Considering Converting

[EvangelineLaFay]

Hi, everyone.

I was told by a friend that this was a great place to come and have some questions answered.
I never was, nor have I ever been, a Catholic. I have always been told that they did not believe the same things as a Protestant does.
However, I am seriously considering conversion from my Episcopalian faith, because I am rather sad at the lack of consideration for what we Christians in general need to know in these trying times.
I went through the Episcopal rites of Confirmation, but even as I did, I learned pretty much nothing about how the church works, the cathechism, or anything like that, I am asking myself now, 'What does it mean to be an Episcopalian Christian?'
Given my current state, I am looking at the Catholic church...I mean heck, at least they have classes which show you why you believe what you believe and such.
I am not what you would call exactly upright and pious. I am a bit Gothic, I enjoy Phantom of the Opera and I am a performing artist. I enjoy Evanescence and Barlow Girl, and like a solemn, quiet sort of church service.
So I ask, someone who is Catholic...'What exactly does it mean to be Catholic?'

[Marieteresa]

I am glad you found our neck of the woods! So Welcome to PM! Prayers for you on your faith journey.

[avemaria40]

Hey! I converted to Catholicism about two years ago, and it is awesome! Hope you find a lot of information on the site! I love being Catholic, it is worth every moment.

What it means for me to be Catholic is believing that God loved us all so much that he sent His Son to show us how to live, to nourish us with His Body and Blood, to bring us to Himself, and to die for our sins. He was willing to save us no matter what the cost. It means to be in communion with God and with everyone else living and deceased. To be Catholic is to be united since "catholic" comes from the Greek word Katholikos meaning "universal" It is to live in love with Christ every day, taking up your cross and following Him, no matter where He takes you. It means to join with Christ every week in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and let Him nourish you with His Word and the Holy Eucharist. It means to love Christ by serving others and caring for the poor and broken and reaching out to everyone. It means to love everyone, and to break the selfish side of your nature out. That is what it means to me to be Catholic.

prayers for you!

[beautyforashes]

[quote]What it means for me to be Catholic is believing that God loved us all so much that he sent His Son to show us how to live, to nourish us with His Body and Blood, to bring us to Himself, and to die for our sins. He was willing to save us no matter what the cost. It means to be in communion with God and with everyone else living and deceased. To be Catholic is to be united since "catholic" comes from the Greek word Katholikos meaning "universal" It is to live in love with Christ every day, taking up your cross and following Him, no matter where He takes you. It means to join with Christ every week in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and let Him nourish you with His Word and the Holy Eucharist. It means to love Christ by serving others and caring for the poor and broken and reaching out to everyone. It means to love everyone, and to break the selfish side of your nature out. That is what it means to me to be Catholic[/quote]

very well said. i'm still in the process of converting (i'm still in the RCIA classes) but being Catholic to me is making a committment to follow and serve Christ. its picking up your cross daily and saying that you trust God and you're willing to do anything for the sake of His name. its finding an intimacy and a relationship with God through the sacraments, prayer, and scripture. its about knowing that you're loved by God and through this love, loving others. its about being a follower of Christ.

I hope that you'll be able to find the answers that you're seeking. its a hard time trying to decide what you believe in, and my prayers are definitely with you.

[Brother Adam]

Welcome to Phatmass. I converted to Catholicism about a year and a half ago from the Baptist church. I converted because this is the Church that Jesus Christ founded 2000 years ago. What it means to be Catholic is summed up, beautifully, in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds.

[jezic]

What does it mean to be Catholic?

Mean things, but i would say one of the big ones, is being Catholic means following Jesus in the fullness of the truth.

[Birgitta Noel]

[quote name='jezic' date='Feb 3 2006, 11:23 AM']What does it mean to be Catholic?

Mean things...
[right][snapback]874368[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
MEAN things?

LOL, that was toooooo funny!

Oh, and to PM. Be sure to drop into the "Check-In" thread in Open Mic and introduce yourself!

We're ready to answer your questions

[jezic]

oops. I meant many. sorry.

um mods, can someone fix that. I can't anymore.

[homeschoolmom]

Nah, it's too funny. And it's pretty well cleared up if you read the whole thread...

