Things I would have to give up...

[Matt Black]

Sorry for double-post, but here's what I wrote to a Catholic friend of mine a week or so ago:-

"Re the whole Catholic thing: I'm still (in so far as I am able currently) weighing things up and thinking things over. For anything substantial (or transubstantial!) to happen there I think two things would need to occur:-

1. I would need to be convinced of the 'correctness' of the Catholic Church and all Her teachings ( as opposed to eg: Anglicanism, Orthodoxy or Lutheranism). That I think is gradually happening; the more I research, pray and think, the more that is becoming a reality. Sometimes though it - Catholicism - 'feels' very 'alien' after nearly 20 years within one form or another of evangelicalism, despite my having been raised in the Church. I kind of need some kind of 'sign' from God, I feel

2. I think Sarah would need to be similarly convinced. Coming from an Exclusive Brethren background with its attendant anti-Catholicism, that is more difficult, and up until the weekend I have pretty much refrained from saying much about it out of fear of straining our marriage further, limiting myself to commenting that I'm going through a 'theological struggle'. But I did broach the subject on Saturday with her and we talked eg: about the Real Presence in the patristic literature and in particular Ignatius writing within a decade of the Apostle John's death etc, and I think I've given her a lot of food for thought there."

Yours in Christ

Matt

[Theoketos]

Matt,

I have never even come close to being protestant, and I have experienced all those things. And what is more is that they are made even better with a deeper faith, so that even we I do not feel good or holy they still are effecacious.

Honestly, I would find a silent retreat to go on, the longer the better.

[Brother Adam]

Matt,

I haven't meant to neglect your question on OSAS / Assurance of Salvation. It sits at #1 on my list of things I want to get done after homework is caught up. I just got back from spring break and have been slammed with work. If you want to red a whole book on the concept, especially in the context of soteriology, I would strongly suggest "How to get to heaven" by Robert Sugenis. I can even get you copy for half off ($6) if you let me know soon. It is very in depth and very well done. Not for the amature.

I will try to have an answer up by this weekend.

[ironmonk]

Brother,

Here are some audio tracks that can help explain some things faster than the message board...

[url="http://www.maxbrackett.com/audio01.asp"]http://www.maxbrackett.com/audio01.asp[/url]


Your Servant in Christ,
ironmonk

[epiclesis]

[quote name='Matt Black' date='Mar 15 2005, 09:31 AM']I kind of need some kind of 'sign' from God, I feel

[/quote]
Perhaps, God has been speaking to you for some time on this, and that is why you have been led to the place that you find yourself now. Signs from God don't need to be extraordinary. Sometimes God speaks to us through the most ordinary events in our lives.

[Dennis]

[quote name='Matt Black' date='Mar 14 2005, 10:27 AM']small groups – called variously housegroups, cell groups, home groups etc. Basically a place where 6-12ish Christians meet to pray for the world, the Church and one another, support, Bible study etc; it also acts as a springboard for mutual support etc through the rest of the week[/quote]
Matt,

My parish [b]has[/b] [url="http://www.ascensioncatholic.net/scc.html"]"Small Christian Community"[/url] groups :group: that do [i]precisely[/i] what you are referring to! If you're attending a parish that doesn't have them, talk to the priest about starting one! You'll probably be surprised by the positive response from the other parishioners...