S/o Returning to Catholicism: St Thérèse and “The Little Way”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter’s teacher brought up St Thérèse earlier this year when DD was struggling to join a friend group. She told her not to worry about making best friends right away, but to follow the little way and do small actions that would bring her closer to some of the other children in the classroom.

I was just thinking about that and looking at some of the posts on here about struggles with joining or staying in the Catholic Church that quickly went from regularly attending mass to having your children receive all sacraments to extensive study of/total agreement with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

My own family’s return to the church was so much smaller than all of this. We started with doing the sign of the cross and saying the “Bless us, Oh Lord...” prayer before dinner (when we remembered).

Anyone else have small ways of returning to the Catholic Church or just being closer to God? I know that I feel lost in my own life sometimes and could use some help.

I was baptized Catholic and went to Catholic school but was never confirmed because I always considered myself an atheist. However I'm now planning on getting confirmed and started going to Mass multiple times a week. I've always battled depression and the last few years I've been dealing with a midlife crisis of sorts that drained all the joy from my life. Everything felt so empty and futile. And I wasn't getting along with my DW, to the point where I thought divorce might be the only answer. I started drinking too much during COVID. I wasn't getting blasted drunk or anything, but I knew it was gradually dulling my feelings and ability to connect with my family. The world seemed so bleak. The worst part was the waking up in the middle of night with a total sense of existential loneliness.

Our oldest child started Catholic school this year and I help him with his religion homework. He's studying the New Testament so I would read the Gospels along with him. I mean I've read the Bible before but this time its words really started to move me. My take on the Bible until now was that its a mix of Hebrew Kings, trippy apocalyptic rants and some nice words from Jesus about the poor. But now I started to see both its subtle beauty and wisdom. I felt a tug at my heart. There is a church near my office and one day I thought "why not check out the mass." I've always felt a sense of power and sacredness from Catholicism that I never felt in any other religious setting. I went almost everyday that week. The solemnity of the ritual, the sense of total surrender to something bigger than me and my ego. My brain stopped rushing and for once in my life I felt a total sense of focused meditation.

Over the next few days I started seeing my world in a whole new light. All the things that were making me sad melted away. They just didn't seem important anymore. I realized just how lucky I was to have such a loving wife and beautiful children. I found myself falling in love with her all over again. I even started seeing my job in a whole new light as well. I was feeling stuck and bored but I realized I was working in an important cause that's very much part of Catholic social teaching. All of a sudden I was taking everything I did more seriously. And when I woke up at night, I no longer felt scared. I had felt old and now I feel young.

No, God didn't speak to me through the clouds or anything, but I truly felt something transcendent. I knew I belonged in the Catholic church.

I'm still not sure how to talk about it with others. I don't want people to think I've become some kind of Jesus freak, but even with all the reservations and resistance from my head, my heart has made it clear what I need to do. Anyways what I find very appealing about Catholicism is that it isn't just about the bye and bye. It's about promoting mindfulness, good works and the common good in the here and now and I feel more tuned in to my sense of self, my mind and my life than ever. It's about building the Kingdom of God both on Earth and in Heaven.

My wife isn't Catholic and she isn't sure she wants to convert, but she is very happy for me and my decision and even has gone to Mass with me. She told me that I seem so much happier and present so she supports my decision 100%. I'm still nervous as this is a such a mental leap for me, but clearly it's where I belong.

Pp, you say, "The solemnity of the ritual, the sense of total surrender to something bigger than me and my ego. My brain stopped rushing and for once in my life I felt a total sense of focused meditation."

It's very heartening that these elements, which are the great pull of Catholicism, have brought you a previously illusive peace. You say nothing about belief in God or any of the tenets of the Catholic church. That's understandable, because they are not relevant to your sense of well-being.

I think this sums up it pretty well for me on the God question: "And when I woke up at night, I no longer felt scared."

+1. “Something bigger than me and my ego” sums it up pretty well too. Belief is implicit in that.

It's hard to see the peace in the concept that religious belief offers eternal happiness if you can bring yourself to believe, and eternal suffering if you can't.

