FishEaters Traditional Catholic Forums

Hello, not sure if I am in the wrong place to post here.

Before I came, I was stilling learning about the rich and beautiful teachings of traditional catholicism. I thank God for all the solid yet orthodox information that really helped me be even more fervent in the Faith. When I came here, I feel very unworthy to adopt this lifestyle. I do not live in a large family with many siblings (I only live with one sibling). I feel as if I am the only practicing Catholic in my family, we have very very little faith before I came back to Catholicism. I never had any basic knowledge of the faith before coming here (gone through K-12 in a public school system plus college). The people I hangout with had put me into sin everyday. I have only went to a TLM mass a few times, most of my mass attendance is a N.O. mass. Finally seeing its rich history from its art, church documents, Gregorian Chant, writings of the saints, scholarly articles, and most importantly the TLM mass itself, I thank God for these gifts. All of the knowledge and wisdom in the whole world outside this spectrum is a mere nothing compared to the vast richness of God's beauty, truth, wisdom, holiness! But Oh I am unworthy to be a legitimate traditional Catholic or even hold on to its customs because of my whole life has been a huge train wreck in the past and a victim of modernism too! I am aware that I can abuse these gifts, and seek consolation from it.

It feels like God might be calling me into this life but because of my past, I feel unworthy, I feel like an outcast, I do not deserve to live as a traditional catholic. At the same time, it is the most pleasing to Our Lord, Our Lady and the Saints because it is theologically sound and has been that way for many years—not as in trying to be nostalgic.

Dose my past life hinder me to live a traditional catholic lifestyle?

(09-11-2013, 11:00 PM)VitaChristusRex Wrote: [ -> ]Hello, not sure if I am in the wrong place to post here.

It feels like God might be calling me into this life but because of my past, I feel unworthy, I feel like an outcast, I do not deserve to live as a traditional catholic. At the same time, it is the most pleasing to Our Lord, Our Lady and the Saints because it is theologically sound and has been that way for many years—not as in trying to be nostalgic.

Dose my past life hinder me to live a traditional catholic lifestyle?

Every one of us here has a past and nobody deserves the good things that God has given us. It's not your past life that hinders you. When Jesus forgives He forgets. What is important is what you do today and what you will do tommarrow. 

(09-11-2013, 11:00 PM)VitaChristusRex Wrote: [ -> ]Hello, not sure if I am in the wrong place to post here.

Before I came, I was stilling learning about the rich and beautiful teachings of traditional catholicism. I thank God for all the solid yet orthodox information that really helped me be even more fervent in the Faith. When I came here, I feel very unworthy to adopt this lifestyle. I do not live in a large family with many siblings (I only live with one sibling). I feel as if I am the only practicing Catholic in my family, we have very very little faith before I came back to Catholicism. I never had any basic knowledge of the faith before coming here (gone through K-12 in a public school system plus college). The people I hangout with had put me into sin everyday. I have only went to a TLM mass a few times, most of my mass attendance is a N.O. mass. Finally seeing its rich history from its art, church documents, Gregorian Chant, writings of the saints, scholarly articles, and most importantly the TLM mass itself, I thank God for these gifts. All of the knowledge and wisdom in the whole world outside this spectrum is a mere nothing compared to the vast richness of God's beauty, truth, wisdom, holiness! But Oh I am unworthy to be a legitimate traditional Catholic or even hold on to its customs because of my whole life has been a huge train wreck in the past and a victim of modernism too! I am aware that I can abuse these gifts, and seek consolation from it.

It feels like God might be calling me into this life but because of my past, I feel unworthy, I feel like an outcast, I do not deserve to live as a traditional catholic. At the same time, it is the most pleasing to Our Lord, Our Lady and the Saints because it is theologically sound and has been that way for many years—not as in trying to be nostalgic.

Dose my past life hinder me to live a traditional catholic lifestyle?

