Catechumen process…

[Melily]

*Orthodox Topic*
I first learned about Orthodoxy 2 years ago and spent about 9 months reading up on it before actually attending a Divine Liturgy. In November of 2020 I convinced my husband to take me to a service. I had previously been raised culturally Protestant but wasn’t very devout or anything. I just never got it I guess is the best way of putting it. My husband was raised in a family that at least valued regular church attendance and he was exposed to scripture.
In 2015 I started trying to be a Christian but didn’t know what I was doing in the least (not that I do now but hopefully a little more so). I really think my efforts were for all the wrong reasons to be honest but I’m praying that Christ can forgive me and turn wrong reasons into a good outcome.
I read this article the other day and it was quite eye opening.
Reasons Why You Should Not Convert to Orthodox Christianity
I’ve read a lot and tried to attend services as much as possible. It’s been challenging because my husband and I both work as respiratory therapists so the last 2 years have been intense to say the least. I think I finally crashed from exhaustion ironically around the start of Lent. I could be in delusion but it seems like the evil one is working very hard to stop us from becoming part of the Church.
We became catechumen’s, started inquirer classes and became small contributing stewards this time last year at a nearby parish. In the last month we started going to the very first parish we visited. I would have been happy to stay there from the beginning but my husband thought it was too far to drive. He recently wanted to go back there which was fine with me because we really hadn’t met anyone besides the priests at the other parish.
I don’t quite know the purpose of this thread. Forgive me. I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else has had struggles like this while being catechumens? I still want to try to become Orthodox because I can’t imagine being in any other church. Maybe I should just explain this all to the priest where we have been attending recently?

 

[ArmyMatt]

yeah, I would let the priest at the parish you are attending know. it could very well be the evil one trying to distract you.

 

[Lukaris]

I will read the article you have linked when I get to a Wi-Fi zone maybe tomorrow. I believe you are in the US, correct? All I can do is speak from an American perspective which might not match a situation for someone say in Europe.

If you find the right parish I believe all should be well. While I am a convert, I also have Orthodox roots and know of experiences my father & grandparents had in the same parish I am in. I like our Antiochian Orthodox parish and basically always have since becoming Orthodox in 2005.

I know of cultural issues both my parents had within their Orthodox & Protestant backgrounds and whatever good and bad there was not unique to either one. I think sometimes the cultural issues get often overblown. Our parish has been in the US since the early 1900s and while we need to do better in outreach, the people are generally friendly just not overly theologically deep (not a reflection of their sincere faith or intellects). An American lady who wanted to become Orthodox, relocated to our area after finding our parish. A Syrian lady, came out of Islam, and became Orthodox Christian. Both of these people joined us within the last year. So it is good that our churches to become American but also retain some of their ethnic background as long as the Gospel of Jesus Christ is first.

 

[Melily]

Thank you for replying Father Matt and Lukaris. I greatly appreciate it. I’m near Indianapolis, Indiana USA. The church we are attending right now is an OCA and nearly all the of the parishioners are converts. We started our catechumen at a Greek Orthodox Cathedral. It is a mixture of cradle and converts-in fact both priests there are converts. That really doesn’t matter at all to me. It’s really big though and my husband thought it would be better for us to be somewhere smaller. I’m just happy he goes with me and I’m trying to be a good wife and defer to his lead.

 

[ArmyMatt]

prayers for you on this journey!

 

[Melily]

prayers for you on this journey!

Thank you Father. Your prayers worked very fast! Within hours of this message the priest from the Greek church emailed to check in on us. I’m very grateful.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Thank you Father. Your prayers worked very fast! Within hours of this message the priest from the Greek church emailed to check in on us. I’m very grateful.

praise God!

 

[rusmeister]

I do think there is a widespread failure in catechesis in the Church; probably the worst problem I have noticed is that people come into the Church and bring their own baggage; their own conception of the world, of what Christian teaching should be, and how we should see things. What is most lacking is a willingness to submit that baggage and accept the historical teachings of the Church as propounded in Scripture and expounded on by the fathers. A kind of humility that says, “My own opinion could be wrong, what do we find in the common teachings of our Church? Maybe I need to change my eyes.” is lacking.

