I Have Gone Back To My Roots

I have started attending mass at our local Catholic church. I grew up in the Catholic church and after last Sunday's mass, I believe that God is calling me back to my roots and he gave me undeniable proof of just that.

That proof came in the form of a song, Ave Maria. It was my grandmother's favorite song and was played during her funeral service. I was sitting there during mass doubting whether not I should be there, asking God to show me that I belong there and all of a sudden I hear Ave Maria being played by the choir. I broke down and started crying. Never before had I felt God's presence so clearly then I did at that moment.

God and I still have some things that we need to work out, such as my marriage. It isn't valid in the Catholic church's eyes, so it needs to be con-validated. So I am unable to go to confession and communion at this time. I was also concerned that my wife was going to be very resistant to it all. So far she has been very supportive and believes that God was calling me back as well. She will not follow me to the church until she sees a firm and ongoing commitment to me attending the Catholic church however and does see the con-validation as another opportunity to have a marriage ceremony and have family attend this time.

There are great things on the horizon!
 
You should look for evidence of God's will in the Bible, not in hearing a song. We should not look for signs, but seek the Lord's will in his written word and by prayer. Feelings are subjective. God's word isn't.
 
naomanos - welcome back. May the peace of Christ be with you. And I hope you get all of your various issues resolved shortly so that you may enjoy the sacraments.
God speaks to different people in different ways. I've always found the "Ave Maria" to be very stirring also.

Mr. Darby - why would you think that it is not God's will that he return to the Church?
 
Because I believe Rome's teachings are in direct contradiction to scripture. No offense meant to Roman Catholics, but love constrains me to encourage people toward a Biblical based Church. Otherwise, I should not be a Protestant. There are simply unresolvable and unbridgeable differences between Rome and Protestantism.
 
You should look for evidence of God's will in the Bible, not in hearing a song. We should not look for signs, but seek the Lord's will in his written word and by prayer. Feelings are subjective. God's word isn't.

Thank you for your concern, but I am resolved on the matter and will not be changing back. You may say that feelings are subjective, but there was a peace indescribable that I felt and feelings can also be right. No one will change my mind on this and when my wife confirmed that she also believed that I should go back to my roots, I had confirmation.

Thank you for your concern, but you need not be concerned.
 
Welcome back home, naomanos -- I'm so happy for you! I've kept you (along with everyone here) in my prayers, and I'm glad the Holy Spirit has lead you back to the Church.
 
"are in direct contradiction to scripture"
We happen to know scripture as well as any. I would say that Protestants have it backwards, they think that the Bible created the Church, when the reality is that the Church created the Bible.
We accept scripture and the teachings of the Saints. God did not stop talking to His saints the day St. John died (as the Protestants would have you believe).
Sola scriptura is unbiblical. For that would leave out the entirety of the New Testament, which as you well know, was not compiled until the Apostles had been dead for centuries.
 
Thank you for your concern, but I am resolved on the matter and will not be changing back. You may say that feelings are subjective, but there was a peace indescribable that I felt and feelings can also be right. No one will change my mind on this and when my wife confirmed that she also believed that I should go back to my roots, I had confirmation.

Thank you for your concern, but you need not be concerned.
Whatever your decision in regards to where you attend church, I would still like to commend the scriptures to you for daily study. Read them in the light of themselves, and not in the light of any Church's teaching, be it Catholic or Protestant. Feelings can be right, but they are fallible. God's word isn't. May the Lord lead you where HE desires. God Bless.
 
Whatever your decision in regards to where you attend church, I would still like to commend the scriptures to you for daily study. Read them in the light of themselves, and not in the light of any Church's teaching, be it Catholic or Protestant. Feelings can be right, but they are fallible. God's word isn't. May the Lord lead you where HE desires. God Bless.

That is one thing that I plan on continuing. First thing I did was look for a Catholic version of Professor Grant Horner's Bible Study Program.
 
"are in direct contradiction to scripture"
We happen to know scripture as well as any. I would say that Protestants have it backwards, they think that the Bible created the Church, when the reality is that the Church created the Bible.
We accept scripture and the teachings of the Saints. God did not stop talking to His saints the day St. John died (as the Protestants would have you believe).
Sola scriptura is unbiblical. For that would leave out the entirety of the New Testament, which as you well know, was not compiled until the Apostles had been dead for centuries.
The Bible was given through the Jewish people. The Roman Catholic Church did not exist when a single book of the Bible was written. Every single book of the NT was written before the Apostles died. Paul says in Romans 3:1,2,

'What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.'

In fact, Rome has a long history of persecuting that nation to whom the oracles of God were committed.

God has not stopped speaking to his saints, but God has stopped giving new inspired revelations. All the Apostolic traditions are found in the NT. Jesus warned us against the 'traditions' of men. Matthew 15:6,9,

'Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition....teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.'
 
