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My advice would be that the only reason one should convert to Catholicism is because it is true. If your parents ask, that’s what you should tell them.

I’m very happy to hear this desire to convert! I’ll be praying for you.

This book is somewhat U.S.-centric, but you seem to have good English, so you may find it helpful (or find a copy in Swedish, perhaps): <em>Catholicism for Dummies</em>.

Cool. Bit of advice though: in about a week or two you're probably going to come down off the emotional high and start to question it and then be tempted to conclude you were just being emotional.

Don't give it in to it. Pick up some religious books with substance in them. Just offhand, since it's sitting nearby, I would suggest The Screwtape Letters.

Catholics do not believe in blind faith, we believe in faith informed by reason.

The scientific method ("replicable and testable evidence") is not always the appropriate method to use in seeking knowledge. It works for that aspect of reality that is material and quantifiable. For other aspects of reality, we must use other methods, such as mathematical or philosophical reasoning. Arguments for the existence of God are mostly of the latter type.

Or in other words, read this.

Ex-Protestant, converted 2019.

Like you, I was baptized Anglican. Reluctantly attended the odd service. Come college years, I was involved with an Evangelical church for a few years. After that, went back to the Anglican church, but gradually stopped going.

If you're Christian, you seek ultimate truth. It doesn't take long to realize the Catholic faith is the correct one if you're open to it as a possibility.

I had read some Catholic mystics, but I say that I converted after reading The Mystical City of God..

Anyone how endeavours to discover the true religion with an open mind and a reasonable intellect should find it in Catholicism.

Besides defending, maybe also read the book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus to get some perspective from your bosses side. Who knows, he might pick it up to read if he sees you with the book.

This is all wrong what you said and the explanation would require much time and it exceeds the limit of this subreddit.

What I strongly suggest you to do is read "The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ" by Brant Pitre. This book will debunk everything you said and everything those "scholars" said. It's really amazing book and it will answer all you question and I recommend it highly. Please promise that you will read it.

There's this great biography about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the biographer goes into the details of what Hitler wanted to turn the churches in Germany into. It seemed at first Hitler was very pro-Christianity, but over time the Catholic churches and the Confessing Churches seemed to turn against him.

He was absolutely not a practicing Catholic (far from it), but his Austrian upbringing was Catholic...

Start reading Combatting Cult Mind Control to learn more about how groups like the JWs manipulate their followers. It's a devastating organization and treacherous for the soul. Add in extra prayers and personal sacrifices for her. It's probably going to be a rough road.

You can read more about her conversion in her book "Won by Love: Norma McCorvey, Jane Roe of Roe V. Wade, Speaks Out for the Unborn As She Shares Her New Conviction for Life" (Amazon link).

That you are here asking questions and help is a good thing. It shows that God is working in your life. You used to have a close relationship with God and you miss it.

Are you back in treatment for your depression? First get yourself back into treatment for your depression. I would check out Catholic Therapists so that you have someone that is respectful of your faith. You can also probably get a name of a good therapist from your Priest.

There are plenty of Saints that have fallen into the darkness of depression combined with spiritual aridity.

St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila and Mother Teresa of Calcutta come to mind.

A prayer by St. Teresa of Avila

Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.

Check this out: Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and the Gospel on Prayer

The University of MN is extremely liberal and there's been a growing anti-Christian bias. They're the same people who printed <em>Harmful To Minors</em>, a book where the author argues for parents to step aside with sex education and promote childhood sexuality.

Yes, we are bound by the decisions of the Magisterium, particularly in the ex cathedra statements made by the Pope.

For a compendium, see The Denzinger

Scott Hahn’s book Hail, Holy Queen should address all your reservations about Mary. He also has several lectures on YouTube that could get you started. Here’s a good one. He’s a converted Protestant minister who wrestled with the concept of Our Lady for two or three years. He’s plumbed the depths. Any answers you need, he’s got them.

Also, I’d recommend praying the Rosary. That helped me work through my concerns. It’s truly a holy experience.