[journeyman]

what does it mean . . . for me (I converted from the Episcopalian church - two years ago) it is a continuation of the journey I began many years ago in what some of my friends (not Catholics for the most part) called the JV Catholics . . . I'm still learning (here and elsewhere) after my admission into the Catholic Church . . . but the teaching is (I hope) bringing me closer to God . . . I have far more of a sense of belonging to the universal (little "c" catholic) church here than I ever had in my youth . . . and more of a sense of His presence

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='EvangelineLaFay' date='Feb 2 2006, 07:03 PM']So I ask, someone who is Catholic...'What exactly does it mean to be Catholic?'[right][snapback]873528[/snapback][/right][/quote]
Brother Adam, when he was but a wee baptist, asked me this very same question. here is how i responded:[list]"I have really been struggling with how to respond to this question, not because the answers are not abundant, but because it is hard to articulate into words the love i have for Jesus Christ and His Church. plus, i don't want this to just be a list of the usual stereotypical responses. i want this to come from my heart; i feel like you will appreciate that the most. i guess the best way for me to do that is to just tell you what the Catholic Church means to me. you can glean from that the reasons to be Catholic.

to me, the catholic church means....

[b]1. a mother[/b] [[b]note[/b]: catholics often refer to the Church as our "mother"] who loves me so much, that any words used to describe it are incomprehensably inadequate. this is a love indescribable, a love for the body of Christ, typified in the love that Mary has for THE body of Christ. notice in The Passion of the Christ, how she runs to Him, how she longs to take all of his pain away. she just loves Him so much. we are the child in the flashback, we are the Body of Christ, who stumble and fall. yet we have a mother who is always there, who will wipe away our tears and set us back upon the path to righteousness.

[b]2. a Blessed Mother[/b] [[b]note:[/b] this time, in reference to Mary], a Mother of perfect piety and purity, a Mother who looks upon us, lowly and broken in this valley of tears, and brings our heartfelt cries to the Lord. She is the Mother to the motherless, to the abandoned, to the homeless, to desperate and the heartbroken. She is there, caring for us, unceasing in her love and affection. Oh Blessed Mother and Immaculate Queen of Heaven, pray for us!!

[b]3. a father[/b], a priest, my guardian, my shephard, who loves me as his son. a man who has given himself to the Lord to be an instrument of forgivness and sacrifice. "bless me father, for i have sinned." humbled and humiliated i come before him. yet he is not rebuking, not horrified, not aggravated or apathetic. he is loving, understanding, forgiving. it has made his day that i have come to him, and sought that the Holy Father should work through him in reconciling me to Himself. before i leave the confessional, and walk back into the harsh, cruel world he hugs me and assures me that he is always there for me, just as our Holy Father in heaven is forever at our side.

[b]4. grace unabounding[/b], grace that pours forth like water, that cleanses us and unites us to Christ Jesus. grace from baptism, which wipes away all impurities, that seals us w/ the indelible mark of the Holy Spirit and makes us a new creation, a child of God, a member of His Holy Family.

[b]grace from confession[/b], the Lords merciful forgiveness that lifts every burden, that reconciles us w/ God and man, grace available to every wicked man who ever walked this Earth.

[b]grace from the Real Presence[/b] of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. grace that fills us, so that we hunger and thirst no more. grace that unites us to the one sacrifice for all mankind, for every generation, until the end of time.

[b]grace from confirmation[/b], grace that fits us w/ the armor of God, with which we are protected for the good fight. together w/ the mighty archangels we wage the war against evil and set ourselves apart as sons and daughter of God, and warriors for Christ.

[b]grace from matrimony[/b], grace through which two become one flesh and share in God's role as Creator and Sustainer of Life, grace through which two people call to mind the perfect love that exists between the persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, grace through which man and woman work to aid and protect and guide each other to eternal bliss in heaven.

[b]grace from Holy Orders[/b], in which men, who are called to be set apart for the Lord and servants of His Church, are given power and authority by the Holy Spirit to stand in the person of Christ, to appropriate His unending blessings to His children, to celebrate the perfect Sacrifice of the Mass, to live a life singularly devoted to the work of God on this Earth.

[b]grace from the Anointing of the Sick[/b], grace that strengthens us in our final hours, when we are inundated with fear and despair, grace that comforts us when we need it the most, grace that prepares our souls to be with God, and heals ever infirmity if it is His Perfect Will.

[b]grace, everywhere and all around me[/b], grace to cleans me, grace to forgive me, grace to feed me, grace to arm and protect me, grace to love me, grace to make me a man set apart, grace to strengthen me until my final breath, grace that pushes me, guides me, points me in the right direction. without it i would be lost. i would be dead.

[b]5. truth[/b], perfect and unadulterated. the spirit of truth that casts our fear, protected by the Holy Spirit and the Real Presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. truth incorruptable, impervious to the scandal and the imperfection of men. truth, that sure guide and only way towards perfection in Christ Jesus. truth that never contradicts itself, truth that never lies, truth set on a pedastle and of which there is only one.

