Catholics serious question.?

Question

I want to go back to the church, I’ve been going but I have not finished my sacraments. My husband wants to wait until February or March before we go to get things taken care of (because a lot needs to be done and money will be tight until the, among other reasons.) we shook on this and agreed it would be better to wait, But I have a problem, but I’ve been feeling God’s calling so strong, more so then ever. I believe that Jesus is his son and I accept him in to my heart. The problem is, I can’t stop sinning, a little here, a little there, but it keeps happening even when I don’t mean it.

Is it because I haven’t gone yet? Is it because I haven’t been cleansed by the holy spirit? Will he understand that we want to wait until February or will he be mad that I didn’t come running?

I ask this because I wanted some encouragement from the bible so I opened it and came smack dab in to where he is saying that because I have not headed his call…. You know the rest. I keep running into these kind of passages. He’s mad at me isn’t he? that I didn’t go when he called, that I shook hands on waiting a little longer. Is it just in my head? It’s not is it?

I go to church every sunday unless I'm sick

Answer 1

God isn't mad at you, but you are being strongly called by the Holy Spirit. At some point, we all have to make up our minds who has the most influence on us -- our spouses or our parents or our Lord.

If I were you, I would sit down with my husband and say, "I know we agreed to wait, but I just can't wait any longer. I have to do this and I have to do this now."

I am afraid I don't understand what "money will be tight" has to do with anything. Going to Church is free, and the Church cannot deny anybody the Sacraments (or instruction for receiving the Sacraments) due to a lack of funding. Besides, even if you called a priest today, it will be some time before you can receive all your Sacraments.

As for the sinning, well, that's common to all of us. We get our relief in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so it sounds to me like you have a huge desire in your heart for that. When you do receive that Sacrament, a huge weight is lifted off your shoulders. But we don't receive it just once -- we keep going, because we always need it.

After you start receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, you will find the grace to overcome many of these nusience sins that plague you -- I know that I did, between the Blessed Sacrament and Reconciliation.

If you have already received your First Penance, you can go to confession any time you want to and need to. If not, you will have to receive instruction first. Also, if you have already received your First Holy Communion, after you've gone to confession, you ought to be able to start receiving the Eucharist (but the priest will tell you for sure). These are FREE, so there is no money to worry about.

Please don't wait. Call a priest today to find out what needs to be done for you to return to the Church in full, and tell your husband tonight what you need to do and why money doesn't matter. He loves you -- I'm sure he will be very understanding.

Answer 2

Go to Church next Sunday. You cannot receive the Eucharist yet, but you can walk up and receive a blessing, fellowship with the people of your parish, and hear the Word of God.

As for the rest: Go slow. Take your time. God is patient and loving. I also suggest you call Catholic Answers http://www.catholic.com at 619-387-7200. Ask them about the details. They are THE EXPERTS in these matters. And read this link:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Pillar.asp


And always remember: Jesus promised, "I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). Among the Christian churches, only the Catholic Church has existed since the time of Jesus. Every other Christian church is an offshoot of the Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox churches broke away from unity with the pope in 1054. Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. Only the Catholic Church existed in the tenth century, in the fifth century, and in the first century, faithfully teaching the doctrines given by Christ to the apostles, omitting nothing. So, you are truly blessed.

God bless you, and Mary keep you.

Answer 3

Please read this - I know it's long - but you did ask. Please - also consider the difference in my answer (Bible verses) compared to those above.

Sorry, you can't just go & get cleansed. James 4:8 says "Draw close to God, and he will draw close to YOU. Cleanse YOUR hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you indecisive ones." This implies action, more than asking forgiveness, which we all should be doing in prayer everyday, since we are all imperfect & make mistakes. Also drawing close to the church won't necessarily get you close to God as you have found.

You have to put on the new personality as the scriptures say. Eph. 4:22-24. You can't do that unless you really study the Bible, not just the catholic books. The scriptures say keep seeking & asking & you will find..Matt 7:7-8. I suggest heartfelt sincere prayer to God-.. Ps 83:18 End the prayer in Jesus' name amen. Ask him to help you find the truth of what you are seeking. You want God in your life. Entreat HIM to help you find him. You may have to do this often, every day - not just Sunday- read the Bible every day even just 1 page. Start wherever you want or start with Matthew.

Also to be heard by God we need act in harmony with our prayers. He expects us to do all that is within our power to work at what we pray for. Say, if we pray, “Give us today our bread for this day,” we must work hard at whatever available job we are able to perform. Matt 6:11; 2 Thess 3:10 If we pray for help in overcoming a fleshly weakness, we must be careful to avoid circumstances and situations that could lead us into temptation. Col 3:5

“No matter what it is that we ask according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14. So we can pray for anything that is in harmony with God’s will. It should be like talking to a close friend not a memorized prayer(by rote). Ps 62:8

A primary requirement is that we exercise faith. Mark 11:24 “Without faith it is impossible to please [God] well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” Heb 11:6 Having true faith is more than merely knowing that God exists and that he hears and answers prayers. Faith is proved by our actions. We must give clear evidence that we have faith by the way we live every day.—James 2:26.

He may answer your prayer in a way that is different from what you think it should be. So watch for things that occur thats different but reminds you of God. He may be answering. It may take a while but he also needs to see your patience too.

side notes-
** The book A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture asks the question: “Is Bible Reading Necessary for Salvation?” In answer it states: “There is no universal precept, either divine or apostolic, that all the faithful—every man, woman and child—should personally read the Bible.” (they are saying you don't have to - then why did God provide this for mankind!?)

Thus, while the Catholic Church now permits its members to read the Holy Scriptures, even granting a plenary indulgence “if the reading continues for at least one half hour,” it does NOT consider such Bible reading to be indispensable. Explaining why, the French Catholic Dictionnaire de la Bible states: “Tradition is the most normal channel by which all teaching of the faith reaches mankind. Use of the New Testament Scriptures came later. They do not contain the entire deposit of faith, and their use is not essential.” The Bible is not, therefore, required reading for Catholics. And even if they do read it, it must take SECOND place, behind tradition. The Catholic Church claims that the early Christians depended on oral tradition before receiving the written Word and that, accordingly, Scripture must be understood in the light of tradition as preserved by the church.

Confirming this viewpoint, a book designed to help French-speaking Catholics to read the Bible states: “The divine revelation, even that expressed predominantly in the Scriptures, has been committed to a faithful community, the living Church; this raises the vital question of the relationship between the Bible, Tradition and the Church. . . . This added light [in the Scriptures], once given, joins and completes the treasure of Tradition. . . . The Scriptures are, therefore, entirely dependent upon Tradition.”—Initiation Biblique, pages 963, 971. Author’s italics.

How much confidence will a sincere Catholic have in the Bible when he reads in a book written BY a Catholic professor of Sacred Scripture: “Tradition precedes, envelops, accompanies and goes beyond the Scriptures”? Or what will he think if he picks up A Catholic Dictionary and reads: “The Church . . . affirms that all Scripture is the word of God, but at the same time it maintains that there is an unwritten word of God over and above Scripture”?

A priest may say: ‘There is no problem. The revelation in the Bible has been completed by tradition. Accept the tradition of the Church.’ However, things are not that simple.

Jesuit professor Paul Henry, of the Catholic Institute in Paris, wrote: “Scripture is normative [establishes an authoritative standard] for the life, the worship, the morals, and the theological doctrine of the Church. Normative, not in the sense that everything revealed or desired by God is explicitly written in Scripture, but inasmuch as nothing done or taught infallibly by the Church can be contrary to Scripture.”

It is bad enough to claim that tradition completes the Holy Scriptures. This in itself is contrary to what Catholics can read in their Bibles at 1 Corinthians 4:6. But to teach dogmas—such as hellfire, purgatory, and limbo—that not only cannot be found in the Bible but also are clearly “contrary to the Scripture” places the Catholic Church on the horns of a dilemma.—Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Romans 6:23

Please find your faith in God not just in tradition. Pray about it & research THE BIBLE as Gods truth. He will hear you. He does love & care about all who want him in their life.

Answer 4

Find a Bible based congregation and leave the cult.