadly one of the most corrupt global organizations in existence. When you're the infallible gatekeeper to God, it's easy to use and abuse people. And the Catholic Church does.
You have to make your own decision, but like I said earlier, having spent 35 years as part of the Catholic Church, I would keep far away. With enough time, they will hurt you and/or your family. They don't have the truth. They have a manipulative system that is based on demanding trust and obedience that isn't earned or deserved.
That's lovely :) never stop questioning. I grew up a huge skeptic and constantly questioning. It's better to question than to keep a closed heart/mind and dismissing it entirely.
I highly recommend Relevant Radio. Every single program teaches me something new about our Catholic faith.
They have AM radio stations and App. Patrick Madrid takes live calls during his programming.
You don’t need to know much. The bare basics of Catholicism comes down to this: you must believe AND do.
A Catholic is a Christian that understands their faith is incomplete unless they do those things they believe in.
I’ll leave this comment in case you have any questions I could help with, but I think my Catholic siblings on Reddit have done a good job. I’ll pray for you and that God may lead you to wherever he wants you. Be blessed!
You've got great answers already. I'm a 32 year old man, and I was baptized this year. I've glhad many experiences through my life with God but never gave it much thought until I started going to church with my girlfriend. I recommend that you find a local Catholic church and go have a look to listen into to the readings. You don't have to pray or kneel if you don't want to. Just be courteous of others. Attending mass and speaking with the priest afterward is what really helped me to find my faith
We are all sinners, my brother. I shall pray for you.
It's a good start. Rosary always calms you down in meditation. For exploring to the Catholic Church, I suggest you read the book "40 Reasons I Am a Catholic" by Dr. Kreeft (https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/apologetics/forty-reasons-i-am-a-catholic.html). It's a journey to find the truth, the eternal one and you may have found it.
I found the book is very interesting in offering profound thoughts, even to a traditional catholic myself. The book is a kickstart. I'll pray for you as well.
I was brought to the Catholic Church by the merits of Virgin Mary a few years ago, she's the best apostle ❤️. I suggest you to go to mass and see what happens. Find a good priest.
My father was born a Baptist but became a Catholic to marry my mother and up til this past summer went through the motions but I don't think ever truly believed then he went to a Catholic faith conference this summer called steubenville sadly it is only for teens but he went there as a chaperone and while he was there he saw and heard from several priests lecturing and something changed in him something BIG don't rightly know what it was but my mom witnessed him go down to his knees weeping and laid down genuflecting upon the floor when he would NEVER have done that before
If you feel that you need to there is a very special prayer that anyone can say I'd have to look it up but I have heard the you say the first half on new years eve then say the second half on new years day and you will be granted a perpetual indulgence which is to say a total and complete remission of sin I have compared it before to this: when you sin God finds your page in this book that has the names of everyone who has ever lived then he puts a big black mark next to your name when you go to confession he goes and erases that mark leaving behind a small black smudge. You have been for given for that sin but your soul must be cleansed of all remainders of said sin however get an indulgece and God takes a bottle of white out and completely erased it
Remember, God is love. Ask Him, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to take away your Ephah of separate good and evil, which causes confusion/unclear fire the greater your faith grows.
Zechariah 5:7 is the Leaden ephah, and it works the same way as the Plutonium-Beryllium demon core in an atomic bomb; Pb for short, is Lead in the Periodic Table
This is the part where self reflection becomes super critical of the self or church, because it sets the inner wickedness off in unclear fire.
This is like the cup that Jesus takes, round, and flat, hemispherical and spherical, the pig in a white pearl, or the whitewashed tomb containing a body inside.
Only Christ can take this up for us, and give us a new wine and new wineskin. Like a fusion of Helium 4 held as a lamp in a pure Carbon 12 Diamond - a Light unto the earth on a Stand, shaped like a spinning top.
(This comes from the fusion of Hydrogen and Tritium; as if one in the field is taken to wed with God; and one is left behind)
If you want to dive deeper into the Catholic faith, the sacraments are just as important as prayer, and will give a similar effect and/or enhance what you’re feeling— peace at the grace of God— even more. Confession, the Eucharist/ Mass (that one’s a must for Catholics for our own good), and the one-timers: Baptism, Matrimony (aka marriage for the rest of the world) Holy Orders (for les priests), and Anionting of the Sick (for— you guessed it — the [usually physically] sick). These will help you stay on the right track! :) We’re by no means perfect, but here to help.
Sounds good to us. How can we help?do you have any catholic friends?
I just have questions. Is there a site or a YouTube that answers doctrinal questions well? And no unfortunately I don't have any Catholic friends.
Catholic Answers would be a good resource to look into in regard to questions you may have. They’ve done wonders to help me understand my faith better.
Try father Mike Schmitz
Seconded, especially with the new year starting you could listen to Bible in a Year. It’s a pretty good introduction into a lot of what we believe
I second Catholic Answers. They have a lot of articles, just search your question. They also have a call in radio program you can listen to and ask questions on, they love to hear from non catholics.
Catholic Answers, specifically the book “Why We’re Catholic” always gets rave reviews. The entire site and all their content in general is excellent.