I turned to Catholicism not b/c I was afraid to die but because I was tired of living. Some proclaimed Christians sell accepting Jesus as just an insurance policy in case you get hit by a bus tomorrow. That's not how I see it as all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter’s teacher brought up St Thérèse earlier this year when DD was struggling to join a friend group. She told her not to worry about making best friends right away, but to follow the little way and do small actions that would bring her closer to some of the other children in the classroom.

I was just thinking about that and looking at some of the posts on here about struggles with joining or staying in the Catholic Church that quickly went from regularly attending mass to having your children receive all sacraments to extensive study of/total agreement with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

My own family’s return to the church was so much smaller than all of this. We started with doing the sign of the cross and saying the “Bless us, Oh Lord...” prayer before dinner (when we remembered).

Anyone else have small ways of returning to the Catholic Church or just being closer to God? I know that I feel lost in my own life sometimes and could use some help.

I was baptized Catholic and went to Catholic school but was never confirmed because I always considered myself an atheist. However I'm now planning on getting confirmed and started going to Mass multiple times a week. I've always battled depression and the last few years I've been dealing with a midlife crisis of sorts that drained all the joy from my life. Everything felt so empty and futile. And I wasn't getting along with my DW, to the point where I thought divorce might be the only answer. I started drinking too much during COVID. I wasn't getting blasted drunk or anything, but I knew it was gradually dulling my feelings and ability to connect with my family. The world seemed so bleak. The worst part was the waking up in the middle of night with a total sense of existential loneliness.

Our oldest child started Catholic school this year and I help him with his religion homework. He's studying the New Testament so I would read the Gospels along with him. I mean I've read the Bible before but this time its words really started to move me. My take on the Bible until now was that its a mix of Hebrew Kings, trippy apocalyptic rants and some nice words from Jesus about the poor. But now I started to see both its subtle beauty and wisdom. I felt a tug at my heart. There is a church near my office and one day I thought "why not check out the mass." I've always felt a sense of power and sacredness from Catholicism that I never felt in any other religious setting. I went almost everyday that week. The solemnity of the ritual, the sense of total surrender to something bigger than me and my ego. My brain stopped rushing and for once in my life I felt a total sense of focused meditation.

Over the next few days I started seeing my world in a whole new light. All the things that were making me sad melted away. They just didn't seem important anymore. I realized just how lucky I was to have such a loving wife and beautiful children. I found myself falling in love with her all over again. I even started seeing my job in a whole new light as well. I was feeling stuck and bored but I realized I was working in an important cause that's very much part of Catholic social teaching. All of a sudden I was taking everything I did more seriously. And when I woke up at night, I no longer felt scared. I had felt old and now I feel young.

No, God didn't speak to me through the clouds or anything, but I truly felt something transcendent. I knew I belonged in the Catholic church.

I'm still not sure how to talk about it with others. I don't want people to think I've become some kind of Jesus freak, but even with all the reservations and resistance from my head, my heart has made it clear what I need to do. Anyways what I find very appealing about Catholicism is that it isn't just about the bye and bye. It's about promoting mindfulness, good works and the common good in the here and now and I feel more tuned in to my sense of self, my mind and my life than ever. It's about building the Kingdom of God both on Earth and in Heaven.

My wife isn't Catholic and she isn't sure she wants to convert, but she is very happy for me and my decision and even has gone to Mass with me. She told me that I seem so much happier and present so she supports my decision 100%. I'm still nervous as this is a such a mental leap for me, but clearly it's where I belong.

Thanks for sharing this OP. I’ve had a somewhat similar experience- so far not quite as transformational as yours, but hoping to get there so hearing your experience is inspiring. Our family is nominally Catholic but had somewhat fallen away from the church/gotten out of the habit of attending Mass. we also decided to enroll our oldest in Catholic school this year- initially more out of frustration with our public school experience last year than specifically seeking the religious component, but being re-exposed to the faith through her curriculum and becoming involved in the community has helped to reinvigorate my own faith and desire to grow closer to the church. I similarly struggle with depression, and heightened stress related to the pandemic/increased drinking etc had particularly brought me into more of a slump. While I can’t say that I’ve had some fundamentally transcendental moment or that my anxiety and fears have melted away, I do feel more hopeful and on a better path since we’ve started attending church again and incorporating Catholicism back into day to day life.