[b]6. One body[/b], united in One profession of faith, in One sacrifice of the Holy Mass, in perfect Communion, in One shepherd on Earth, One Vicar of Christ, One Rock, One sure foundation, One Church, One Body of Christ, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One Spirit that is through all and in all.

[b]7. a Holy Body[/b], empowered by the Holy Spirit, filled with Grace, made Holy by the appropriation of this grace through the Seven Sacraments, glorified by the Saints, that clowd of witnesses who have come before us and show us what it is to be Holy, to glorify the Lord and his Church through every word and action. a Holy Body, a spotless lamb, a perfect sacrifice brought before the Lord.

[b]8. a Catholic Body[/b], a people everwhere, spreading the word of God and making disciples of all nations, feeding the poor, providing clothing and shelter for the homeless, nursing the sick, protecting the neglected and abused, everwhere and to everyone saying, "here you have a home." a Catholic Body, universal yet visible, hierarchical, with bishops, priests, and deacons, a body set apart from all others, a body of which the earliest christians provide witness, the only body that deserves the title "Catholic"

[b]9. an Apostolic Body[/b], sprung from the 12 apostles themselves, a body w/ a perfect line of succession, a body which continuously perpetuates the power, authority, and teaching of the first followers of Jesus, and of Jesus Christ himself. a body for which martyrs have died, and the greatest apologists and theologians in all of christianity have given witness, perfect unity with the One True Church, Christ's Church, from the VERY beginning, a claim that no other Church would dare to make or ever substantiate.

[b]10. the communion of saints[/b], those witnesses in the stands who cheer for me as i run the race, as i work out my salvation w/ fear and trembling. saints, made perfect by the saving grace of Jesus Christ, who live in the presence of the Beatific Vision, who are alive in Christ, who have fought the good fight and finished victorious, who know my trials b/c they have lived them to. saints, our holy brothers and sisters in Christ, who bring rightious prayers to the Lord on our behalf and plead that we may be showered with grace.

[b]11. resiliency[/b], the longest-lasting institution on the face of the planet, the Church that will never fall, never be defeated, never be corrupted, never be overcome, never be overcome by the gates of hell, by the devil and his minions, by the sinfulness of man, and every force that is brought against it. Resilient, finding redemption through suffering, growth in times of scandal, light where there is darkness, healing where there is pain, lifting every burden and healing all wounds. Resilient, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic until the end of time. The Last Man Standing.

[b]12. ST. MICHAEL[/b], captain bad-ass, mr. who's-your-daddy, mr. "WHO-IS-LIKE-CHRIST!?!?, mr. bring it on, mr. you-cant-hold-me, mr. foot-on-your-face, mr. don't-make-me-use-my-sword, mr. get-the-hell-outta-here, mr. the-devil-aint-shinobi, the Prince of Heavenly Host, our defender in battle, our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil, the ultimate warror, the soldier of Christ, our bodyguard from temptation and sin, the protector of the Church and enemy of the Devil. st. michael, the archangel, pray for us!!

[b]13. only the Catholic Church can and does make such lofty claims[/b]. its the only Church that claims to be the One Church of Christ--and can prove it. its the only Church that is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic--and can prove it. its the only Church that can say it came BEFORE the Bible--and can prove it. its the only Church that claims to be infallible in matters of doctrine and morals--and can prove it. its the only Church that claims direct succession from the Apostles and Jesus Christ--and can prove it. its the only Church that gives Her believers SEVEN SURE WAYS to receive the grace of Jesus Christ--and can prove it. its the only Church that shows the Blessed Mother of Jesus Christ that honor and reverence that she rightly deserves.

you know, as i re-read my response, i despair over how supremely inadequate it is. uggh! i think i could re-write and revise this 100 times and never be happy with it. i hope this is what you are looking for, and i am sorry if it is not. actually, a part of me fears that it will turn you away, as my zeal has done so often in the past. i am remined of my ex-girlfriend, and how my response to the same question by her actually destroyed all hope of her becoming catholic. however, i must remind myself that it is not all my fault that she has decided to reject catholicism, and it is equally prideful of me to assume that your initiation into the Church hinges upon my response here.

so, there's my answer. it is what it is."
[/list]
maybe that same answer will be helpful to you too.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Feb 3 2006, 09:37 AM']Welcome to Phatmass. I converted to Catholicism about a year and a half ago from the Baptist church. I converted because this is the Church that Jesus Christ founded 2000 years ago. What it means to be Catholic is summed up, beautifully, in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds.
[right][snapback]874235[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
here are the creeds that he is referring to:

[u][b]Apostles’ Creed[/b][/u]
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell;
he third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.