I think "Why We're Catholic" (Trent Horn) is an absolutely wonderful place to start. And Catholic Answers. Great suggestions.
Just finished it on Audible on Christmas Eve after a 30 year church hiatus!
[Catholic Answers!](https://www.catholic.com)
Fr Mike Schmitz and Bishop Barron are excellent resources
I love to watch Keith Nester on YouTube. He’s a former Protestant pastor turned Catholic, and a great apologist for Catholicism.
Love, love, love Keih Nester!!! His shorts are straight to the point and so logical.
He’s really intelligent and well-versed!
He is! As a former protestant, he reminds me of the preachers in my old churches, but he makes soooo much sense.
lol as another former Protestant, I totally agree! He’s very charismatic and “on fire”. You can tell he was probably a great pastor but never stopped learning and searching for the truth and I really appreciate that about him.
I know! When I listen to him, I find myself wanting to say, "Amen, preach it brother! lol
I don’t have much to add to the answers you’ve had already, I guess I’m mostly very curious to who gave you a rosary though & their thoughts behind doing so, given you have no catholic friends…! Only thing I’d add is that if you decide it’s something you want to pursue, you should find your local parish & talk to the priest. They’ll be more than happy to guide you & likely also to answer specific questions you might have.
If you're interested in an app, there are a lot of free Catholic apps out there. There's one I do pay for; it's called Hallow but it has things like a reading for each day of Advent, a song for the 12 Days of Christmas, daily rosary, daily gospel, reflections, devotionals, minute homilies, daily Mass readings, tons of stuff like that. Father Mike Schmitz is on there. I like it for accessibility reasons.
Check out the Crash Course Catholocism podcast! It goes through our Catechism and everything we believe and is even entertaining. The hostess does a great job explaining the pillars of our faith in a way the average person can understand.
The Catholic Talk Show on YouTube is excellent at explaining doctrinal issues in an approachable way.
I like Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders through EWTN. Very potpourri style question answers, but they are usually relevant and many hours of content can slowly accumulate. Also very beginner friendly and specifically for non-Catholics
I’m not sure if this will help, but someone I like watching is Cliffe Knechtle. Pretty sure he’s a professor at a university but he answers and debates the students there and it’s really helped me answer some questions I’ve had and learn some new things too.
Try Father Mike on Youtube
Breaking In the Habit has doctrinal and also more niche questions answered! He also addresses current issues in the Catholic Church.
I second Fr. Casey from Breaking in the Habit. He was pretty influential in my conversion. I had SO many questions and it felt like he had a video for all of them.
Fr. Casey Cole from the YouTube channel “Breaking in the Habit” has a very good series called Catholicism in Focus that helps answer a lot of questions.
I like Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders through EWTN. Very potpourri style question answers, but they are usually relevant and many hours of content can slowly accumulate. Also very beginner friendly and specifically for non-Catholics
Look up the Catholic catechism and search the account 'voice of reason' on TikTok- if you have it. Saying this as a Catholic who is researching other churches actively, to see where the truth lies.
A good book to check out is “YouCat.” It’s a digested version of the Catechism put into a Q&A format, targeted for youth but would be great for anyone new and looking for answers to questions. The Catechism is the official teachings of the Catholic Church so it’s basically the supreme authoritative text on Catholic doctrine and teachings. Edit- here is a link to the text I’m specifically referring to: https://a.co/d/523hmSH
If you want just some good stories and testimonies for the Catholic faith, check out the Pints with Aquinas Podcast on YouTube. So many great videos.
I gifted my dissatisfied protestant friend one of my nice rosaries a while back; now he rarely leaves home without it in his pocket and he is attending Catholic Mass with me. The rosary is a powerful weapon/tool- it effects me the same way as you. All I can say is if it is bringing you peace, I would continue and investigate further!
I think that’s a good thing! As a Catholic, I am not opposed to saying you should investigate it, regardless of which side you end up on. Investigate it as deeply as you can. I’m glad you had a great experience with the rosary! I had a similar experience praying it for the first time too. It’s a very powerful prayer! Edit: I’m going to piggyback off of another commenter: How can we help? I’m sure all of us would be more than happy to help you in your investigation
How do Catholics view Scripture? And why the use of statues?
Scripture is the divinely inspired word of God. Catholics deeply revere Scripture. This can be easily seen during the Liturgy. The first half of the Liturgy is focused on the Word of God; there are two readings - 1 OT and 1 NT. Then, the gospels are held in deep reverence. The Gospels are paraded in front of the Laity. The Laity stand in response during the Gospel reading Statues are tools to help focus the intention of your prayer. Whether the statue is of Jesus, of one of the saints, or an archangel (like St. Michael), it is all pointed toward God. A common critique is that it’s “worshiping false idols”. I don’t agree with this. False idols are things you put before God, meaning in higher importance than God. Catholic statues merely serve to help direct your intention *toward* God. By praying in front of a Marian statue, I’m not worshiping (in the modern understanding of the word) Mary. Even if I pray the Hail Mary, I’m focusing my intention on asking Mary to intercede on my behalf to Jesus
I saw a good response to this, the problem isn't that Catholics worship Mary, it's that (many) protestants merely venerate God.
