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Oh yeah, that’s such an amazing story! Have you ever read Henri Nouwen’s book on the topic, The Return of the Prodigal Son? (It’s initially more about Rembrandt’s painting, but of course gets well into the parable.) Really thoughtful reflection with a lot of unexpected angles, if you’re ever interested.
You omitted the last verse.
And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
He could have taken the kid to celebrate with his friends at any point. He's blaming his father for his own reluctance to be joyful.
I might as well be the first to recommend this book.
https://www.amazon.com/Return-Prodigal-Son-Story-Homecoming/dp/0385473079
The author spent literal hours staring at this picture and meditating upon it.
The book <em>Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics: 100 Questions and Answers</em> would be an excellent place to start. It’s coauthored by a Catholic convert from Islam and explains the faith by comparing it to Catholicism.
Dr. Scott Hahn has a fantastic book on the Mass called The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. Here it is on Amazon. I'm a former Southern Baptist myself and this book answered every single one of my questions.
There is a book, "The Reform of the Roman Liturgy" that then Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) wrote an introduction. I wish I had a copy with me but I don't. But if you read it, you will find that Cardinal Ratzinger himself argues these limitations to changes in the Mass, not concerning just the essentials, but general to the Mass as a whole. The jist of his argument is that change must be organic which really limits the top-down approach to liturgical change. My take away is that he is retroactively opposing the process that resulted in the modern rite but that the genie is out of the bottle and to rebottle the genie would be to commit the same error twice.
I think most people with a high school education can handle reading straight from St. Thomas. I highly recommend Peter Kreeft's abridged and well-annotated version Summa of the Summa. He has a gift for making the more difficult ideas of Aquinas easier to understand.
A podcast geared towards Aquinas without being too technical is Pints with Aquinas by Matt Fradd.
I use this one, it’s excellent and it’s small so it can be taken anywhere.
Mass became an event I looked forward to when I learned about Catholic teaching on the Eucharist, and then again even more after reading The Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn (Amazon link here). Thankfully this was very early in my life as a Catholic.
Focus your prayer on developing virtue. Ask in prayer to become a man of virtue. My simple prayer:
Lord, make me the man you want me to be; make me a man of virtue.
I say it many times a day every day. Sometimes I say it when I’ve done something less than good. Sometimes I say it when I’ve done something good and my pride begins to flare up. Sometimes I think of it spontaneously and I just say it while driving, walking, working, or playing golf. Anyhow, thinking a lot about being a man of virtue, which to me is doing the right thing for the right reasons by God’s grace, has been a real help to me. God bless you.
There is a very good book by a Muslim, David Ali, that converted to Catholicism
Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics: 100 Questions and Answers
https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Islam-Catholics-Questions-Answers/dp/0965922855
It’s not really against Islam over se, it was co written by Richard Spencer with a forward by Fr. Pacwa of EWTN, it’s respectful of the religion and of Muslims but does show the fundamental flaws of the faith that led a Muslim to become Catholic.
Relative to the new covenant, shadowed by the old, the new Jerusalem is the heavenly kingdom, the destination of the new exodus we are on, Jesus being the New Moses who is leading us there, from the slavery and bondage of sin.
For a more traditional understanding of the book of revelation, consider the book, “The Lamb’s Supper” by biblical scholar and theologian Dr Scott Hahn.
The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385496591
> The Lamb’s Supper reveals a long-lost secret of the Church: The early Christians’ key to understanding the mysteries of the Mass was the New Testament Book of Revelation. With its bizarre imagery, its mystic visions of heaven, and its end-of-time prophecies, Revelation mirrors the sacrifice and celebration of the Eucharist.
If interested, you can borrow the audiobook for free on Hoopla.
One of my favorite books, that introduced me to the roots of the Mass, <em>The Lamb's Supper</em>, by Scott Hahn. His knowledge and ability to show the Biblical roots of the Mass helped kick-start my love of the liturgy. Despite being raised Catholic, I learned loads that I hadn't known - it is still one of my favorites!
For a more orthodox understanding of the book of revelation, consider the book, “The Lamb’s Supper” by biblical scholar and theologian Dr Scott Hahn.
The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385496591
> The Lamb’s Supper reveals a long-lost secret of the Church: The early Christians' key to understanding the mysteries of the Mass was the New Testament Book of Revelation. With its bizarre imagery, its mystic visions of heaven, and its end-of-time prophecies, Revelation mirrors the sacrifice and celebration of the Eucharist.
If interested, you can borrow the audiobook for free on Hoopla.
It’s something that you should accept on faith / intellectually assent to, if you were to be a devout Catholic, even if you find it difficult to believe.
Ask yourself why you could believe that God and man became one in Christ, or believe in a Virgin birth, or in a resurrection, but the real presence of the Eucharist is unbelievable? All these beliefs are “bizarre”, if you can accept one you can accept the rest.
FYI, the real presence of Christ God in the Eucharist dates to the origin of the Church and was written about as literal in non-scriptural texts provided by the direct successors of the apostles (ie, they knew the apostles, or knew the people that knew the apostles).
The real presence in the Eucharist is intimately tied with our understanding of the mass, the crucifixion, and the ongoing and eternal sacrifices we offer to God for the world. The mass is the perfection of a holy sacrifice, but instead of unblemished lambs we offer Christ himself to the Father, provided by the Holy Spirit. Consider looking into the below book or searching information on the internet to understand the mass.
https://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591/ref=nodl_
Focus your search on finding the truth. Since your parents may be a hindrance to your conversion (from their perspective, they are likely trying to protect you), spend time learning about the faith and about the history, especially the church fathers.