1. The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura is not taught anywhere in the Bible
2. The Bible Indicates that In Addition to the Written Word, we are to accept Oral Tradition.
3. The Bible Calls the Church and not the Bible the "Pillar and Ground of the Truth."
4. Christ tells us to submit to the Authority of the Church.
   5 Scripture itself states that it is insufficient of itself as a teacher, but rather needs an interpreter.
5. The first Christians did not have a Bible
6. The Church produced the Bible not vice-versa
7. The idea of the Scripture's Authority existing apart from the authority of the Teacher Church is utterly foreign to the Early Church.
8. Heresiarchs and heretical movem...ents based their doctrines on Scripture interpreted apart from Tradition and the Magisterium.
9. The Canon of the Bible was not settled until the 4th Centur
10. An "Extra-Biblical" Authority Identified the Canon of the Bible
11. The Belief that Scripture is "Self-Authenticating" Does Not Hold Up under Examination (aka Protestants like yourself)
12. None of the Original Biblical Manuscripts is Extant
13. The Biblical Manuscripts Contain Thousands of Variations
14. There Are Hundreds of Bible Versions.
15. The Bible Was Not Available to Individual Believers until the 15t...h Century.
16. The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura Did Not Exist Prior to the 14th Century.
17. The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura Produces Bad Fruit, Namely, Division and Disunity.
18. The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura Does Not Allow for a Final, Definitive Interpretation of any given Passage of Scripture.
19. The Protestant Bible Is Missing 7 Entire Books
20. The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura Had its Source in Luther’s Own Emotional Problems.

SOURCE: Scripture Alone? 21 Reasons to Reject "Sola Scriptura" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0895556405/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MKjvCbR181TMT

Careful. I think it was a similar attitude that lead Martin Luther down the path he went.

Check out Searching for and Maintaining Peace. https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Maintaining-Peace-Small-Treatise/dp/0818909064

Super short book but the advice is invaluable!

God bless!

I’m glad you’re starting to feel at peace!

There’s a Catholic author named Dan Mattson that went though something similar and wrote a book about his experience if you’re interested:

Why I Don't Call Myself Gay: How I Reclaimed My Sexual Reality and Found Peace https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621640728/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dZOWBbY24M030

Don't worry. Patiently bearing unjustified rebukes is good for the soul. St John Climacus writes a lot about this in <em>The Ladder of Divine Ascent</em>, a very edifying book. It is one thing to know how to answer arguments like "you think you're holier than us" and "Jesus didn't have six candles," but wisdom is to know that you do not have to. A soft answer turns away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1) The older generation cannot understand the way things are going, and this is probably a mere foretaste of the attitude you will find among your seminary professors. It doesn't have to be a secret, but be prudent about to whom you reveal that you are interested in the traditional Latin Mass or Office. When, God willing, you're a priest, you will surely have pastoral care of others with a range of opinions about the liturgy; learn from the experience of how you are treated how you ought not to treat others.

I would recommend Markus Gabriel's, I am not a brain to anyone. Edward Feser, a fellow Catholic, has a book which comes to me highly recommended as well.

Any writting by either philosopher on the topic is also very accessible.

The devil does not have access to your mind nor your thoughts.

The evil one didn’t know you were talking to him.

No harm done.

you can read that information here by Fr. Amorth

https://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Introduction-Bible-Old-Testament/dp/1586177222/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=a+catholic+introduction+to+the+old+testament&amp;qid=1623343103&amp;sr=8-1

Buy. Read. Now. It takes on both academic biblical criticism and provides the historical rationale for the difficult parts of the Old Testament.

Edit: I just read the rest of what you said and misunderstood. There are podcasts, ask about them in the Latin sub.

Check out /r/Latin.

Also, buy this: Lingua Latina per se Illustrata

For the people a bit confused about it, if you only dig your little toe into Aristotelian and Thomistic metaphysics, you realize pretty quickly how much of our presuppositions we apply to even use the scientific method deeply rely on those metaphysics, which at the same time are parts of Aquinas Five ways to proof the existence of God. A good example is the book What is physics? by Oxford doctorate in Physics Dr. Nigel Cundy. He specializes in quantum field theory and also goes over the data from the last centuries and argues why the data in his field from the last century are now actively arguing against atheism.

I suggest the following books by former anti-Catholic Presbyterian Minister Catholic Convert Scott Hahn. Read them yourself then give them to your boyfriend and discuss them with him.

Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism by Scott Hahn

And

Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God

I choose to remain in communion with successors of Peter because Christ established Peter as the rock the Church is built on, and it makes more sense to me that a communion of bishops would have not only a prime bishop, but a supreme one in cases where there is dissension. While the Orthodox tend to agree Rome should have primacy, there's really no consensus on what that means. But it should mean something. And why?

>Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

I don't think (a) it's coincidence that at that point Jesus changed Peter's name alone (from Simon to Peter), nor that (b) Jesus was speaking to all bishops or all the faithful there. He was doing something important. The text is clear.