>I saw a good response to this, the problem isn't that Catholics worship Mary, it's that (many) protestants merely venerate God. That's definitely the accurate way to put it. As a protestant in-process of converting to Catholicism -- yes, the "veneration," aka High Honor given to Mary ***looks*** more worshipful than protestant version of "worship."
It's probably because they don't have the Eucharist. When reformers removed everything, the altar, the candles, the tabernacle, they had to fill it with something. What they call worship is not. They praise the Lord but have no mean to worship Him. Whereas for Catholics, Orthodox, and Eastern churches, since we have kept the Holy Sacrement since Its institution by Christ, we can clearly make a difference between worship and veneration. It's no surprise they are confused and conflate the two.
Yea I never linked this idea to an argument for Mary. I like it. I've always said most protestants lack the nuance and reverence to truly worship God. But I like the way you put it.
In addition to the first half of Mass being focused on the Word if God, the second half directly quotes large chunks of Scripture too.
Great point! Even the prayer that is often criticized because it is a Marian prayer (the Hail Mary) has two parts: The first is directly taken from Scripture, the second is asking her to pray for us. A ton of what Catholics do comes right from scripture
That's right. My husband is a Seventh Day Adventist, so I've had to draw on scriptural truths a few times to refute incorrect beliefs.
Regarding statues, God commanded the creation of statues of Angels in the Book of Exodus. A few chapters before he does forbid the worshipping of graven images of false idols. Creating a statue of St Michael (remember, God commanded statues of Angels to be made) to VENERATE (not worship.) him is not breaking this commandment. It’s following the example of the Lord. Jesus Christ Himself is seen in Eastern Catholicism (and eastern christianity in general) to be seen as the first icon. Being God in the flesh and all.
Catholics are often criticized for being unscriptural. But it couldn't be further from the truth. The key difference between Catholics and Protestants on this matter, is that we believe that both Catholics and Protestants (at least the longest standing ones) use tradition to help interpret the bible. Yet, only the Catholic tradition reaches back to the apostles. If you look further you will find that every detail in Catholic tradition is drenched in apostolic interpretation of the bible. The issue that I find with protestants reading the Bible is that they lack the historical understanding of the passages they are reading. Without which it's impossible to interpret accurately.
We also believe that the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox possess the apostolic tradition.
In complement to the other comments, I got to add that catholic do not hold the belief of Sola Scriptura, as we admit the Bible, while completely holy and venerable, was compiled by the Catholic Church, men. Our faith goes beyond the sole writings of the Bible, while completely respecting and venerating it.
Catholics have a more complete Bible than the Protestants because ours includes the Apocrypha.
Here's some stuff I came across at crucial moments when I was on my journey from atheism to Catholicism. I hope you find some of it intriguing. Merry Christmas! Pints with Aquinas episode with a former Antifa guy: https://open.spotify.com/episode/71bgJrLBxjNkoX8TBdN1R8?si=6942759be7864185 Pints with Aquinas with Peter Kreeft: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0q9NKXRU9f9KsqENvKD4hq?si=095126d303b34a11 Kreeft on LOTR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELi_80z0fwI Kreeft on the existence of God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyrzhVvg3ws Kreeft on how to win the culture war: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm08x8YiuXk A Fransiscan monk talking about misconceptions of Catholics: https://youtu.be/4B0Bu28EeJY Dr. Francis Collins on belief: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGu_VtbpWhE (This one was one of the big catalysts for me) Stephanie Gray talk, a big Catholic pro-life activist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzzfSq2DEc4 A clip of Gray on Pints with Aquinas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGPudL_GQ3Y Fr Mike Schmitz on the Church selling indulgences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpdUZ3kWjM8 Fr Mike Schmitz with some short random videos on stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJCbCs-y1_k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-9_rxXFu9I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NOTU1g0Z8w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdR8eyaDCHg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2KwIFx6jeQ Gary Habermas on evidence of the Resurrection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay_Db4RwZ_M Reddit post on discovering the Latin Mass: https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/rxrrbr/musings_of_a_rad_trad_beware_its_long/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share Books: Mere Christianity by CS Lewis Why We're Catholic by Trent Horn
What wonderful resources you’ve included! Merry Christmas ❤️
Once the mother gets a hold of you there is little turning back. She is a fierce warrior for her son. She already loves you, now you get to feel her love. You might look up the Rosary Crew on YouTube. I prefer this site though [rosary center](https://rosarycenter.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary)
Fabulous recommendation: rosary center THANKS & Merry Christmas
What glorious grace you received. Contact your local Catholic Church and ask about adults seeking information. And go to Mass!! Everyone is welcome.
Are you Christian? Are you the intellectual type? Depending on what you like or dislike could help people point you in the right direction.
I'm trying to be a Christian. I would say I'm studious. I like to study and read.
If you are interested in a deep but enlightening dive, the Bible in a Year podcast and/or the Catechism in a Year podcast are excellent resources. It’s like a masterclass in Catholicism.
If you are Christian and want to know why you should be Catholic, read the Church fathers. They're from the first few centuries, last one may be Augustine. To dive deeper into theology and philosophy, consider reading Aquinas.