That came up for me starting in 2012, most especially around the topic of marriage and divorce, but other issues, big and small, raised their heads, and the common thread was always the arguments of the world in opposition to what Christ and the Church says.

That’s why my second signature says what it says. I invite correction from Holy Tradition. I have to, the more so as I didn’t undergo any formal catechism whatsoever. In the various discussions, both here and elsewhere, when disagreement arose I have seen precious little of that consensus of the fathers and a whole lot of thoughts rooted in pop psychology, feminism, and so on, appealing to sentiment rather than what has generally been held as Church teaching and common practice.

 

[Light of the East]

*Orthodox Topic*
I first learned about Orthodoxy 2 years ago and spent about 9 months reading up on it before actually attending a Divine Liturgy. In November of 2020 I convinced my husband to take me to a service. I had previously been raised culturally Protestant but wasn’t very devout or anything. I just never got it I guess is the best way of putting it. My husband was raised in a family that at least valued regular church attendance and he was exposed to scripture.
In 2015 I started trying to be a Christian but didn’t know what I was doing in the least (not that I do now but hopefully a little more so). I really think my efforts were for all the wrong reasons to be honest but I’m praying that Christ can forgive me and turn wrong reasons into a good outcome.
I read this article the other day and it was quite eye opening.
Reasons Why You Should Not Convert to Orthodox Christianity
I’ve read a lot and tried to attend services as much as possible. It’s been challenging because my husband and I both work as respiratory therapists so the last 2 years have been intense to say the least. I think I finally crashed from exhaustion ironically around the start of Lent. I could be in delusion but it seems like the evil one is working very hard to stop us from becoming part of the Church.
We became catechumen’s, started inquirer classes and became small contributing stewards this time last year at a nearby parish. In the last month we started going to the very first parish we visited. I would have been happy to stay there from the beginning but my husband thought it was too far to drive. He recently wanted to go back there which was fine with me because we really hadn’t met anyone besides the priests at the other parish.

I don’t quite know the purpose of this thread. Forgive me. I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else has had struggles like this while being catechumens? I still want to try to become Orthodox because I can’t imagine being in any other church. Maybe I should just explain this all to the priest where we have been attending recently?

From one who is a fellow catechumen - stay the course and don't beat yourself up that you may not be fully understanding. In many ways, coming from where you are coming from may be better than the things I will have to work on and/or jettison as I come in from Catholicism, even though it is of the Eastern variety. Your priest is there to help you navigate and avoid the pitfalls. Trust in his love for you and his care for your soul. Bring him your questions and concerns without embarrassment. He has probably heard it all by now (as my priest said in one catechumen's class on Confession).

Each of us as catechumens will have our own personal and individualized struggles. Do not be discouraged. This is normal, given both our backgrounds and the work of the evil one to discourage us. It sounds as if the Lord has been working in you to draw you to Himself through His Church. Let that always be an encouragement when you have doubts or troubles.

And most of all, be patient. As Fr. Matt said to me three years ago when I was yearning to convert but couldn't because of obstacles, "God will bring you in His own time." Yes. And now I am three weeks away from chrismation.

May God bless you and your husband as you navigate your catechumenate!

 

[ArmyMatt]

"God will bring you in His own time."

indeed He will

 

[Light of the East]

indeed He will

Glory to God in all things.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Glory to God in all things.

amen!

 

[Melily]

From one who is a fellow catechumen - stay the course and don't beat yourself up that you may not be fully understanding. In many ways, coming from where you are coming from may be better than the things I will have to work on and/or jettison as I come in from Catholicism, even though it is of the Eastern variety. Your priest is there to help you navigate and avoid the pitfalls. Trust in his love for you and his care for your soul. Bring him your questions and concerns without embarrassment. He has probably heard it all by now (as my priest said in one catechumen's class on Confession).

Each of us as catechumens will have our own personal and individualized struggles. Do not be discouraged. This is normal, given both our backgrounds and the work of the evil one to discourage us. It sounds as if the Lord has been working in you to draw you to Himself through His Church. Let that always be an encouragement when you have doubts or troubles.