We are catholic only under Peter. One cannot be catholic apart from Peter. It is more sensible to strive for communion with the Bishop of Rome than any other. It is more sensible to defer to the Bishop of Rome in contentious matters than any other.

Ultimately, the differences between the Churches in communion with Rome (including many Eastern Churches!) and those who exist outside visible communion with Rome are minor.

Put a Catholic, and Orthodox, and a Protestant in a room together, and it will be clear who's the outlier, theologically speaking.

So your meditation (and study) should be: Is communion with the Bishop of Rome important?

Hello friend!

I'm a philosophy graduate student in Canada, and I actually wrote my undergraduate honours thesis on this very argument.

I will try to answer your objections quickly and succinctly, but I will link my paper at the bottom should you be interested in reading more about this argument.

1. "The first cause doesn't have to be a being." Sure it does! What else could it be? A non-being?

2. "The first cause doesn't need to continue to act on the universe after the very first action." This is actually the entire point of the argument from motion. The first cause is not first temporarily (although it does just happen to be that too), but first in the order of causation. Thus, behind every single movement (change), we must posit a first cause of that movement, and this cause must itself be eternally unmoving. This is why it doesn't matter if the universe is eternal or not to this argument. Either way, if there is movement (change), there must be first mover!

3. "How can we explain that this first cause is God the Father?" We can't! This argument simply cannot show that. It can, however, show that there is a being which is eternal, immaterial, at least powerful enough to create all material reality, the grounding of all movement (change), and creative. This sounds a lot like God, does it not? St. Thomas' other arguments also prove other things about this being. However, belief that this being is God the Father is just a small step of faith.

I hope I helped! I don't think I can insert a PDF document here (someone correct me if I'm wrong), but here is a link to my paper on Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/24372392/Aquinas_and_the_Argument_from_Motion_From_Potency_and_Act_to_an_Unmoved_Mover

God bless!

I have not read it, but there was a book published recently by Leila Miller and Trent Horn called Made This Way which goes into tough topics like this and has gotten good reviews. The book addresses topics such as gay marriage and homosexuality and each topic has two sections. One for explaining it to little kids and one for explaining it to big kids.

Edit: For the folks downvoting me, I assume it is based on the title of the book and you think they are trying to justify homosexuality. I would never recommend a book which endorses heterodox ideas. Here is an excerpt from the book to ease your minds:

> When people say that "God made me this way," we must not accept that reflexively. God makes each person with a profound capacity and desire to love and be loved. However, original sin and actual sin distort and derail the good desires that God gave us, as our passions are no longer perfectly under the control of our intellect and will. Explain to your teen that just as a person can struggle for much of his life with a disordered attraction to food, work, money, or alcohol, he may also struggle with a disordered attraction to sex.

> God doesn’t tempt us to sin, but rather he allows us to endure temptation because his power perfects us in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). St. Basil’s words may appeal to your teens: "As the pilot of a vessel is tried in a storm; as the wrestler is tried in the ring; the soldier in the battle, and the hero in adversity, so is the Christian tried in temptation."

Rome Sweet Home by Kimberly and Scott Hahn is a good read and a compelling conversion story for someone with the questions you have. It's a pretty easy, fast, and enjoyable read.

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.

I would HIGHLY suggest not going back. You seem very unsure of what the Church teaches. I wouldn't suggest anyone go to a Protestant Bible study unless they're already well-versed in the Catholic interpretation of scripture and can tell the good stuff from the BS. Otherwise you run the risk of getting swept up in heresy without even realizing it.

Maybe suggest a Bible study or offer to start one? There are good, Catholic programs out there that you can go through with a group at your parish or even just with some Catholic friends (though having a more learned Catholic to help you through it would be the best). Ascension Press has some really good programs including one specifically for teens. You could also get a group of friends together and read a Catholic Bible book together. For a broad general overview, I'd recommend this one.

Not African American, but I stumbled on this book that might provide some insight as well.

Book blurb:

>African American Catholics, though small in number and historically the targets of racial intolerance, are now the backbone of the church. The vast majority of African American Catholics do not perceive racial marginalization and intolerance in the church. African American Catholics are among the strongest religious identifiers in the church, while whites show a more fragile Catholic identity. The Catholic church may have finally overcome its racist past for the vast majority of African American Catholics, but serious concerns remain for white Catholics. Based on data from a national religion survey, this book explores religious attitudes from an African American Catholic perspective.

That's a myth. Caffeinated drinks don't hydrate as well as other beverages, but they're still hydrating.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965

It sounds like at least part of what's getting you down is scrupulosity, so perhaps you would benefit from dipping into a good book on moral theology in order to gain a better sense of perspective in your outlook on the moral life and in order to acquire some sound basic guidelines to help you.