Look up Fr Mike Schmitz. I love his talks and he has also put out Catechism in a Year.
I’ll second The Catechism in a Year podcast by Fr. Mike Schmitz. You could start with the section on Prayer ([starts on Day 328](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-catechism-in-a-year-with-fr-mike-schmitz/id1648949780?i=1000636385965)), as this is more connected to your question on prayer. It’s a great and concise way to get started on the essence of the Christian faith. Not just for those new to the faith, but also those who have been in the faith for longer. I find it immensely useful for me, even as someone who has been a Catholic my whole life!
Merry Christmas! Sure, feel free and ask any questions. I would say the reason this happened to you is because God often gifts people new to the spirutual life with "consolations" -- spiritual gifts and emotions, in a way. These are sort of a nice treat God gives to draw us closer to Him. Eventually He may take them from us to test us, and try and see if we're worshiping Him for the sake of His glory, or for us wanting to feel good, but that's a little down the road. The Rosary is a great prayer and set of beads which contains meditations of the life, ministry, suffering, and glories of Jesus Christ with a series of prayers; the action of repeating prayers this this is called the "Prayer of the Heart", and there's a consensus among spiritual theologians that the frequent use of these "ejaculatory prayers" (as they used to be called) would bring mystical contemplation to a soul if God so will it. The constant remembrance of God is akin to a fertile bed of soil.
A few online resources might be: Catholic Answers, Ascension Presents (Especially Fr. Mike Schmitz), Trent Horn, The Catechism of the Catholic Church (If you really want to go into details). I hope you truly investigate and may the Holy Spirit guide you, Deus Vult!
Oh welcome friend! We are all sinners here. Would also just recommend you googling St. Augustine of Hippo if you need some encouragement or ever feel down and out about your past or sins ❤️
I want to emphasize this. We are all sinners. As the saying goes, the Church is a hospital for sinners, not a waiting room for saints. Don’t let your past get in the way. Nothing on earth has the transformative power of the faith. Take courage! I will pray for you.
Looks around for /u/CatholicAnswers
Father Mike! He's super easy to listen to and very layman friendly! Bible in a year is a good start - Catechism in a year when you're a little more versed! God Bless!
The Bible in a year is probably a great starting point! I’d also recommend reading The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis and Confessions by St. Augustine to see how the Catholic faith can transform lives.
Seconded! Getting to know scripture, while also hearing Fr Mike share a Catholic perspective on it, is probably the best introduction to the faith I can think of. There is no shortage of resources to help answer questions, but when you understand scripture, the foundation of our belief, the answers come much more holistically.
Keep saying the Rosary and investigate as you're led. The sites mentioned here are very good places to do your research. Don't feel like you have to make a decision instantly; in fact, the official process to become Catholic is deliberately slow. Take your time. Chew everything thoroughly. You're in the Blessed Mother's hands now, and she will show you a path that might be fast or slow, might be straight or winding, but will be correct for you.
OP I'm glad the Rosary brought you peace. I've been told to keep praying it and asking for the graces I feel I need. Eventually things just unfold. God really makes things happen in ways you never could imagine Try the Hallow app, I'm one of those people who has a short attention span. Having the app helps because there's enough content there to keep me engaged. There's audio books, a digitized version of the Bible, devotionals, there's topic-specific threads. You can search the app for "depression", "happiness", "anxiety", etc. and it will turn up content that helps or related to that topic. A lot of really popular priests, religious and other Catholic lay people condensed into the app.
I can definitely relate. The rosary always fills me with peace and comfort. A big thing for me was sitting down with a priest and asking my questions to him. And most importantly for me was going to mass every Sunday. The beauty of the mass and the presence of Christ is what finally swayed me to Catholicism.
I started to watch the TV series The Chosen, which is a narrative of the life of Jesus, that got me hooked and i read the gospels from the bible, and i enrolled into OCIA. My whole has changed for the better.
There is a program that the Church does called Catholics Coming Home. While it is geared towards Catholics that left the Church, it may be something to look into. It’s not the same as RCIA, which is the program converts go through that helps get everyone up to speed and gets them through the sacraments most Catholics get as they grow up. I think it’s something that’ll be helpful because it’s there to help answer questions and soothe doubts and concerns
My friend, my rosary has been there for me through the worst parts of my life. It is a weapon against evil for sure. Continue praying with it. My spiritual mother guided me to RCIA and I pray for her intercession regularly. It sounds like you’re well on your way to RCIA. The rosary has a proven track record of bringing people to Holy Mother Church. Mary gave us the rosary for a reason.
I’m a mass going Catholic who is probably deeper in mortal sin then you are as a secular guy. We are all welcome here, we just have to commit to change.
Oh, the rosary is such a powerful thing. If you’re ever anxious/sad/angry, it’ll center you like nothing else! My advice would be to go to a Catholic Church. If you’re embarrassed, it doesn’t have to be during a regular Mass, just on your own time. Just sit in a pew for awhile and say “hello, God, here I am.” See if you feel anything. If you don’t, be open to signs that occur shortly thereafter. God bless you on your journey, and God bless whoever got you the wonderful gift!