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naomanos, I know you have been struggling with many things, and my heart goes out to you, but I have to agree with Mr Darby, we can't base our spiritual decisions on feelings, while our spirit can be moved by songs that touch our souls, God gives us direction through our spirits, that's why Jesus said we must be born again, to hear God in our spirit, which is what died in Adam the day he rebelled against God's command.

Glomung, my friend, here is a verse for you to ponder, ....Jesus speaking,

You worship what you do not know, we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. (not the Italians) John 4:22

Blessings,

Gene
 
naomanos, I know you have been struggling with many things, and my heart goes out to you, but I have to agree with Mr Darby, we can't base our spiritual decisions on feelings, while our spirit can be moved by songs that touch our souls, God gives us direction through our spirits, that's why Jesus said we must be born again, to hear God in our spirit, which is what died in Adam the day he rebelled against God's command.

Glomung, my friend, here is a verse for you to ponder, ....Jesus speaking,

You worship what you do not know, we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. (not the Italians) John 4:22

Blessings,

Gene

Thank you for your concern, but I am resolute in this and God was speaking to me through that song.

I will not be swayed!
 
Of course you won't be swayed, ...by anything men may say, there were many things I held fast to, believed with all of my heart to be true, until the Holy Spirit illuminated my spirit to show me the error of trusting with my feelings, the fallacy of my heart Jer 17:9, ...what we are trying to show you is the Biblical spiritual principle of 1 Thess 5:21, ...we learn from mistakes, but don't you agree it's much better to learn from someone's else's mistakes, ...all we are saying is do your homework, to search the Scriptures to see if it's true Acts 17:11.

Blessings,

Gene
 
Of course you won't be swayed, ...by anything men may say, there were many things I held fast to, believed with all of my heart to be true, until the Holy Spirit illuminated my spirit to show me the error of trusting with my feelings, the fallacy of my heart Jer 17:9, ...what we are trying to show you is the Biblical spiritual principle of 1 Thess 5:21, ...we learn from mistakes, but don't you agree it's much better to learn from someone's else's mistakes, ...all we are saying is do your homework, to search the Scriptures to see if it's true Acts 17:11.

Blessings,

Gene

I will say the same as I said above, thank you for your concern, but you need not be concerned.

For five years I bounced from church to church looking for a church home. I could never find one, which is the reason my wife wants to see commitment from me. No where that I went felt like home, there was no sense of belonging. Sure, the churches I attended we're all friendly and out going, but none of those churches felt right. She is tired of my church hopping and will not attend church with me till I find one and stay there.

I went to the Catholic church and I felt closer to god there then I did in any other church I attended. I felt like I had come home and I had a sense of belonging. Something I never experienced in any other church. I am going to stay at this church.

God called me home to the Catholic church, that is not following man's ways, but being in the will of God.
 
naomanos, I do think the advice to keep researching is excellent. If you are open to the truth presented by the Holy Spirit, I know it will help reassure your faith in Christ and the Catholic Church.

Research the scriptures, the history of the scriptures, the history of the Catholic Church, and the history of Protestantism. Be prayerful, be astute, and be humble. I'm convinced it will help serve as a stronger foundation for your Catholic faith.
 
I think it's very important to lay aside all biases and

1) learn about Catholicism from a Catholic perspective
2) learn about Catholicism from a Protestant perspective
3) learn about Protestantism from a Protestant perspective
And 4) learn about Protestantism from a Catholic perspective.

Doing these things in prayer, with scriptural referencing and research of as much history as possible. And then once you've found something you've never seen before, research that.
 
Guys...this topic was about a person rejoicing in a decision to seek God in a way that in meaningful. While I understand that some feel that there are issues with various denominations, to go THIS far in attacking it when you absolutely should be encouraging a fellow Christian is a mark of great shame and it will not be allowed to continue. End of discussion.
 
Guys...this topic was about a person rejoicing in a decision to seek God in a way that in meaningful. While I understand that some feel that there are issues with various denominations, to go THIS far in attacking it when you absolutely should be encouraging a fellow Christian is a mark of great shame and it will not be allowed to continue. End of discussion.
Ban, nothing was said that cannot be read in history books. Jesus came to bear witness of the truth, and so should Christians. I have Catholic in laws. My wife is an ex-Catholic. I help poor Catholics in my wife's country. Because I love Catholics, I must bear witness to them concerning those things that are true. No one can say I have said anything rude or hateful to anyone on this thread. Catholic and Protestant doctrine concerning salvation are not the same. One can be wrong about many things, but to be wrong on salvation is fatal. No Bible believer can encourage a person down a road of possible soul destroying error. It's your website, not mine, and you are free to do as you deem right. But deleting my post and suppressing truth is wrong.
 
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