Oh, my goodness, no! A thousand TIMES no! Your past life in no way at all, whatsoever, in any way, should stop you from embracing traditional Catholicism!  St. Paul was a murderer of Christian back when he was still known as Saul. St. Mary Magdalen had been a whore! We sinners are the exact type of person Our Lord reached out to the most! We are "unworthy" -- but He makes us worthy! We don't deserve what He's giving to us, but He loves us so much He wants us to have it!

I've got a past and a half (so many long stories!), so if "having a past" is supposed to keep a person away from the Faith, then I'm doomed along with you. But I know better. The Church is not a "Club for the Perfect"; it's a Hospital for Sinners.  Jesus is the Divine Physician Who can and wants to heal YOU, and if any Catholic, God forbid, were to make you feel otherwise, then you can be assured you've encountered someone who might know a lot about Jesus, but doesn't truly know Him at all.

I don't care if you'd been an abortion doctor or other sort of murderer, a pimp, addicted to heroin or coke or meth or booze, had been imprisoned for rape, had been a thief or a big ole playah who's had more sex outside of marriage than Magic Johnson. I don't care if you're gay or straight or bi.  I don't care if you've been some mixture of all of the above. What matters is NOW. If you go to Confession, you're brand new, and the past is GONE. Done! Over! Finito! You might still have to make reparations, but all guilt is washed away and you'll be starting over with a clean slate.

I can't speak for anyone else, but there is nothing you can say that'd shock me or make me think you couldn't possibly ever be a good Catholic. Not one thing could make me think that.

You -- yes YOU -- are loved by the Creator of the Sun and Moon and Stars. He wants you so badly! He wants you to go to Confession, forgive yourself, stop kicking yourself, and just move forward, doing the right things, loving Him back, loving others, and confessing when you stumble. That's all you can do, and all He expects you to do.

Oh, my gosh, if you don't let us know within a week that you have taken the first steps toward becoming fully Catholic or reconciling with the Church or whatever your case may be, I'm gonna look you up and smack you! :P

(09-11-2013, 11:47 PM)Vox Clamantis Wrote: [ -> ]

(09-11-2013, 11:00 PM)VitaChristusRex Wrote: [ -> ]Hello, not sure if I am in the wrong place to post here.

Before I came, I was stilling learning about the rich and beautiful teachings of traditional catholicism. I thank God for all the solid yet orthodox information that really helped me be even more fervent in the Faith. When I came here, I feel very unworthy to adopt this lifestyle. I do not live in a large family with many siblings (I only live with one sibling). I feel as if I am the only practicing Catholic in my family, we have very very little faith before I came back to Catholicism. I never had any basic knowledge of the faith before coming here (gone through K-12 in a public school system plus college). The people I hangout with had put me into sin everyday. I have only went to a TLM mass a few times, most of my mass attendance is a N.O. mass. Finally seeing its rich history from its art, church documents, Gregorian Chant, writings of the saints, scholarly articles, and most importantly the TLM mass itself, I thank God for these gifts. All of the knowledge and wisdom in the whole world outside this spectrum is a mere nothing compared to the vast richness of God's beauty, truth, wisdom, holiness! But Oh I am unworthy to be a legitimate traditional Catholic or even hold on to its customs because of my whole life has been a huge train wreck in the past and a victim of modernism too! I am aware that I can abuse these gifts, and seek consolation from it.

It feels like God might be calling me into this life but because of my past, I feel unworthy, I feel like an outcast, I do not deserve to live as a traditional catholic. At the same time, it is the most pleasing to Our Lord, Our Lady and the Saints because it is theologically sound and has been that way for many years—not as in trying to be nostalgic.

Dose my past life hinder me to live a traditional catholic lifestyle?

Oh, my goodness, no! A thousand TIMES no! Your past life in no way at all, whatsoever, in any way, should stop you from embracing traditional Catholicism!  St. Paul was a murderer of Christian back when he was still known as Saul. St. Mary Magdalen had been a whore! We sinners are the exact type of person Our Lord reached out to the most! We are "unworthy" -- but He makes us worthy! We don't deserve what He's giving to us, but He loves us so much He wants us to have it!

