Hello!
I posted this already on another Orthodox forum so I thought I should repost it on here as well.
Let me tell you a bit about myself. I was born, raised, and baptized Baptist. Through family members who were Catholic, I began a journey to Rome thinking it was the true Church of Jesus Christ. I have begun a process of joining the RCC but have lately been discerning Orthodoxy. I consider myself Catholic at this point. I spend so much of my time defending the faith against Protestants and when I'm not doing that I'm either on Catholic Answers or praying the rosary. LOL!
Lately, I've been reading through "The Orthodox Way" by Kallistos Ware, and the history of the Orthodox Church just sticks with me. It makes sense. I have been so engrossed in the battle inside Catholicism of pre-Vatican 2 versus post-Vatican 2 that I forget that neither of these are the way the Church and the liturgy were as Christ and the Early Church had it. I find more stability in tradition in Orthodoxy.
I love the spirituality of the eastern Church as well. Despite my devotion to the rosary that I don't know if I will ever cease, I love the simplicity of the Jesus prayer and just the devotion there. I would love to adopt this into my personal prayer life. I also love icons so much. Just the sheer beauty of them really brings something about in my prayer life. I wish I had icons of my own.
So, I guess the only real thing holding me back from Orthodoxy is just my attachment to Rome. I really get Rome but I also get Orthodoxy. I understand both positions on the papacy and I do think that the west has overdone the papal powers. I understand the easts views on the Blessed Virgin Mary. I just guess I need to study more about Orthodoxy to see if it "fits" for me.
Can anyone recommend any websites, resources, etc., for me to grow in my faith and to grow in my knowledge of Orthodoxy? I'm a student so I don't really have extra cash laying around to dish out on icons or books or anything. I have an icon from my childhood of St. John the Baptist, a prayer rope, and my Catholic things (statues, books, etc.,) and thats about it religiously.
So, if anyone could recommend any resources for me online, or if anyone had any resources they would be willing to share with me by mail like books or religious articles, that would be wonderful and I would prayerfully accept anything to help my faith grow.
Thank you all and God bless!
Landon
I posted this already on another Orthodox forum so I thought I should repost it on here as well.
Let me tell you a bit about myself. I was born, raised, and baptized Baptist. Through family members who were Catholic, I began a journey to Rome thinking it was the true Church of Jesus Christ. I have begun a process of joining the RCC but have lately been discerning Orthodoxy. I consider myself Catholic at this point. I spend so much of my time defending the faith against Protestants and when I'm not doing that I'm either on Catholic Answers or praying the rosary. LOL!
Lately, I've been reading through "The Orthodox Way" by Kallistos Ware, and the history of the Orthodox Church just sticks with me. It makes sense. I have been so engrossed in the battle inside Catholicism of pre-Vatican 2 versus post-Vatican 2 that I forget that neither of these are the way the Church and the liturgy were as Christ and the Early Church had it. I find more stability in tradition in Orthodoxy.
I love the spirituality of the eastern Church as well. Despite my devotion to the rosary that I don't know if I will ever cease, I love the simplicity of the Jesus prayer and just the devotion there. I would love to adopt this into my personal prayer life. I also love icons so much. Just the sheer beauty of them really brings something about in my prayer life. I wish I had icons of my own.
So, I guess the only real thing holding me back from Orthodoxy is just my attachment to Rome. I really get Rome but I also get Orthodoxy. I understand both positions on the papacy and I do think that the west has overdone the papal powers. I understand the easts views on the Blessed Virgin Mary. I just guess I need to study more about Orthodoxy to see if it "fits" for me.
Can anyone recommend any websites, resources, etc., for me to grow in my faith and to grow in my knowledge of Orthodoxy? I'm a student so I don't really have extra cash laying around to dish out on icons or books or anything. I have an icon from my childhood of St. John the Baptist, a prayer rope, and my Catholic things (statues, books, etc.,) and thats about it religiously.
So, if anyone could recommend any resources for me online, or if anyone had any resources they would be willing to share with me by mail like books or religious articles, that would be wonderful and I would prayerfully accept anything to help my faith grow.
Thank you all and God bless!
Landon