Question

[Noel's angel]

As a cradle Catholic myself, i think converts are usually great. if they take the time to really embrace their conversion, its great. its easier i think to be a Catholic from birth than it is to be a convert.we should embrace these people and welcome them whole heartedly in to the Church as our brothers and sisters in Christ.

[Mickey's_Girl]

LOL Sojourner! I occasionally find myself doing the "how can you have been a Catholic your whole life and not get this?" thing. And I don't even get received till Easter!

Oh, the pride.

On the other hand, I sometimes find myself envying cradle Catholics. It seems (from this end) like they have it "easier". Also, they can receive the Eucharist any time! Do they even get how cool this is?

I like what was said about realizing that people are in different places in their conversions. Also, for heavens' sake--if I'm going to veer off into pride and/or envy, how much converting do *I* still have left to do? Yeah. I thought so.

MG

[hopeful1]

[quote name='Sanvean' date='Oct 21 2004, 10:17 PM'] Yes... I get that *All* the time from one of my roommates' friends. He's constantly making comments about me being a convert. Makes me feel awful a lot of the time, since *I* sometimes think of myself as less of a Catholic than my cradle Catholic friends. [/quote]
that just means you have a deeper appreciation for your faith than most of them

[hopeful1]

[quote name='point5' date='Oct 26 2004, 11:43 PM'] I think converts are dope and usually look up to them! [/quote]
werd.

[hopeful1]

remember, scott hahn was a convert- and he the dopest theologian we got! WOOT!!!!

[Fiat_Voluntas_Tua]

So was St. Paul!

[cmotherofpirl]

Anybody can be baptised as a baby and be Catholic [good or bad]. Its like being handed a great inheritance. Many of us squander it, not realizing its worth.

You guys have gone after the 'pearl of great price' and paid for it with consequences. You guys are the first -class Catholics.

Who do you think God will honor more?

[drewmeister2]

What do you mean, cmotherofpirl? What do you mean by first class Catholics, and "you guys"?

[cmotherofpirl]

Read the above posts about some people feeling like second- class Catholics. My point is they are not.

"You guys" ?
Hey I am from Pennsylvania, I was being gramatically correct.
If I was talking at home it would have come out :yunz guys"

Pretend I'm from the South and substitute "Y'all".

[drewmeister2]

Oh, ok, I gotcha. So you are saying a good convert is better than a bad non-convert, I take it? I completely agree! The "lax" Catholics should take advice from the good Catholics, whether convert or not. Good point, cmother!

[cmotherofpirl]

Converts have made a public choice that cradle catholics never had to make. They should be honored for that.

[drewmeister2]

Well, I dont know about that, since at Confirmation, Catholics "born into the faith" make that decision. However, this doesnt apply to all Confirmation candidates. This only applies to Confirmation candidates who truly want to be Confirmed, not just there because their parents made them, or to be with friends. But I will agree with you that it is harder to make a public decision to become Catholic if not one from birth. But for people like me, who do actually want to be Confirmed for the right reasons, we also make a public choice, but its not as difficult as one as converts make. Good input, cmom!

[Quietfire]

Yes, but just because a cradle Catholic is being confirmed, it doesnt mean he 'gets it'.
I was baptised a Catholic.
I wasnt raised one though.
and I was never confirmed in the Church either. also, no communion.

I think now when I look back at ALL the stupid, selfish, hurtful things Ive done to God, I want to crawl under my bed and never come out.

My life now is a lot of IF's. But truly, its nobody's fault but my own. I am the one who has to stand before God and explain why I never answered Him sooner.

In all honesty, there was soooooo much I didnt know. The secular world cannot deal with persons of faith, cause I was part of the secular world for too many years. How many times would I roll my eyes when someone spoke of God, or Christ. Especially when I was being chastised.

And when I finally decided I had 'time' for God, I ran from the Catholic Church like it had the plague! Oh, no confession for me, dont want no 'man' judging me. No 'forced' attendance. No praying 'to' statues, No one's gonna tell me what to do with my body.....Blah,blah, blah!
My big joke was "Presbyterian is the same as the Catholic Church, with a third less guilt."

So many converts here seem to have gotten their act together earlier than me. (again, all the "if's" for me) I feel like a high school student starting Kindergarten, and I deserve it. I figured I would never be allowed in the Church, maybe thats why I bad mouthed it and mocked it so much. Who knows.

I still feel as though I dont deserve to be Catholic, now because I am unworthy of such a beautiful gift and could never appreciate it fully. I dread talking to a priest about being confirmed and have avoided it to this day, even though I know I cannot be received until I actually ASK to be received. Theres that huge fear in me that the priest will ask me why I wish to be received and I wont have a good enough answer and he'll turn me down or he'll laugh at me, or worse yet (and this is my greatest fear) that he'll hear my confession and throw me out.. and I know that he would be right to do that.

I pray the rosary daily now, because I feel better doing it. I get into the novenas too. The Bible is so different to me now. It isnt some 'coffee table addative' any longer, something you have in your house just cause you should, or just cause people will at least think you have some faith.
And I cant read enough about the Church, plus Phatmass is so addictive it should be listed as a drug!! lol.

Hang ups...I got tons.
Getting my bum to the Church and talking with a priest is my first hurdle. If I can just get past that then I know I will be better.
Still...........

I dont feel like a cradle Catholic.
I dont even feel like a convert.
I feel like a pagan honestly. One who finally saw something that I refused to see before....
Christ in the Eucharist.
man....that just blows me away. No more bread and fruit juice for me. I really need the body and blood of Our Savior.
My soul yearns for it, cries out for it.