Personally, I benefited a lot from Heribert Jone's manual on the subject. Some of the things in it are outdated in that they refer to the older code of canon law or whatever, but for the most part it's still a very helpful little book. I really recommend it.

For a sample, here's a passage from it on scrupulosity:

"The scrupulous conscience is nothing else but a state of fear. -- The principle laid down [that "[O]ne may act contrary to a scrupulous conscience without sinning, even if the action be undertaken with great fear of committing sin"] holds even if the scrupulous person at the moment of acting does not think of his fear as a mere scruple. It suffices that he be habitually aware that he may do anything which he does not know for certain to be a mortal sin. A scrupulous person may do anything he sees conscientious people do, even though it be against his conviction. He need not use more than average carefulness when acting. ... If the scrupulous person is of a good will, he will not readily sin grievously in an individual case."

Here's a link for the book on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Moral-Theology-Heribert-Jone/dp/0895554720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1480138832&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=moral+theology+heribert+jone

For some general topics in a quick format, Beginning Apologetics 2: How to Answer Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. This is a nice 2-fer, as chances are that it's either a JW or a Mormon at your door.

Since the great apostasy is a big deal to Mormons, even though the ones who have visited my home didn't have much to say except something something mumble mumble Joseph Smith restored Christianity: The Apostasy That Wasn't: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church.

Lets remain hopeful and patient about the Russian Orthodox.... remember how they passed through the trauma of Communism - The Soviet Union was the first state to have elimination of religion as an ideological objective but ultimately it failed, so the Russian Orthodox have their own heroes and martyrs https://www.buzzsprout.com/1226960/7409515-jan-20-communist-russia-christianity.mp3?download=true

I know your 14 but I really like this really easy book to follow for my kids

The Mass Book for Children

I think you have a misunderstanding about angels, they aren't creature made of light with wings who battles demons in duels, if you have this view of Catholicism or of the supernatural it means that you don't understand Catholicism. Rather angels are immaterial, they are a mind without a body.

I recommend that you read Dr Feser's book The last superstition https://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Superstition-Refutation-Atheism/dp/1587314525/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y .

Please don't leave RCIA just because you are receiving bad catechism, there is nothing "goofy" or "crazy" about the Catholic view of the supernatural, you think this simply because your idea of it is a strawman.

Two books that, as a Protestant, gave me genuine pause were On the Roman Pontiff by St. Robert Bellarmine (written in 1581... Bellarmine knocked nearly every anti-papal argument I inherited from the Reformed tradition out of the ballpark, he did it over 430 years ago, and somehow I had never heard of him in all my reading on Catholicism from the Reformed perspective), and The Early Papacy: To the Synod of Chalcedon in 451 by Adrian Fortesque.

I had been introduced to Orthodoxy through Hank Hannegraaff and Jay Dyer, both of whom were heavily anti-Catholic. I didn't view the Catholic Tradition as having much of anything to offer, I was just trying to understand the EOC. In the process of researching sola Scriptura, I came across Called to Communion and found myself faced with formidable arguments for Catholicism I had never been introduced to! Since then, it's been a process of studying all sides.

You want the Denzinger and the Ott

>Not only that, but there are many testimonies of older folks who have preferred the change to vernacular compared to the Latin Mass as it reinvigorated their faith due to better understanding,

The Church has shrunk massively since Vatican II, and outright rejection of Church morals - among Catholics, in Catholic institutions, and among clergy - has skyrocketed.

Now and then we can find people who live to 100 and they cheerfully attribute their longevity to their laid back attitude with smoking and drinking. People who died at 68 to lung cancer can't really reply.

>The Latin Mass has a special place in the Church. It has been used for a long time and carries a long line of tradition behind it, but I gotta say that hearing "This is my body" rings truer and more powerful than "Hoc est corpus meum", because it's as if I was there at the table of the Last Supper

Christ didn't speak English. Nor Spanish, for that matter. Will you feel dissatisfied with "Este es mi cuerpo"? If the answer is 'Yes', welcome to problems with "The Vernacular", because that doesn't mean "English". If the answer is "No", then Latin should either be no problem, or even better.

Really, the "Christ spoke to the Apostles in their language" view doesn't last in a world with so many languages. Latin is the language of the Church (and science and medicine, historically - with a lot of that carrying meaning now). If we really want to understand Latin, we also live in a world where all it takes is time and dedication to do so, for free.