You may want to look into “Catholic apologetics”, which is a defense of the faith but a great learning tool for how/why the Church is the true faith. There are tons of resources for free on the internet.
People often recommend the catechism…it’s accessible online but very long and potentially a dry approach; you can be a good Catholic without reading it.
We need the Church for the sacraments, in particular Eucharist and reconciliation. We also need the clergy who offer the sacrifice of the mass which is central to our worship (as with the Orthodox). Focus your attention on these topics.
My suggestion: Focus on learning about the mass, it’s origins and evolution. Consider reading the below book (extremely good). The mass is a fundamentally mystical/transcendent experience, regardless of how “bad/dry/boring/ordinary” it can seem. But this is really the most important thing the Church can offer you and the world.
https://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591/ref=nodl_
Peter Kreeft has two books that sound like what you’re looking for:
A Summa of the Summa https://www.amazon.com/dp/089870300X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_XEH1RJPWDDA3CQM9NDGQ
A Shorter Summa: The Essential Philosophical Passages of Saint Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica https://www.amazon.com/dp/0898704383/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_VQ1K1DK7ZTD76FN0QT5G
I read Peter Kreeft's Summa of the Summa. It's literally the philosophical part of the Summa, but Dr. Kreeft edited out of it objections, articles, etc. that have little to no relevance today--so it's only about 500 pages long instead of the full length monster that it is. Also, Dr. Kreeft filled it with comments (in the form of footnotes) to the brim, actually quite helpful when getting through the heavy handed stuff.
The Lamb's Supper by biblical scholar and theologian Dr Scott Hahn https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385496591/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8AR107TDKAYFQS4Z08EN
It’s also available to borrow as a free audiobook on Hoopla.
Why Catholics Can't Sing: The Culture of Catholicism and the Triumph of Bad Taste
A good book that covers some of these and traces some of the most unfortunate aspects of the Novus Ordo experience to pre-Conciliar Catholic life in America.
The way the TLM is celebrated today is why it’s false to claim that traditionalists are merely nostalgic and trying to live in the past. The TLM in 2021 is very much a living liturgy and an authentic heir to the liturgical renewal and Vatican II.
There's no official list from the vatican, but there is this. Your church library may have a copy you can check out.
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma From the amazon bio: "Recognized as the greatest summary of Catholic dogma ever put between two covers. A one-volume encyclopedia of Catholic doctrines. Tells exactly what the Church teaches on any particular topic. Tells when the pronouncement was made and gives the sources from Scripture, Church Councils, Papal statements and the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Essential for priests, seminarians, parents and teachers. Easily one of our most important books."
I'm taking this from Msgr. Klaus Gamber's book, The Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background (Amazon link). The French edition of this book has a preface by Cardinal Ratzinger, a portion of which is printed on the back cover of the English edition.
Gamber, an expert in Eastern and Western liturgy, is definitely of the opinion that the new Mass is in rupture with the old, and cannot be called the Roman Rite Mass in a true sense. He also goes almost, but not explicitly all the way, to saying that the pope had no authority to do this. I'd recommend the book. It contains two of his treatises, a lot of the latter one dedicated to debunking the historical authenticity of the concept of versus populum.
I think you will like this book. The Return of The Prodigal Son By Henri Nouwen https://www.amazon.com/Return-Prodigal-Son-Story-Homecoming/dp/0385473079/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+return+of+the+prodigal+son+by+henri+nouwen&qid=1597459192&sprefix=the+ret&sr=8-1
Maybe with start with the "Summa of the Summa" by Kreeft:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/089870300X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_XpLpCb8GEVP7F
Otherwise its difficult to know where to start with the whole summa.
I'm a fan of Henri Nouwen's "Return of the Prodigal Son" to help with that. Listened to the audiobook on a retreat and found it really helpful. Depends of course on the specific circumstances, but it's a helpful resource nonetheless.
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Starting with the Gospels is not a bad idea, but since they depend on the Old Testament, I recommend reading this easy to read summary of the whole Bible (OT included) so that you have a better idea of the significance of the NT. It says "Catholics" in the title, but its good for any denomination to read.
Genesis one is an establishing shot, while Genesis 2 telescopes into the Garden and Adam's liturgical roles.
This book explains it very well.
I just ordered this version, I hope my husband and I will come to some sort of compromise after learning about it, but we'll see.
Catechism of the Catholic Church https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385479670/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_PfAawb5108CYK
Of interest is Scott Hahn's book The Lamb's Supper. It compares points of the Roman Mass to elements of heavenly worship as described in the Apocalypse of John (Revelations; because "apocalypsis" is Greek for "revelation"). The same elements can be found in almost all Eastern services as well.
While I will not dissuade you from going to RCIA and exploring Roman Catholicism more, I would suggest also looking at Orthodoxy if only for the experience.
And, the priest gave you a rosary?! I've never had a RC priest do that before. ;) Then again, I was christened a Catholic and went to Mass several times as a kid, though I was raised in the Baptist church.
God bless you in your journey!
Really briefly, in that bit in 1 Cor 1, Paul isn't saying that baptism isn't necessary. Remember that in Romans 6, Paul talks about baptism being the means by which we are united to Christ's death and resurrection ("Those of you who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death...").
Baptism is the sacrament of faith, so it can get confusing to talk about distinguishing faith from baptism. Being a recent convert from a conservative Presbyterian tradition, I'm probably not well equipped to address your point about blending better with sola fide other than to say we certainly don't believe sola fide, in part because the only time the Holy Spirit deemed it right to inspire a biblical author to write about faith alone is in James.
At any rate, you can find the Catechism here on the Vatican website, or you can get a hard copy here on Amazon for pretty cheap.