[Anonymous]

Wow, this thread is so profound and wonderful ... don't kill it by bickering!

I love OP's story about St. Therese and I love the other PP's post about his gradual return to the church.

I am in a somewhat similar phase. I go to Mass on my lunch hour sometimes and it is helping me.

It's nice to read about your experiences while trying to process my own journey.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm reminded of a time when I was still pretty young and I went to Mass for the first time in a few months. I decided that I should go to confession, and I confessed how long it had been. The priest said "Welcome home." The church needs so much more of that ... it went a long way toward getting me back in a good place spiritually.

Maybe try that as part of your "little way"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm reminded of a time when I was still pretty young and I went to Mass for the first time in a few months. I decided that I should go to confession, and I confessed how long it had been. The priest said "Welcome home." The church needs so much more of that ... it went a long way toward getting me back in a good place spiritually.

Maybe try that as part of your "little way"?

That's lovely! He focused on the positive of coming back instead of the sin of missing mass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter’s teacher brought up St Thérèse earlier this year when DD was struggling to join a friend group. She told her not to worry about making best friends right away, but to follow the little way and do small actions that would bring her closer to some of the other children in the classroom.

I was just thinking about that and looking at some of the posts on here about struggles with joining or staying in the Catholic Church that quickly went from regularly attending mass to having your children receive all sacraments to extensive study of/total agreement with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

My own family’s return to the church was so much smaller than all of this. We started with doing the sign of the cross and saying the “Bless us, Oh Lord...” prayer before dinner (when we remembered).

Anyone else have small ways of returning to the Catholic Church or just being closer to God? I know that I feel lost in my own life sometimes and could use some help.

I was baptized Catholic and went to Catholic school but was never confirmed because I always considered myself an atheist. However I'm now planning on getting confirmed and started going to Mass multiple times a week. I've always battled depression and the last few years I've been dealing with a midlife crisis of sorts that drained all the joy from my life. Everything felt so empty and futile. And I wasn't getting along with my DW, to the point where I thought divorce might be the only answer. I started drinking too much during COVID. I wasn't getting blasted drunk or anything, but I knew it was gradually dulling my feelings and ability to connect with my family. The world seemed so bleak. The worst part was the waking up in the middle of night with a total sense of existential loneliness.

Our oldest child started Catholic school this year and I help him with his religion homework. He's studying the New Testament so I would read the Gospels along with him. I mean I've read the Bible before but this time its words really started to move me. My take on the Bible until now was that its a mix of Hebrew Kings, trippy apocalyptic rants and some nice words from Jesus about the poor. But now I started to see both its subtle beauty and wisdom. I felt a tug at my heart. There is a church near my office and one day I thought "why not check out the mass." I've always felt a sense of power and sacredness from Catholicism that I never felt in any other religious setting. I went almost everyday that week. The solemnity of the ritual, the sense of total surrender to something bigger than me and my ego. My brain stopped rushing and for once in my life I felt a total sense of focused meditation.

Over the next few days I started seeing my world in a whole new light. All the things that were making me sad melted away. They just didn't seem important anymore. I realized just how lucky I was to have such a loving wife and beautiful children. I found myself falling in love with her all over again. I even started seeing my job in a whole new light as well. I was feeling stuck and bored but I realized I was working in an important cause that's very much part of Catholic social teaching. All of a sudden I was taking everything I did more seriously. And when I woke up at night, I no longer felt scared. I had felt old and now I feel young.

No, God didn't speak to me through the clouds or anything, but I truly felt something transcendent. I knew I belonged in the Catholic church.

I'm still not sure how to talk about it with others. I don't want people to think I've become some kind of Jesus freak, but even with all the reservations and resistance from my head, my heart has made it clear what I need to do. Anyways what I find very appealing about Catholicism is that it isn't just about the bye and bye. It's about promoting mindfulness, good works and the common good in the here and now and I feel more tuned in to my sense of self, my mind and my life than ever. It's about building the Kingdom of God both on Earth and in Heaven.

