Christians Unite!

[Lionheart]

I live next door to a Catholic Church. I am not Catholic but I have a burning desire to visit the church, but at the same time, I am intimidated by it. I am actually a Universalist Christian, but I accept all forms of Christianity as valid.

I want to go and take a prayer list, make a few confessions, light some candles, and ask for holy water and an introduction to the Catholic faith.

Are there any Catholics here who could give me a little 'heads up" info? I am too anxious to go, maybe I could have a friend or family member go with me?

 

[Changing4Best]

@ravenhunter First of all, I just have to say that I knew a woman once whose name was Raven. She's probably in her 60s by now, but I just had to tell you that. She had black hair and she even had me make a ring for her in the shape of a bat. It was sterling silver. That was back in the 1970s.

Anyway! I just want to welcome you here to this thread, since you feel the way you do about it. iT IS GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US. i AM NOT PERFECT EITHER, ONLY jESUS CAN CLAIM THAT (oops, caps loc!) distinction. I overeat, eat between meals and during the night and am overweight. That is my weakness of the moment, but certainly I am a "work in progress" and Jesus is the One working on me too. I have other sins as well....

I would be glad to pray for you. There is a thread called Prayer Requests here in SOCIAL as well, if you want more folks to pray for you than just the ones that go to this thread. Also, there are a lot of folks who lurk on these threads, they may nbot say anything, but they do read and they do pray. We need to pray for them too!

 

[Changing4Best]

@Lionheart777 I used to go to the Catholic Church for awhile, but it was too far to walk there as I got older, so I chose a church that is closer to my home. Anyway, you might like the Catholic Church as it is often a beautiful place, spiritually and also the buildings themselves are too. It takes awhile to get to know folks, but some of them may welcome you right away.

There is a class that you can take in which you learn what it is to be Catholic. You would meet others in that class that are new to the church also. That might be a great place to start.

You might want to go during non-church service hours and speak to the priest alone. Tell him of your feelings about it being a kind of imposing place and that you would like a tour and just to speak with him a bit. They are often very helpful in situations like this. You can even tell him that you are a bit shy, if you think that would help. Get the phone number and call ahead, so he will be waiting for you and free to speak with you. Letting him know all that will make him extra careful to make you as much at ease as possible. And by all means, take a friend or family member with you, yes. I will be praying for you!

 

[Changing4Best]

I have been finding harp music to be particularly "heavenly" and since it is said to be something that we think of as angels playing their harps and doing, I thought I would share some of it here:

 

[Changing4Best]

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
2 Peter 1:4 NLT

 

[Tinyflame]

Hey @Lionheart777 I missed this. I am an RC , any questions just shoot. :hug: I usually wait to let people can get to know me and hate me for me before I tell them, lol. :p:D

I was thinking, does anyone see (or feel) a connection to ptsd just being a really awful, evil (I don't know a word) thing? I mean, I was doing the stations of the cross, and I thought it kind of batters us around the way that the people did to Jesus. lik, for example, He was too beaten to get up alone.(I hope that makes sense. I often wondered why I felt better after them, maybe it's relating, or hope, or something?)

Thanks. :hug:

 

[Tinyflame]

ETA to the above, now that I have time, though I'm not particularly excelling at communicating atm, I don't mean illnesses etc are 'evil', as in the old days eg people thinking seizures, schizophrenia etc etc were evil. What I mean rather are 2 things I've noticed: firstly, that (like with the Stations of the Cross, though it feels 'odd' to compare with myself), that no one was condemned ("..they don't know what they are doing"), yet the whole thing was so horrific. Yet too, from what I read here, so many people on the forum have experienced so much suffering, & injustice. But if humans "don't know what they are doing", the only thing left is the malevolence that causes such suffering. The similarities are there with ptsd too: to be pushed past one's limits; people needed for help who'd rather not; loved ones unable to help, it can contribute to our demise, etc.

But secondly, why does (or how is it that) strangely, a person feels better after doing the Stations (praying them, as it were)? Is it because it's a way to face or admit our own (sufferings)? Idk.

Ok, end of 'ponderings'! ;) :) :hug:

 

[Changing4Best]

I walked through a church once looking at all the stations of the cross, but not yet knowing how to pray them or anything like that. I felt pity for Jesus, I don't recall thinking much about His tormentors. I focused on Him mostly. It was all so sad.

 

[Changing4Best]

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:5-8 NLT

 

[Marie E.]

@SheilaKathy ((((Hugs))))

 

[Changing4Best]

 

[Changing4Best]

@Marie E. :hug: