This is what my Nonna taught me if everybody’s laughing but you then you are a little too serious. |
Except Jesus disliked people who are hypocritical, self-righteous, and legalistic which are all attributes which would describe many converts. |
What state are you leaving and what state are you moving to? |
Thank you for this, kindly stranger! I have a special love for St Monica understanding the road for my children may be rocky. "Lord, make ne holy... but not yet" ![]() Thank you for the pilgrimage advice |
As a cradle Catholic who read all of the thought provoking posts...quick synopsis of reactions:
1. I don't really understand why anyone, of any religion, would "change their religion." If I was born and raised with a family of a different faith other than Catholic, I would not choose Catholic. Being Catholic is a real thorn in my side, at times. And I no longer practice. 2. Out of family obligation I went to Church for Christmas. Sign of peace, which has been my favorite part, was somehow shortened. In my youthful memories, it was a joyous time where the priest also hit and shook hands. It had been ruined 3. Everything about it really irked me. No sermon on the critical thinking skills to tease out what we are hearing. 4. Ive been thinking some of the more nebulous and mystical elements are due to aliens somehow taking human form 5. Catholics hate on Protestants for not being intellectual enough when basically they just love Jesus and want to share it with others. That's mean. 6. There is a great deal of snobbery and showing off among Catholic. 7. The poster who said, how would you feel if your adult child either outright disavowed or declined to practice the faith? Really why would any parent feel any sort of agenda to even feel somehow betrayed by the fact and adult child is pursuing and/or not actively pursuing a spiritual life? Catholics should know if the foundation was planted there is always the potential for either a return to church, and for goodness sakes, any kind and decent person, theirs or others, to go to heaven. |
But according to the Catholic faith, you can only go to heaven if you are free from mortal sin. You can get that way from not sinning or from having last rites from a Catholic priest right before you die. Just hope that your errant adult child dies in a hospital where a priest is handy and you're all set. |
You have to be baptized, you receive first communion and communion every Sunday of your life and every holy day of obligation and you have to do penance and you have to fast and abstain on proper days and you have to make confirmation and you have to get married in the church and you have to raise your kids Catholic and…… You have to get last rites. To Name a few |
Who cares what converts call us? |
In addition, the person posting doesn’t know the difference between a cradle Catholic and a cafeteria Catholic |
+1. I'm a happy cradle, cafeteria Catholic. I don't care what they think. Am |
Agree mostly. There are things that are culturally Catholic but most are things are distinctly <insert ethnicity or nationality> based. Waiting in Sr Peters Square during a conclave is Catholic thing if you’re in Rome at the time. Non-Catholics are interested too but Catholics get more hyped about it. Praying for the intercession of the saints ans the Blessed Virgin Mary are Catholic culture. How different Holy Days are celebrated in the community or at home, those are more by ethnicity. |
Interesting. I'm a convert, but I was born and baptized a Protestant. However, I never connected with it. I think it was the lack of tradition. I always thought the Catholics did the rituals right. I don't recall anything unique about Protestant church. Not true of Catholicism though! I loved the Sign of the Cross, the candles, Hail Mary, the Rosary, the Holy Water, incense. All of it. As a kid, I wish I could be Catholic. I used to endure Protestant services (I really disliked the long sermons), but love going to Mass. My kids may feel differently though. We'll see. |
Actually the vast majority of these things, while beneficial, are not necessary for salvation according to Catholic teaching. |
One thing I think born Catholics do that others do not is use the term "devout Catholic" very judiciously. It does not mean simply being a practicing Catholic, as I have heard non-Catholics use it.
The term refers to someone who is especially prayerful and devoted to the worship of God and has attained a quality of holiness in the eyes of others. The orthodox have a lovely term for this (female only)--a myrrh-bearing woman. No one born Catholic (who speaks English as their first language) would refer to themselves as a devout Catholic. It is a term they reserve to describe a select few, never to include themselves as they would not deem themselves worthy of such an appellation. I have noticed non-Catholic converts to Catholicism use the term to describe themselves when they mean practicing Catholic. JD Vance has done this. I am sure they don't realize how misuse of this term grates upon the ears of the born Catholics. |
This describes my MAGA, Catholic convert (formerly Lutheran) parents perfectly. |