i need help

[cherryblossom]

hi!!! i am a fifteen year old. i have recently been exposed to the christian faith through social media and books and i believe that i feel a calling from God. however, all of my family is atheist and i was raised atheist as well. what should my first step be? i know my family will support me and all that but i just don’t know how to get started in christianity. thanks so much :)

[little2add]

Find a local parish and attend Sunday mass

pay attention to the sermon.  
 

repeat 

[Luigi]

You can also speak with the priest after attending Mass. Tell him you're interested in learning about the Catholic faith. Every year, parishes offer a program called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). You meet one night a week (usually) for 8 or 9 months, learning about Catholicism. If you complete the program and choose to do so, you can be baptized. Any priest in any Catholic parish will know all about it.

Prayers for you on your journey.

[Lilllabettt]

5 hours ago, cherryblossom said:

hi!!! i am a fifteen year old. i have recently been exposed to the christian faith through social media and books and i believe that i feel a calling from God. however, all of my family is atheist and i was raised atheist as well. what should my first step be? i know my family will support me and all that but i just don’t know how to get started in christianity. thanks so much

The Body of Christ rejoices, the Holy Spirit is already moving in you!!! I also was raised without religion, and I love being a Catholic Christian because when I learned of it everything made sense - my whole life was explained to me. I sought the truth and I found it in Jesus in His Church. 

The first thing you should do, is pray! Close your bedroom door, or even go into your closet if you feel it's more private, and talk to Jesus alone, just the two of you! Don't be afraid to talk to Him outloud. Tell Him of your desire to be a Christian and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. You can speak to Jesus like He is your closest friend, and the best part is, you never have to be without Him. You can do school, homework, your whole day, with your best friend right there with you. 

The second step is, look up good resources and learn everything you can. Christianity is a "belief" based faith as opposed to, like, Judaism which is a law based faith. So, it's really important to know what the Church teaches is true so you can believe in it ... even more so than knowing what rituals or customs to do. It sounds like you have already started this. If you are into videos can I suggest Fr. Mike Schmitz? If you plug his name into YouTube a ton of things will come up.  Whenever I have a question about Catholic teaching I've found there's a Fr Mike video that answers it. He's a younger priest who gets it! Here is one about why the decision of which church to go to is so important: 

 

Simultaneously with step #2, absolutely call or email a catholic parish near you and tell them you are interested in becoming a Christian.  If they don't respond or you're not feeling them in anyway, just call or email a different Catholic parish. They all can help you join the Church. As you are learning about Christianity you will find out how important it is to be baptized to be a disciple of Jesus.  It's a huge step that can never be undone, so before it happens the Church will want to teach you about Christian belief so you can make the big decision about whether to accept it and have your soul marked forever as a disciple of Christ. Every year thousands of people go through RCIA (as I did myself) to learn about the faith and decide if they want to receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation.) If you call or email a catholic parish, they should help you with information about how to attend RCIA with other people in your shoes. Or, you might be able to meet with a priest or nun for individual instruction if that is more comfortable for you. It's just very important in Christianity to learn what God wants us to believe in, because as I said it is a "belief" based faith. 

I'm praying for you and thanking God that He has come into your heart and is inspiring your journey and search for Truth!  As you go on don't hesitate to ask your questions on this forum as well as there are many very knowledgeable people here! God bless you!!!!

Edited January 5, 2020 by Lilllabettt

[Lilllabettt]

5 hours ago, cherryblossom said:

hi!!! i am a fifteen year old. i have recently been exposed to the christian faith through social media and books and i believe that i feel a calling from God. however, all of my family is atheist and i was raised atheist as well. what should my first step be? i know my family will support me and all that but i just don’t know how to get started in christianity. thanks so much

Here are some books that can help too --- if you make an Amazon wishlist and post us the link I'd be happy to send them to you!!!!

Ignatius Study Bible: New Testament --- really good aid for helping read and understand the Word of God! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1586174843/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qJMeEbHNJYSF0

Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith - really good! If you google videos by Bishop Barron you will find tons of good stuff too! https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307720527/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JPMeEbSQC2ZDX

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by Lilllabettt

[cherryblossom]

thank you all so much for your guidance. i am so excited and relieved to answer the call that i feel and to accept Jesus into my life. your kind words will stay with me on my journey.