[u][b]Nicene Creed [/b](the more modern translation that we recite in mass)[/u]
We believe in God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfilment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen

[ReinnieR]

[quote name='phatcatholic' date='Feb 7 2006, 09:06 PM']Brother Adam, when he was but a wee baptist, asked me this very same question. here is how i responded:[list]"I have really been struggling with how to respond to this question, not because the answers are not abundant, but because it is hard to articulate into words the love i have for Jesus Christ and His Church. plus, i don't want this to just be a list of the usual stereotypical responses. i want this to come from my heart; i feel like you will appreciate that the most. i guess the best way for me to do that is to just tell you what the Catholic Church means to me. you can glean from that the reasons to be Catholic.

to me, the catholic church means....

[b]1. a mother[/b] [[b]note[/b]: catholics often refer to the Church as our "mother"] who loves me so much, that any words used to describe it are incomprehensably inadequate. this is a love indescribable, a love for the body of Christ, typified in the love that Mary has for THE body of Christ. notice in The Passion of the Christ, how she runs to Him, how she longs to take all of his pain away. she just loves Him so much. we are the child in the flashback, we are the Body of Christ, who stumble and fall. yet we have a mother who is always there, who will wipe away our tears and set us back upon the path to righteousness.

[b]2. a Blessed Mother[/b] [[b]note:[/b] this time, in reference to Mary], a Mother of perfect piety and purity, a Mother who looks upon us, lowly and broken in this valley of tears, and brings our heartfelt cries to the Lord. She is the Mother to the motherless, to the abandoned, to the homeless, to desperate and the heartbroken. She is there, caring for us, unceasing in her love and affection. Oh Blessed Mother and Immaculate Queen of Heaven, pray for us!!

[b]3. a father[/b], a priest, my guardian, my shephard, who loves me as his son. a man who has given himself to the Lord to be an instrument of forgivness and sacrifice. "bless me father, for i have sinned." humbled and humiliated i come before him. yet he is not rebuking, not horrified, not aggravated or apathetic. he is loving, understanding, forgiving. it has made his day that i have come to him, and sought that the Holy Father should work through him in reconciling me to Himself. before i leave the confessional, and walk back into the harsh, cruel world he hugs me and assures me that he is always there for me, just as our Holy Father in heaven is forever at our side.

[b]4. grace unabounding[/b], grace that pours forth like water, that cleanses us and unites us to Christ Jesus. grace from baptism, which wipes away all impurities, that seals us w/ the indelible mark of the Holy Spirit and makes us a new creation, a child of God, a member of His Holy Family.

[b]grace from confession[/b], the Lords merciful forgiveness that lifts every burden, that reconciles us w/ God and man, grace available to every wicked man who ever walked this Earth.

[b]grace from the Real Presence[/b] of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. grace that fills us, so that we hunger and thirst no more. grace that unites us to the one sacrifice for all mankind, for every generation, until the end of time.

[b]grace from confirmation[/b], grace that fits us w/ the armor of God, with which we are protected for the good fight. together w/ the mighty archangels we wage the war against evil and set ourselves apart as sons and daughter of God, and warriors for Christ.

[b]grace from matrimony[/b], grace through which two become one flesh and share in God's role as Creator and Sustainer of Life, grace through which two people call to mind the perfect love that exists between the persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, grace through which man and woman work to aid and protect and guide each other to eternal bliss in heaven.

[b]grace from Holy Orders[/b], in which men, who are called to be set apart for the Lord and servants of His Church, are given power and authority by the Holy Spirit to stand in the person of Christ, to appropriate His unending blessings to His children, to celebrate the perfect Sacrifice of the Mass, to live a life singularly devoted to the work of God on this Earth.

[b]grace from the Anointing of the Sick[/b], grace that strengthens us in our final hours, when we are inundated with fear and despair, grace that comforts us when we need it the most, grace that prepares our souls to be with God, and heals ever infirmity if it is His Perfect Will.

[b]grace, everywhere and all around me[/b], grace to cleans me, grace to forgive me, grace to feed me, grace to arm and protect me, grace to love me, grace to make me a man set apart, grace to strengthen me until my final breath, grace that pushes me, guides me, points me in the right direction. without it i would be lost. i would be dead.

[b]5. truth[/b], perfect and unadulterated. the spirit of truth that casts our fear, protected by the Holy Spirit and the Real Presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. truth incorruptable, impervious to the scandal and the imperfection of men. truth, that sure guide and only way towards perfection in Christ Jesus. truth that never contradicts itself, truth that never lies, truth set on a pedastle and of which there is only one.