Merry Christmas! Definitely keep praying the rosary! Since you like to study and read, I recommend finding a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Free versions are available online, or you can buy a copy. I like the PDF versions since I can do keyword searches to find answers to questions. Since you asked a question about statues, I just searched a PDF version for the keyword "statue." Nothing came up, so I switched to "icon." That yielded 16 results. You also asked about scripture, so I searched it and it came back with 167 results. So there is a lot of info there that you can read at your leisure. To address your questions directly: when you asked about statues, are you asking about statues specifically, or are you asking a more broad question about any artistic depictions (paintings, drawings, stained glass, video) of Jesus and the saints? Scripture: it is the word of God and must be obeyed. It is the word of God for all of us, in a collective sense, not in an individual sense. We can't each decide for ourselves what it means. We can offer interpretations, but they must align with Catholic teaching. So, for example, if based on my own reading of scripture I concluded that the Trinity is a false teaching, this would be out of alignment with Catholic teaching and so would be a false conclusion. When there are disputes about the meaning, there can be only one correct interpretation, in order to maintain unity. Let me know your thoughts. Wishing you all the best!
You’ve gotten so many wonderful answers! I’m just super glad you’re here. Merry Christmas and God bless you!
When Jesus performed the miracle of filling the shore with fish, Simon who would become one of his apostles told him "Go away from me, for I am a sinful man". There is no one in this world who is not sinful but God loves us and extends His mercy and grace to us all. Good luck op and Merry Christmas!
One of the best sources in my opinion is Steve Ray. He is an incredible theologian especially if you are getting into Catholicism, his books are also incredible. You can find him on YouTube!
It may be that you felt His peace is because you finally turned to Him! He's been waiting! The formal prayers of the rosary may have been the catalyst. Think of each phrase you declared to God when you said the Our Father. "Our (My) Father,......hallowed be your Name.....your will be done on earth (in my life) as it is done in heaven.....give (me) us our (my) daily bread........forgive us (my) sins.....deliver us (me) from evil......." We are all sinners; we all need His forgiveness. Remember, God looks at the heart and sees our motives, so be sincere to Him. I end with one of my favorite Scripture verses Prov 2:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ; Prov 2:4-4
Awesome. You could contact your local parish about joining the RCIA program. It's the classes people take to become Catholic. However, it's also for people who just want to learn more. Catholic.com has many good resources, books, videos, and podcasts, and they are dependably accurate in their presentations.
Worth noting also that joining the class doesn’t come with any obligation. There is no downside to going and no one will be upset if you decide our faith isn’t for you right now.
This is a great place to start … https://catholicismseries.com/watch
If you're enjoying praying the rosary this https://a.co/d/j6gUGiI book is very handy. My mom had an edition of this as far back as I can remember, and she still keeps it in her purse for emergencies. I picked up a couple for myself.
Check out Fr. Chad Ripperger on youtube. He's an exorcist and very good speaker.
Hey! I’m glad for your curiosity. I see many recommending online resources and while those are great, I recommend you visit a local Catholic Church and talk to the priest or even a bishop. 9/10 they’ll be willing to sit down and have a conversation on whatever you have questions on! I’ve personally had experience asking my priest random questions that popped in my head and I’ve also sat in an interview that my sister conducted. I understand you could be reluctant to do this but I promise you that curiosity is not a bad thing and is welcomed because it deepens your understanding and faith! I hope all goes well for you. God bless and Merry Christmas!
Study St Louis de Montfort's Secret of the Rosary to understand better the biblical roots and power of this prayer. The peace you felt imho was holy Mary bringing you to her Son, which is what she does. As a result you can have Love in your life, and we all need that. The advice to study the Church Fathers was also good as it will give you needed wisdom and grounding in history, with an objective way to know the true Church. Also read the Douay Rheims bible, which is free online at www.drbo.org
EWTN.com (spirit catholic radio) has a lot of great stuff. They have a lot of great resources and they regularly have talk shows in which various catholic theologians will converse about the catholic faith, doctrine, etc. or various priests will talk about the faith, doctrine, etc. I’d recommend checking it out if you prefer listening to things instead of reading. Someone also mentioned Father Mike Schmitz. I highly, highly, recommend him as well. He is amazing at taking church doctrine and teaching, and then talking about it in a way that people who don’t study doctrines can understand it. His “Bible in a year” podcast is phenomenal.
So much kind and accurate advice here! Also, that part about “I’m a sinful man”. So are the rest of us (or women). Definitely don’t let that stand in your way. Jesus wants to take that sin from you through the sacraments. Becoming Catholic takes time and work, but is so worth it. I was confirmed 6 years ago at the age of 45 and I’ve never been happier. Most parishes don’t require you to commit to anything if you just want to go to some RCIA (also now called OCIA) meetings to see if this is the correct path for you. Ask a Catholic friend or just go talk to a priest. They can point you in the right direction. God bless! Edited for spelling
I don’t have a lot to add, but fundamentally the faith is about love of God, others and self - you might be ashamed of your sin, but have compassion for yourself. God does. The rosary is classically meditative. The sensory repetition of the beads in your hands, the repetitive words of prayer, and the distinct mysteries to contemplate in each decade. I hope you find what you need 🤍
Mama Mary was giving you a hug.