And most of all, be patient. As Fr. Matt said to me three years ago when I was yearning to convert but couldn't because of obstacles, "God will bring you in His own time." Yes. And now I am three weeks away from chrismation.

May God bless you and your husband as you navigate your catechumenate!

Thank you so much for the encouragement Light of the East! I have been getting a little bit discouraged but just keep praying to the Lord “As you will and as you know, have mercy” as I read from one of the Saints. I do feel I’m continuing to slowly learn and grow so that’s good. I know my husband is just going for me since he directly told me that but instead of worrying about it I’m just going to be grateful he loves me enough to attend and let God work out the details in time.

 

[Andrew.H]

I'm new here but also a catechumen. Where I live it's 100 miles round trip to the nearest parish but I make that trip gladly as often as I can and at least for Sundays unless I'm physically ill. Every time I walk through the doors I know I'm exactly where I need to be and look forward to it every week. This is where I desire to be every chance I get.

I'm sure you know that feeling too, that feeling of the Lord whispering into your heart that you belong here. Just keep that feeling in mind any time your body tells you "I don't feel like it" or you glance at something that causes you to doubt. That feeling is what's real. When you walk in the doors, you'll know you made the right choice and wonder how you could have ever thought otherwise.

 

[rusmeister]

Also, one thing that REALLY helped me, having, at that time, read some CS Lewis, was to beware of looking for spiritual feelings, of trying to generate feelings inside myself, what I called “the factory of feelings”. Bearing in mind that feelings come and go, and that they can mislead and deceive, and that the practice of faith should not be dependent on them, was really helpful. (Now I’m trying to recover that awareness myself).

 

[Not David]

I would say having a prayer rule is an important part.

 

[Justin-H.S.]

probably the worst problem I have noticed is that people come into the Church and bring their own baggage; their own conception of the world, of what Christian teaching should be, and how we should see things. What is most lacking is a willingness to submit that baggage and accept the historical teachings of the Church as propounded in Scripture and expounded on by the fathers. A kind of humility that says, “My own opinion could be wrong, what do we find in the common teachings of our Church? Maybe I need to change my eyes.” is lacking.

^this

I'd say that after I was chrismated was when the real work of developing an Orthodox phronema began. Ideally, I'd imagine that was supposed to happen prior to being received into the Church. Dislodging the inherent materialism in our psyche is pretty difficult since we've been inundated with it for our entire lives.

 

[ArmyMatt]

^this

I'd say that after I was chrismated was when the real work of developing an Orthodox phronema began. Ideally, I'd imagine that was supposed to happen prior to being received into the Church. Dislodging the inherent materialism in our psyche is pretty difficult since we've been inundated with it for our entire lives.

yep, and the post-schism West’s errors

 

[Light of the East]

yep, and the post-schism West’s errors

What books, saints, authors, priests, etc would you recommend to address this Western thinking and to help in developing the Orthodox phronema?

 

[Melily]

I'm new here but also a catechumen. Where I live it's 100 miles round trip to the nearest parish but I make that trip gladly as often as I can and at least for Sundays unless I'm physically ill. Every time I walk through the doors I know I'm exactly where I need to be and look forward to it every week. This is where I desire to be every chance I get.

I'm sure you know that feeling too, that feeling of the Lord whispering into your heart that you belong here. Just keep that feeling in mind any time your body tells you "I don't feel like it" or you glance at something that causes you to doubt. That feeling is what's real. When you walk in the doors, you'll know you made the right choice and wonder how you could have ever thought otherwise.

Thank you Andrew! I feel the same.
The priest’s wife from the OCA parish we’ve been going to lately emailed me today. We have been in contact periodically since November of 2020. She asked if we were being Chrismated on Holy Saturday and I explained the situation to her and said I’d love to speak with one of the priests there about continuing our catechumen at the OCA parish! Glory to God! Things are moving in a more positive direction. Whether it’s soon or next year I’m sure it will happen at the best time.