I've got a past and a half (so many long stories!), so if "having a past" is supposed to keep a person away from the Faith, then I'm doomed along with you. But I know better. The Church is not a "Club for the Perfect"; it's a Hospital for Sinners.  Jesus is the Divine Physician Who can and wants to heal YOU, and if any Catholic, God forbid, were to make you feel otherwise, then you can be assured you've encountered someone who might know a lot about Jesus, but doesn't truly know Him at all.

I don't care if you'd been an abortion doctor or other sort of murderer, a pimp, addicted to heroin or coke or meth or booze, had been imprisoned for rape, had been a thief or a big ole playah who's had more sex outside of marriage than Magic Johnson. I don't care if you're gay or straight or bi.  I don't care if you've been some mixture of all of the above. What matters is NOW. If you go to Confession, you're brand new, and the past is GONE. Done! Over! Finito! You might still have to make reparations, but all guilt is washed away and you'll be starting over with a clean slate.

I can't speak for anyone else, but there is nothing you can say that'd shock me or make me think you couldn't possibly ever be a good Catholic. Not one thing could make me think that.

You -- yes YOU -- are loved by the Creator of the Sun and Moon and Stars. He wants you so badly! He wants you to go to Confession, forgive yourself, stop kicking yourself, and just move forward, doing the right things, loving Him back, loving others, and confessing when you stumble. That's all you can do, and all He expects you to do.

Oh, my gosh, if you don't let us know within a week that you have taken the first steps toward becoming fully Catholic or reconciling with the Church or whatever your case may be, I'm gonna look you up and smack you! :P

Ok I get it, I am sorry for all the rambling. It is that I am struggling with scrupulosity and still getting to know the site. I strongly appreciate all the writings, teachings, philosophy, theology, and customs of traditional catholicism. It is this site along with many other pieces of information relating and taking a leap of faith that has made me even more fervent to Our Lord. I thank God for leading me into this site, studying its writings and to put what I learned into my heart and live them out, to be more loving towards him. I see what you mean that despite being hardened sinners and falling many times, Jesus still loves us and wants us to be with him. I really need help from Our Lord and Our Lady to overcome the scruples and to cling on to tradition. May God bless this site. 

I am very unworthy too, but with the grace of God and the help of the Virgin Mary I think I will make it.

If anyone feels worthy of the one true faith that we have been gifted with then there is a problem.  God bless you Op and all those who feel unworthy of this wondrous gift..

(09-11-2013, 11:00 PM)VitaChristusRex Wrote: [ -> ]Dose my past life hinder me to live a traditional catholic lifestyle?

The goal should be to let the Traditional Catholic lifestyle hinder you from living as you did in the past.

jmo

The fathers of the desert tell the story of when the priest ordered a certain monk out of the church. The Abba Bessarion got up and left too. "I too am a sinful man." he said.

Everybody is unworthy.  That's what Redemption is about. 

(09-12-2013, 11:00 PM)VitaChristusRex Wrote: [ -> ]Ok I get it, I am sorry for all the rambling. It is that I am struggling with scrupulosity and still getting to know the site. I strongly appreciate all the writings, teachings, philosophy, theology, and customs of traditional catholicism. It is this site along with many other pieces of information relating and taking a leap of faith that has made me even more fervent to Our Lord. I thank God for leading me into this site, studying its writings and to put what I learned into my heart and live them out, to be more loving towards him. I see what you mean that despite being hardened sinners and falling many times, Jesus still loves us and wants us to be with him. I really need help from Our Lord and Our Lady to overcome the scruples and to cling on to tradition. May God bless this site.   

Don't be sorry for "rambling"; that's what a discussion forum is for! I wish more people would "ramble" (and post stories and articles!)

So, you've got the scruples. Sorry!  You might benefit from reading this, written by Redemptorist priests, for people who have that problem:  http://www.fisheaters.com/scruples.html  I hope it helps you :)