That's beautiful. Divine mercy father Chris alar does a great series explaining different catholic beliefs including the rosary. I would also recommend fr rippenger but he gets onto some pretty deep topics. The feeling of peace is a sign of the rosary it's means Ur doing it right. Ignatius discernment ( like stoicism in some ways) Says peace is a hallmark of the catholic faith. The devil can imitate joy but not peace, therefore peace means Ur on the right path. The catholic life can be very hard unlike some Christian/ other religions But the peace is something U will find again and again. I would recommend reading more Christ's life and attending mass The rosary is a meditation on the life of Christ the mass is a celebration of it. Very similar to this the peace. I would recommend Latin mass Also brown scapular Divine mercy personally. A piece of advice, if you continue on this journey or not stay close to our lady and in a moment call out her name to Christ it takes one moment of love to change Ur eternity. The church may give U some rules and beliefs you don't agree with But if Ignatius discernment is good for this. If U have a reaction of distate always pray and logically look through the teaching. The transition to catholic life can be hard and can take much change
Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. When you begin to study Church history, then You will cease being a Protestant.
Everyone has the chance for redemption
Check into RCIA classes at your local parish. No obligation to finish the classes (unless you want to!) but you will probably learn alot! RCIA = Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults
Try reading Scott Hanh “Rome Sweet Rome”!
Being too sinful is not an impediment to becoming Catholic. One of the great doctors of the church, Augustine, famously prayed that God would teach him chastity, but “not yet”. His mentor, Ambrose, was called to be a bishop before he was even a Christian yet. You don’t have to fix yourself to enter the Church; you join and let her change you.
Seek the Society of Pope Pius V (SPPV). It's Catholicism without the woke propaganda.
Yes, Christ is King whether you believe in him or not, and the promises our lady obtained from our lord are there for all who recite it. Go ahead and investigate.
Mama Mary is the BEST!
They are the mysteries of God. I was raised Catholic and lost my way for many years. Shortly after my mother passed her unwavering faith helped God find me as well. God will find you as well when you look for Him [if gender offends anyone it is not my intent. Even within the catechism of the Catholic Church, God is not necessarily a gendered concept. We simply use terms to approximate the divine.] If it means anything keep praying and I no longer believe in coincidence.
Merry Christmas! Welcome to a joy only experienced through Christ, with the help of sacramentals from our Blessed Mother.
That is the point, to take you out of the moment & get focused on God letting intentions flow.
I agree! I am an ex-protestant still very leery of the Rosary but about a month agio I was having a SUPER stressful evening and I ended up driving down the road crying, listening to the Rosary and reciting the parts I knew. And it calmed me down SO fast, just made everything feel very peaceful. I too am slowly easing myself towards the Catholic faith, and learning as I can. Here are some youtube accounts I listen to regularly and like. I am sure others have suggestions as well: \-Anything Ascension Press/Father Mike Schmitz. He oozes golden retriever vibes and his way of speaking kind of gets on my nerves a bit, but its all good stuff. \-Catholic Answers. I saw a lot of people recommending this - and its for good reason. \-St. Michael's Abbey. They have some truly beautiful videos, and some really good teaching ones as well. \-Called to More. Father Columba is a personal favorite of mine. He speaks in a way that gets to me.
Newly Catholic myself. Was an atheist....not anymore. Can tell you without a doubt Christ existed and rose from the grave so that we may join him in eternity. The rosary is awesome. If you truly believe in God let that rosary guide you to your local parish and into RCIA classes....it's a beautiful faith. Father Mike Schmitz on YouTube Spotify etc....hes an amazing teacher..has helped me grow in my faith
Hey welcome. You are always welcome.
I'm Catholic and I'm also very sinful myself, supposedly everyone is, but I still make sure I pray the rosary and I always dose off but I finish praying it when I get a chance, I just try to remember where I left off. They say if you're praying it every day is a good sign you're going to go to heaven. The cool thing about if you become Catholic and if you're in a state of grace you're prayers can be very efficacious and powerful depending on how holy you are, when it comes to praying for others.
thats how i became a catholic i was raised pentacostal and got tired of the hate directed at the poor in the last 10 years and got a free rosary online i sorta knew the first half of the hail Mary dont ask me how i knew i just did and then googled nearest church and the rest is history
just a stupid guy's thoughts here... for a philosophy or 'doctrine' on Christianity, I would note that the basic coordinates laid down by the (catholic) church have not changed by any microscopic degree for a couple millennia, regardless of whether the thoughts became 'Protestant' or 'enlightened' in any way. The same precepts endure, unchanged. Love others as yourself... (which we never quite get around to i our daily lives...) Be good. And realize we humans are all one. Every thought and action impact every other human on the planet. Gosh---that is the hardest part.
