Help me, again

[Adammi]

Guys I want to believe what the Catholic Church teaches, in a way, I do.
But when I am in a "good" Pentecostal service, I get caught up in emotionalism and change my mind. I don't know exactly what to ask, but just try your best to convince me.

 

[InnerPhyre]

First of all, it's good that you came here to ask questions Having an emotional response to something does not determine its validity. Worshipping God isn't about how we're feeling. It's about giving to God what is due to Him. I can go watch a movie or listen to music that has nothing at all to do with God and have a powerful emotional response to it. What specifically are you struggling with?

 

[Adammi]

First of all, it's good that you came here to ask questions Having an emotional response to something does not determine its validity. Worshipping God isn't about how we're feeling. It's about giving to God what is due to Him. I can go watch a movie or listen to music that has nothing at all to do with God and have a powerful emotional response to it. What specifically are you struggling with?

Okay I am 14, for the past 2 years I have studied the church devoutly. I want to believe, and I do. But my parents are Pentecostal and througout one week I'll pray the Rosary (which I love) along with studing the church and other things, but then I go to church and the exciting worship really moves me. And it undoes everything I have done (catholicly).

 

[InnerPhyre]

Do you think your parents would allow you to go to a Catholic church on Sundays?

 

[Adammi]

No, and that's if I could even muster up the courage to tell them.

 

[InnerPhyre]

Well I know there are a few people here in OBOB who are in the same boat as you are. I've never been in that sort of situation, so I don't know if I'm the best person to offer advice on it. I will definitely keep you in my prayers though. Hopefully someone else here will be able to offer a bit more. Don't lose heart!

 

[Adammi]

I will definitely keep you in my prayers though.

Thank You!!
That is what I need more than anything!!
~PAX

 

[Maggie893]

Okay I am 14, for the past 2 years I have studied the church devoutly. I want to believe, and I do. But my parents are Pentecostal and througout one week I'll pray the Rosary (which I love) along with studing the church and other things, but then I go to church and the exciting worship really moves me. And it undoes everything I have done (catholicly).

This doesn't need to be an either or thing at this stage of the game....remember that this is about Jesus not about the right type of worship. You need to keep Jesus central to all your activities, rosary prayer, study and worship. He will continue to deepen your love and knowledge of Him in both places. When you are ready to talk to your parents and begin entrance to the Church you will find there an incredible emotional experience as well, in the Eucharist at Mass, in Adoration. There also are many charismatic communities within the Catholic Church. You don't need to polarize this, just keep studying, keep drawing deeper into Christ and you will come out in the end in a beautiful place of love and unity with God's will. The Church is not going anywhere. Sure we'd love to have you in sooner then later but that's not the concern. Love Christ in both places each moment.

I also will pray for you.

 

[Adammi]

I am going to read different articles on New Advent to study the faith, and you guys can tell what I should read about. If I have any questions I'll ask you guys.

 

[FullyMT]

Catholics can have "emotional" worship services too (this is outside of Mass and adoration) with music and whatnot. It's probably similar to a Pentecostal worship service (wouldn't know too well seeing as how I've never been to one...), but with less charisms being "brought out" or however you want to put it. Basically, you can still go to the Pentecostal services, but in the back of your mind, you NEED to remember that the Catholic Church is THE Church that Jesus Christ established and that you believe in the Real Presence. Pray about all of this before you go to the service.

 

[Adammi]

Catholics can have "emotional" worship services too (this is outside of Mass and adoration) with music and whatnot. It's probably similar to a Pentecostal worship service (wouldn't know too well seeing as how I've never been to one...), but with less charisms being "brought out" or however you want to put it. Basically, you can still go to the Pentecostal services, but in the back of your mind, you NEED to remember that the Catholic Church is THE Church that Jesus Christ established and that you believe in the Real Presence. Pray about all of this before you go to the service.

Thank You so Much!!

 

[Caedmon]

ATShavuot... my parents are also not Catholic, and I am struggling telling them that I want to convert.

Something else... There is an emotional high that you can get from contemporary and charismatic masses. But there is another type of emotional response that is very quiet. It is a feeling that wells inside your soul and feels like slowly rising water that closes into your ears and then steals your final breath. It is a drowning presence that rises above you. I get it sometimes, every now and then, when I think about the mysteries of the Eucharist, and of the Saints, and of the timelessness of God. You'll know it when you feel it.

