This feeling that I'm not really a convert

The devil will try to derail your faith. Keep steadfast in prayer and the sacraments. I can feel a force trying to pressure me to skip Mass, but I press on and double down in prayer.

I think I understand. When were you Baptized? For it is from that point that you were a member of Christ's Church whether you knew it or not. I wonder if many who call themselves converts, might actually be reverts? From the catechism...

1265 Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte "a new creature," an adopted son of God, who has become a "partaker of the divine nature," member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit.

1272 Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation. Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated.

1273 Incorporated into the Church by Baptism, the faithful have received the sacramental character that consecrates them for Christian religious worship. The baptismal seal enables and commits Christians to serve God by a vital participation in the holy liturgy of the Church and to exercise their baptismal priesthood by the witness of holy lives and practical charity.

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I think we sometimes forget how powerful the Sacraments are or maybe do not understand fully. The Church has been focusing on a Eucharistic revival and I wonder if maybe we also need a Baptism revival?

Maybe for many, instead of saying 'welcome Home', we should be saying 'welcome back Home'

johnnypapa said:

I think I understand. When were you Baptized? For it is from that point that you were a member of Christ's Church whether you knew it or not. I wonder if many who call themselves converts, might actually be reverts? From the catechism...



I think we sometimes forget how powerful the Sacraments are or maybe do not understand fully. The Church has been focusing on a Eucharistic revival and I wonder if maybe we also need a Baptism revival?

Maybe for many, instead of saying 'welcome Home', we should be saying 'welcome back Home'

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You know, that a good question but I think she was baptized during Easter vigil when she entered the Church. If that’s the case, I think her attendance at Catholic school planted a seed that grew in time.

I don't think it matters either way if you were a "convert" or a "dormant Catholic". What does matter is that you're Catholic now.

I think God's policy in getting people into the church is "whatever works". He doesn't care and I wouldn't be worried about it either if I were you.

In my case one of the means he used was an argument with a Protestant pastor. I'd been resisting joining the Catholic Church but after that I thought "What the heck - I'd better make the move".

There was more to it than that, but it was one of the factors leading up to my becoming Catholic.

Not that long ago I was talking to the couple whose home we used when I doing my RCIA. They said to me "We didn't think you'd go through with it! You asked so many questions!!" But then they added "But you're the one who stuck around and did things."

God doesn't care. A psychiatrist I used to see mainly for spiritual reasons in the told me he had a 'double whammy' as part of his conversion. This discussion came up because I'd mentioned my own 'double whammies' (like a breath going through you in waves from head to foot), and he was the one who said "So you had a double whammy?".

It turned out he'd been running around an oval as a young bloke wondering if he should join the Catholic Church or not, when God clobbered him with a 'double whammy'. I presume he mentally asked "Should I join the Catholic Church?" and he got hit.

God will use anything. In your case it might have been latent dormancy as a future Catholic. So what? Who cares?

Lady Bug said:

Because I think Michie once said that converts can be given the cold shoulder, and if I'm more than just a convert, what harm could that be?

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They are by some but not all.