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I can't stop feeling "less than" other Catholics

Lady Bug

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Hi, contrary to the popular narrative that Catholics don't have a relationship with Jesus or don't have knowledge of their faith, I'm not seeing this in real life. Of course, you will find Catholics like I've described, they are in abundance, but I'm encountering Catholics who are very well-versed in Scripture, have read books, written articles, and given lectures at places. I feel like garbage compared to some of them; I'll never feel like I measure up. I start many books and have never even gotten through a third of them. The first book I finished in the past 10 years was "The Four Last Things" by Martin von Cochem and that was not even an enjoyable book; it was, however, a very compelling book. Someone at my table at the formation course seemed to treat me as "less than" for being a convert, and I don't think it's in my head.
 

chevyontheriver

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Hi, contrary to the popular narrative that Catholics don't have a relationship with Jesus or don't have knowledge of their faith, I'm not seeing this in real life. Of course, you will find Catholics like I've described, they are in abundance, but I'm encountering Catholics who are very well-versed in Scripture, have read books, written articles, and given lectures at places. I feel like garbage compared to some of them; I'll never feel like I measure up. I start many books and have never even gotten through a third of them. The first book I finished in the past 10 years was "The Four Last Things" by Martin von Cochem and that was not even an enjoyable book; it was, however, a very compelling book. Someone at my table at the formation course seemed to treat me as "less than" for being a convert, and I don't think it's in my head.
Some books simply are not worth finishing. Hard books that are nonetheless good are one thing but mediocre books are sometimes left unfinished.

If someone looks down on you for being a convert I look down on them! You can tell them that. And I ain’t no convert. I was born Catholic. So there.

You will have a witness to others that will develop as time goes on and you consolidate your experiences. I expect good from you, maybe a book, maybe a ministry, something where I can look back and say “I knew her when….”

You are a daughter of the King. You are royalty, and your elder brother is Jesus the Savior of the world. Enjoy that.
 
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Lady Bug

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Some books simply are not worth finishing. Hard books that are nonetheless good are one thing but mediocre books are sometimes left unfinished.

If someone looks down on you for being a convert I look down on them! You can tell them that. And I ain’t no convert. I was born Catholic. So there.

You will have a witness to others that will develop as time goes on and you consolidate your experiences. I expect good from you, maybe a book, maybe a ministry, something where I can look back and say “I knew her when….”

You are a daughter of the King. You are royalty, and your elder brother is Jesus the Savior of the world. Enjoy that.
I wasn't born Catholic, but everything else you said was right.

Ha - you are so right about books not being worth finishing, though.

One book that I think is worth finishing but is so hard to read somehow is The Catholic Controversy by St. Francis de Sales. I can't read that from start to finish. I have to cherry-pick in the hopes that one day all the cherries are picked.
 
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chevyontheriver

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I wasn't born Catholic, but everything else you said was right.
A convert is someone who had to overcome a lot to become Catholic. Cradle Catholics, by comparison, had it all just handed to them. Where’s the virtue in that? Yours was the more challenging path and kudos to you for taking it.
 
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Lady Bug

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A convert is someone who had to overcome a lot to become Catholic. Cradle Catholics, by comparison, had it all just handed to them. Where’s the virtue in that? Yours was the more challenging path and kudos to you for taking it.
You know how sometimes you just want to say how you really feel to someone and not beat around the bush? I sometimes wish I could become that person no matter whether they like me or not. I'd love to just say at the table (sigh...I can't though), "Most people who have been raised in a typical plain vanilla Catholic family with 10 siblings don't know schitt about true adversity in the faith. They don't know one phucking iota of what it means to have to obey your parents even when you're 55. They act like all you have to do is stand up to your parents. They don't have a phucking clue that this concept isn't a thing in other societies. And if you think it's so easy, try not having your heart crushed when your child, whether 16 or 55, tells you to F off your faith, and come back to me telling me how children should stand up to their parents. Age isn't going to matter schitt then." (Ok that's all scripted and would never go half that well in real life)
 
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chevyontheriver

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You know how sometimes you just want to say how you really feel to someone and not beat around the bush? I sometimes wish I could become that person no matter whether they like me or not. I'd love to just say at the table (sigh...I can't though), "Most people who have been raised in a typical plain vanilla Catholic family with 10 siblings don't know schitt about true adversity in the faith. They don't know one phucking iota of what it means to have to obey your parents even when you're 55. They act like all you have to do is stand up to your parents. They don't have a phucking clue that this concept isn't a thing in other societies. And if you think it's so easy, try not having your heart crushed when your child, whether 16 or 55, tells you to F off your faith, and come back to me telling me how children should stand up to their parents. Age isn't going to matter schitt then." (Ok that's all scripted and would never go half that well in real life)
Aside from the profanity I think you should tell them off. They will be otherwise clueless.
 
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Lady Bug

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Aside from the profanity I think you should tell them off. They will be otherwise clueless.
LOL I am a bit sheepish having done that on this site but the ideas behind what I said, still stand.
 
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FaithT

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A convert is someone who had to overcome a lot to become Catholic. Cradle Catholics, by comparison, had it all just handed to them. Where’s the virtue in that? Yours was the more challenging path and kudos to you for taking it.
I agree. And as a cradle Catholic I can say that converts seem to be much more knowledgeable about our faith. Or at least in my case.
 
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