 

[BornCath]

Guys I want to believe what the Catholic Church teaches, in a way, I do.
But when I am in a "good" Pentecostal service, I get caught up in emotionalism and change my mind. I don't know exactly what to ask, but just try your best to convince me.

Catholicism is a religion of the mind, of the will, and of the intellectual conviction to love & obey God according to the scripture and the teaching of the infallible church that Jesus founded. It is not a religion of emotion because feelings are fickle and changes according to one's mood. Music for example can make you sad or happy depending on it's melody & tempo. Put your head above your feelings and do not anchor your Catholic beliefs & worship by your feelings otherwise you'll be like the leaves of trees that sway in whatever direction the wind blows.

 

[InnerPhyre]

Something to remember is that Catholic and Pentecostal worship is different. Catholicism is largely about quiet reverence. I've been to Christian rock concerts that moved me tremendously, but nothing has ever moved me more than kneeling quietly in prayer in a chapel before the Blessed Sacrament, the actual flesh that was pierced, and blood that was shed for my salvation in the greatest act of love and humility mankind has ever seen. Find that at a pentecostal service? Don't think so.

 

[Adammi]

To Inner and BornCath,
I know exactly what you mean.
I have gotton more out of my silent moments in the Rosary than the most pept up Pente service, because it is not about emotion, but faith.
And our faith is eternal, unlike emotion which "blows like the wind".

~Thank you so much

 

[Benedicta00]

Guys I want to believe what the Catholic Church teaches, in a way, I do.
But when I am in a "good" Pentecostal service, I get caught up in emotionalism and change my mind. I don't know exactly what to ask, but just try your best to convince me.

Convince you of what? The Church teaches truth and only in the Catholic Church will you find the fullness of truth. You won’t find it in any, and it really makes no difference which one you pick, you won’t find the fullness of truth in any protestant service. You won’t have the sacrifice of Christ made present to you, you won’t receive Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. You will however have a really good time and get a “Holy Spirit” high going on. So if that feeling of high is more of a value to you then Christ present in the Eucharist then what could ever convince you… if it is not Christ’s presence?

Remember one thing- there was no hootin’ and holler on Calvary.

 

[Adammi]

Convince you of what? The Church teaches truth and only in the Catholic Church will you find the fullness of truth. You won’t find it in any, and it really makes no difference which one you pick, you won’t find the fullness of truth in any protestant service. You won’t have the sacrifice of Christ made present to you, you won’t receive Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. You will however have a really good time and get a “Holy Spirit” high going on. So if that feeling of high is more of a value to you then Christ present in the Eucharist then what could ever convince you… if it is not Christ’s presence?

Remember one thing- there was no hootin’ and holler on Calvary.

That's exactly what I needed.
Thanks!!!

 

[Irenaeus]

ATShavout,

As you grow in the faith, you'll find the Church has a huge, deep, and rich mystical tradition that blows the Protestant tradition out of the water, IMO. In vain did I search as a Protestant for the helps I now find in Catholicism with its Sacraments, a infallible Magisterium, etc.

Unfortunately, many Catholics want to abandon the depths of the Church's experience on prayer for a vain hype and emotionalism which does nothing. Emotion has its place, but it is not the substance of devotion.

A lot of Protestant Churches I've been to (not all, of course) celebrate the glory of Christ but don't bear his cross as a liturgical community. This spiritually retards them. We don't believe that a walk with Christ is always a joyride, but one of suffering, self-giving, self-abnegation, and the exchange of our temporal goods for the eternal good, God.

When I used to read Jonathan Edwards (a famous Calvinist preacher) on censoriousness and the Puritans on spiritual discipline, I later read the Catholic asceitics and found them much more reasonable, holistic, and joyous. I think Catholicism balances perfectly the negative (asceiticism, mortification) of spirituality with the positive (prayer, "vifification", the Eucharist)...building us up in Christ as much as our sinful qualities are torn down.

I could spend hours praising the depth of Catholic spirituality.

You pray the Rosary - that is a great road! Continue to pray it faithfully daily, and our Lady will obtain for you many graces and hold you by hand into the Kingdom of God.