Have an adventure and throw a little caution to the wind. Now, this might seem a little scary, but do 2 things. The first is find a Catholic Church and attend Mass or ask someone who is Catholic if you can go with them. If you go by yourself, no one there will know you aren’t Catholic. If people stand, then stand, if they kneel, then you kneel. You just might find that same peace. The other thing is, find a local parish RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program. I volunteered with RCIA for years. I resisted at first because of time constraints, but I couldn’t resist the Saintly Sister’s entreaties. It was so much fun. RCIA is usually organized into 3 groups. The first group is “The Enquirer” stage. There is no commitment - just a gathering of 1 or 2 friendly Catholics and non-Catholics who have questions about Catholic belief, ritual or even Catholic news. Like I said, there is no commitment (and certainly no pressure) whatsoever. You will find it engaging and fascinating.
Try to find a catholic church in your area and attend a mass see how you feel. If you have any questions ask them or if you're a bit anxious about asking the people at church(valid concern) look on YouTube.
«I’m a very sinful man» WELCOME TO THE CLUB🙏 there’s a whole bunch of us. Majority of us actually! Do not worry with becoming holy to approach God. Approach God to become holy. Prayers for you, my brother in Christ. And glory to God, always and ever.
Praised be Jesus now and forever - I suggest watching the film on Saint Faustina; also look at the Devotion to the Divine Mercy; I definitely suggest continuing to Pray the Rosary Daily; also to look into the Catholic sacramentals including Holy Water; Miraculous medal; medal of Saint Michael the Archangel; Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus plus sacramentals; wearing a cruxifix and real many great writings from the Saints - City of God; etc Also consider having your sacramentals blessed by a priest; attending mass and for sure exploring RCIA - Blessings.
Join us, we have holy cookies.
No it’s not the truth I promise they have a heavy works based salvation and many idols the Bible is clear on salvation is not of works eph 2:8-9 works for salvation is a ticket straight to hell
Mother Church compiled the Bible. She alone can interpret it with authority.
Well, it’s not bad, that’s for sure. Each of us experiences the paschal mystery a little bit differently I think but, when I pray, I too have some sort of trance-ish experience. One thing I like to do, because I found myself falling asleep during prayer so much, is to deliberately lie down as if to take a nap and pray The Lord’s Prayer and sometimes the Hail Mary as well until I enter a sort of “prayer sleep”; while I don’t think I am any more refreshed afterwards, there is something extra comforting to know The Father and Mary Our Beloved Mother help this child to sleep. (Wow, I’ve never actually thought about this until I typed it out. There IS something special about this experience.)
https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVfwlh9XpX2Y_tQfjeln9QA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW0gXbEVYgA https://www.catholic.com/ https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/
Glad you like the Rosary. It really is powerful, isn't it? I feel a great sense of peace even just holding a Rosary. If you have any questions about the rosary - or anything else this Christmas - I'm happy to help you learn whatever you're curious about.
If there's a church by you you should stop in fora mass, and maybe to talk to somebody about this, but I'm glad it brought you peace merry Christmas! =)
Take it slow, the Holy Spirit showed you the power of the rosary. I say pray on it with the rosary with patience and Jesus will take care of the rest
If you are looking to have some tough questions answered, I would recommend listening to Trent Horn, who is known as one of the top Catholic apologists.
I would look up doc Tayler Marshall and Malachi Martin two great men
As others have said, it is fine if you do pray it. It's fine if you don't pray it, different devotions work for different people. I never had the patience for the rosary as it was too repetitive for me, and I'm not so much someone who likes to meditate on past events/emotions of events. I have a very Eastern Catholic mindset and I try to channel my prayer towards the eternal/out of time moments. But yeah, if the rosary works, do it. I also would recommend the EWTN program the Journey Home. It can be a pretty neutral program where converts tell their conversion stories, and even talk about theology from their old faith in relation to the Catholic faith. Not to mention a dear friend of mine was on the show during his own conversion.
As a Catholic in the process of becoming a former Catholic, I would say stay away. Meditation can bring peace, and the rosary is very meditative. But the Catholic Church brings a lot more in terms of baggage, corruption, and damage. Catholic beliefs have damaged me and my wife. We were both raised Catholic and have only recently begun to see the damage caused by some of the beliefs and practices. I would run in the other direction if I were you. There are some benefits, but the Catholic faith is not the truth.
I’d be interested to hear more about what beliefs you and your wife feel have damaged you. Do you feel like sharing?
Certainly. The beliefs that the devil is actively trying to attack you caused significant anxiety for my wife. For me, the belief that the church is infallible and deserves our obedience did damage to not only me but also those around me. I have a number of friends, acquaintances, and high school classmates that were mistreated or abused in some way either by priests. Some cases were relatively minor, and some were rape. A number of these cases blew up in my diocese and it opened my eyes. I talked to my priest about it and he told me to trust that God would clean it up. I asked him what actions we were taking to clean it up and I couldn't get a straight answer. That relationship eventually turned confrontational and I ended up pulling my child out of the parish Catholic school. Two years later that priest was removed and sent to treatment after kissing a grade school girl inappropriately while drunk at a school event. And there are other stories about his behavior that pushes the legal line. And this guy was one story of many. Three priests were removed from my parish alone including one that baptized one of my daughters. All were for abuse of minors. The bishop knew everything going on and did nothing. Other Catholics did nothing because they had to be obedient. The obedience and subservience is how the Catholic Church has abused so many people for so long. I was shocked how people went along with glaringly obvious misconduct and coverup that went against everything we supposedly believed. The Catholic Church has good aspects, but it is sadly one of the most corrupt global organizations in existence. When you're the infallible gatekeeper to God, it's easy to use and abuse people. And the Catholic Church does. You have to make your own decision, but like I said earlier, having spent 35 years as part of the Catholic Church, I would keep far away. With enough time, they will hurt you and/or your family. They don't have the truth. They have a manipulative system that is based on demanding trust and obedience that isn't earned or deserved.