[b]6. One body[/b], united in One profession of faith, in One sacrifice of the Holy Mass, in perfect Communion, in One shepherd on Earth, One Vicar of Christ, One Rock, One sure foundation, One Church, One Body of Christ, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One Spirit that is through all and in all.

[b]7. a Holy Body[/b], empowered by the Holy Spirit, filled with Grace, made Holy by the appropriation of this grace through the Seven Sacraments, glorified by the Saints, that clowd of witnesses who have come before us and show us what it is to be Holy, to glorify the Lord and his Church through every word and action. a Holy Body, a spotless lamb, a perfect sacrifice brought before the Lord.

[b]8. a Catholic Body[/b], a people everwhere, spreading the word of God and making disciples of all nations, feeding the poor, providing clothing and shelter for the homeless, nursing the sick, protecting the neglected and abused, everwhere and to everyone saying, "here you have a home." a Catholic Body, universal yet visible, hierarchical, with bishops, priests, and deacons, a body set apart from all others, a body of which the earliest christians provide witness, the only body that deserves the title "Catholic"

[b]9. an Apostolic Body[/b], sprung from the 12 apostles themselves, a body w/ a perfect line of succession, a body which continuously perpetuates the power, authority, and teaching of the first followers of Jesus, and of Jesus Christ himself. a body for which martyrs have died, and the greatest apologists and theologians in all of christianity have given witness, perfect unity with the One True Church, Christ's Church, from the VERY beginning, a claim that no other Church would dare to make or ever substantiate.

[b]10. the communion of saints[/b], those witnesses in the stands who cheer for me as i run the race, as i work out my salvation w/ fear and trembling. saints, made perfect by the saving grace of Jesus Christ, who live in the presence of the Beatific Vision, who are alive in Christ, who have fought the good fight and finished victorious, who know my trials b/c they have lived them to. saints, our holy brothers and sisters in Christ, who bring rightious prayers to the Lord on our behalf and plead that we may be showered with grace.

[b]11. resiliency[/b], the longest-lasting institution on the face of the planet, the Church that will never fall, never be defeated, never be corrupted, never be overcome, never be overcome by the gates of hell, by the devil and his minions, by the sinfulness of man, and every force that is brought against it. Resilient, finding redemption through suffering, growth in times of scandal, light where there is darkness, healing where there is pain, lifting every burden and healing all wounds. Resilient, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic until the end of time. The Last Man Standing.

[b]12. ST. MICHAEL[/b], captain bad-ass, mr. who's-your-daddy, mr. "WHO-IS-LIKE-CHRIST!?!?, mr. bring it on, mr. you-cant-hold-me, mr. foot-on-your-face, mr. don't-make-me-use-my-sword, mr. get-the-hell-outta-here, mr. the-devil-aint-shinobi, the Prince of Heavenly Host, our defender in battle, our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil, the ultimate warror, the soldier of Christ, our bodyguard from temptation and sin, the protector of the Church and enemy of the Devil. st. michael, the archangel, pray for us!!

[b]13. only the Catholic Church can and does make such lofty claims[/b]. its the only Church that claims to be the One Church of Christ--and can prove it. its the only Church that is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic--and can prove it. its the only Church that can say it came BEFORE the Bible--and can prove it. its the only Church that claims to be infallible in matters of doctrine and morals--and can prove it. its the only Church that claims direct succession from the Apostles and Jesus Christ--and can prove it. its the only Church that gives Her believers SEVEN SURE WAYS to receive the grace of Jesus Christ--and can prove it. its the only Church that shows the Blessed Mother of Jesus Christ that honor and reverence that she rightly deserves.

you know, as i re-read my response, i despair over how supremely inadequate it is. uggh! i think i could re-write and revise this 100 times and never be happy with it. i hope this is what you are looking for, and i am sorry if it is not. actually, a part of me fears that it will turn you away, as my zeal has done so often in the past. i am remined of my ex-girlfriend, and how my response to the same question by her actually destroyed all hope of her becoming catholic. however, i must remind myself that it is not all my fault that she has decided to reject catholicism, and it is equally prideful of me to assume that your initiation into the Church hinges upon my response here.

so, there's my answer. it is what it is."

[/list]
maybe that same answer will be helpful to you too.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic
[right][snapback]879759[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]


wow



yes that's what it means

[EvangelineLaFay]

Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread! It's really helped.

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='EvangelineLaFay' date='Feb 8 2006, 09:07 PM']Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread! It's really helped.
[right][snapback]881065[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
good!! : if you need anything else, just let us know