My wife isn't Catholic and she isn't sure she wants to convert, but she is very happy for me and my decision and even has gone to Mass with me. She told me that I seem so much happier and present so she supports my decision 100%. I'm still nervous as this is a such a mental leap for me, but clearly it's where I belong.

Pp, you say, "The solemnity of the ritual, the sense of total surrender to something bigger than me and my ego. My brain stopped rushing and for once in my life I felt a total sense of focused meditation."

It's very heartening that these elements, which are the great pull of Catholicism, have brought you a previously illusive peace. You say nothing about belief in God or any of the tenets of the Catholic church. That's understandable, because they are not relevant to your sense of well-being.

I think this sums up it pretty well for me on the God question: "And when I woke up at night, I no longer felt scared."

+1. “Something bigger than me and my ego” sums it up pretty well too. Belief is implicit in that.

It's hard to see the peace in the concept that religious belief offers eternal happiness if you can bring yourself to believe, and eternal suffering if you can't.

NP: Well, OP is Catholic, and what you wrote is not a true representation of Catholic belief. You may find shorthand statements that sound like that, but at its core, the Catholic belief is not the hell fire and brimstone suffering of some other faiths. You are essentially talking about hell, which to Catholics is an intentional separation from God, who is love. It is a state of being that you choose. The rejection of God's love is a state of being that is suffering. Peace is in knowing that that love is always there for you to choose.

[Anonymous]

I love Mary so much, I cannot stay away from Mass as I feel such a divine connection to her and her life and suffering. And her ability to say “yes” to God.

I have the hallow app and listen to the rosary on my drives a lot or when I am doing chores at the house.

I will also put on ascension presents masses on you tube often.

Peace be with you- a fellow God seeking striver, 37 year old woman wife and mother

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Mary so much, I cannot stay away from Mass as I feel such a divine connection to her and her life and suffering. And her ability to say “yes” to God.

I have the hallow app and listen to the rosary on my drives a lot or when I am doing chores at the house.

I will also put on ascension presents masses on you tube often.

Peace be with you- a fellow God seeking striver, 37 year old woman wife and mother

Good that you've found a route to peace

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Mary so much, I cannot stay away from Mass as I feel such a divine connection to her and her life and suffering. And her ability to say “yes” to God.

I have the hallow app and listen to the rosary on my drives a lot or when I am doing chores at the house.

I will also put on ascension presents masses on you tube often.

Peace be with you- a fellow God seeking striver, 37 year old woman wife and mother

Good that you've found a route to peace

Thank you. It is an odd feeling that I can’t completely understand but I truly have a love for Mary that is like loving one of my children.

[Anonymous]

I feel a strong reconnection to my faith when I am able to build a connection with a priest who is really spiritual but relatable if that makes sense. I think many Catholic priests are very old or otherwise unrelatable. I have been able to develop friendships with some priests who are a little younger and much more realistic. Obviously the Church is an incredibly important part of their life but they are able to meet regular people where they are and I talk with them about life not just religion. This is so, so important to me- I probably would have left the Church without that connection.

[Anonymous]

another Catholic here just to say this is a lovely, inspiring thread. Brought tears to my eyes and resonated deeply. Small steps indeed.

[Anonymous]

St. Therese is such a beautiful story of faith that really resonates with “ordinary” people.

I have been enjoying a deeper prayer life these last few years and really have embraced attending Adoration as a way to quiet my mind and heart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Therese is such a beautiful story of faith that really resonates with “ordinary” people.

I have been enjoying a deeper prayer life these last few years and really have embraced attending Adoration as a way to quiet my mind and heart.

I quiet my mind and heart by taking long walks. Good for your health, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Therese is such a beautiful story of faith that really resonates with “ordinary” people.

I have been enjoying a deeper prayer life these last few years and really have embraced attending Adoration as a way to quiet my mind and heart.

I enjoy adoration as well. I used to bring the kids to the adoration chapel when I taught CCD, and it always surprised me how much they got out of it.