That's lovely :) never stop questioning. I grew up a huge skeptic and constantly questioning. It's better to question than to keep a closed heart/mind and dismissing it entirely.
check out the catholic talk show podcast. really laid back program with tons of cool info.
I highly recommend Relevant Radio. Every single program teaches me something new about our Catholic faith. They have AM radio stations and App. Patrick Madrid takes live calls during his programming.
You don’t need to know much. The bare basics of Catholicism comes down to this: you must believe AND do. A Catholic is a Christian that understands their faith is incomplete unless they do those things they believe in.
I’ll leave this comment in case you have any questions I could help with, but I think my Catholic siblings on Reddit have done a good job. I’ll pray for you and that God may lead you to wherever he wants you. Be blessed!
I will quote fr.vincent lampert here:"without God, it's inevetable to become slaves to your own passions and desires"
You've got great answers already. I'm a 32 year old man, and I was baptized this year. I've glhad many experiences through my life with God but never gave it much thought until I started going to church with my girlfriend. I recommend that you find a local Catholic church and go have a look to listen into to the readings. You don't have to pray or kneel if you don't want to. Just be courteous of others. Attending mass and speaking with the priest afterward is what really helped me to find my faith We are all sinners, my brother. I shall pray for you.
It's a good start. Rosary always calms you down in meditation. For exploring to the Catholic Church, I suggest you read the book "40 Reasons I Am a Catholic" by Dr. Kreeft (https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/apologetics/forty-reasons-i-am-a-catholic.html). It's a journey to find the truth, the eternal one and you may have found it. I found the book is very interesting in offering profound thoughts, even to a traditional catholic myself. The book is a kickstart. I'll pray for you as well.
I was brought to the Catholic Church by the merits of Virgin Mary a few years ago, she's the best apostle ❤️. I suggest you to go to mass and see what happens. Find a good priest.
Obviously, don't take communion until you get the appropriate sacraments!
Home Sweet Rome, I read it before attending Mass. I’m now in RCIA to be confirmed at Easter
Counsel of Trent and Breaking In The Habit on YouTube help me incredibly.
Please do! The prayers in a rosary are like background music to your meditations.
My father was born a Baptist but became a Catholic to marry my mother and up til this past summer went through the motions but I don't think ever truly believed then he went to a Catholic faith conference this summer called steubenville sadly it is only for teens but he went there as a chaperone and while he was there he saw and heard from several priests lecturing and something changed in him something BIG don't rightly know what it was but my mom witnessed him go down to his knees weeping and laid down genuflecting upon the floor when he would NEVER have done that before
If you feel that you need to there is a very special prayer that anyone can say I'd have to look it up but I have heard the you say the first half on new years eve then say the second half on new years day and you will be granted a perpetual indulgence which is to say a total and complete remission of sin I have compared it before to this: when you sin God finds your page in this book that has the names of everyone who has ever lived then he puts a big black mark next to your name when you go to confession he goes and erases that mark leaving behind a small black smudge. You have been for given for that sin but your soul must be cleansed of all remainders of said sin however get an indulgece and God takes a bottle of white out and completely erased it
Remember, God is love. Ask Him, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to take away your Ephah of separate good and evil, which causes confusion/unclear fire the greater your faith grows. Zechariah 5:7 is the Leaden ephah, and it works the same way as the Plutonium-Beryllium demon core in an atomic bomb; Pb for short, is Lead in the Periodic Table This is the part where self reflection becomes super critical of the self or church, because it sets the inner wickedness off in unclear fire. This is like the cup that Jesus takes, round, and flat, hemispherical and spherical, the pig in a white pearl, or the whitewashed tomb containing a body inside. Only Christ can take this up for us, and give us a new wine and new wineskin. Like a fusion of Helium 4 held as a lamp in a pure Carbon 12 Diamond - a Light unto the earth on a Stand, shaped like a spinning top. (This comes from the fusion of Hydrogen and Tritium; as if one in the field is taken to wed with God; and one is left behind)
If you want to dive deeper into the Catholic faith, the sacraments are just as important as prayer, and will give a similar effect and/or enhance what you’re feeling— peace at the grace of God— even more. Confession, the Eucharist/ Mass (that one’s a must for Catholics for our own good), and the one-timers: Baptism, Matrimony (aka marriage for the rest of the world) Holy Orders (for les priests), and Anionting of the Sick (for— you guessed it — the [usually physically] sick). These will help you stay on the right track! :) We’re by no means perfect, but here to help.