And just think if you did: then you'd understand everything Christ was saying, and the traditional mass would be back. Best of both worlds. It covers every base you mentioned.

Norma McCorvey wrote her side of the story in I am Roe: My Life, Roe V. Wade, and Freedom of Choice and her followup book <em>Won by Love</em>. She was selected to be the plaintiff because she was in a vulnerable place of life, and later became pro-life, left a homosexual lifestyle, and became Catholic. Her later years were spent trying to undo all the damage she had inadvertently done (or in some cases, was manipulated into doing).

We love the Once Upon a Time Card game! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077V3RHMJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_c7ZDBb7NRX4ZR

We also had a lot of fun with One Night Ultimate Werewolf! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HS7GG5G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Wb0DBbM7DC2NY

It sounds like you are still quite young.

I also see from some of your other posts that you've been having a very hard time with life lately, and I'm sorry about that. If you could recover your faith, I honestly think it would help. It is fairly well understood (in Catholic theology) that the three theological virtues faith, hope, and love (charity or caritas) are connected in that if one of them grows, so do the others. The counter to despair is hope, which can arise from the understanding that God not only exists, but is pretty much continually interfering with things and loves us very much as individuals.

It is very natural for children to outgrown their original, naive, "because mom and dad told me to" faith in their teenage years, but it is unhealthy not to replace it with a mature solidly grounded faith. Some young people go through a crisis in which they do not believe in any higher power for a time (some others just act like it, we could probably put me in that category), and some never have a crisis and grow smoothly into a mature faith without an obvious transition. I think Fr. Groeschel discusses this in https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Passages-Psychology-Development/dp/0824506286 (it is an interesting book if you can find a copy of it.)

If you haven't read anything of his, I can't recommend <em>The Way, Furrow, The Forge</em> enough. Take it to prayer for a good butt-kicking.

<em>Friends of God</em> is also amazing.

Don’t be a moron. There is plenty of proof and rigorous philosophy underlying classical theism and plenty of weak arguments in defense of materialism and naturalism. Catholics aren’t “bible only” Christians either and have no issue with extraterrestrial life, so you only reveal your ignorance here. Like a moron.

Adults also read books that challenge their view. So maybe give that a try instead of being of being a...you know.

A cycle ranging from 26-29 days is completely normal. It is not "irregular" because it varies by 3 days. From the Mayo Clinic,

> Menstrual flow might occur every 21 to 35 days and last two to seven days. For the first few years after menstruation begins, long cycles are common. However, menstrual cycles tend to shorten and become more regular as you age.

>Your menstrual cycle might be regular — about the same length every month — or somewhat irregular, and your period might be light or heavy, painful or pain-free, long or short, and still be considered normal. Within a broad range, "normal" is what's normal for you.

As an NFP teacher, 26-29 days sounds absolutely ideal. No woman naturally has 28 day cycles all the time.

To me, your doctor sounds like he is unaccustomed to treating women who have a normal, healthy menstrual cycle.

>And I have no idea how to argument against that besides “i don’t want to thanks”.

I think this is a perfect argument. If this were my own health, I would need pretty compelling evidence to believe that 26-29 day cycles were abnormal and required treatment, given the wealth of information that says that is completely normal variation. If it's not a medical issue, then it really is all about your personal preference.

Ok?

Was Jesus a pedophile and does Christian Scripture condone pedophilia? NO. Have Catholic leaders in Rome and other Sees condemned pedophilia? Yes.

Did Mohammed marry a six year old girl and consummate his marriage when she was nine? Yes. Does Iran have a law allowing the marriage of underage girls to men in accordance to their great prophet? Yes. Muhammad is the Uswa Hadana or perfect model of conduct and al-Insān al-Kāmil or the perfect man. This puts many things about Islam into perspective. Also the Caliphs who proceded him did many awful things. One cannot compare bishops to Caliphs because these guys are the literal successors to Muhammad in all authority Compare the lives of Jesus, Apostles, Church Fathers, and other saints what they taught compared to Mohammed and his Caliphs on what they did and taught.

Stop defending Islam. Many Catholics are pro choice and same sex marriage. Do they represent the faith? There are good and bad people every where and Christians are no different. This does not mean Christianity is bad and Islam is good.

We love all our neighbors not all ideologies.

Read a Church Father and Saint and what he says about Islam. He was a man who worked closely with the Caliph and knows Islam well before all of the different sects and interpretations. He knew a more pure Islam

His autobiography is worth reading https://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Journey-Autobiography-Ignatius-Loyola/dp/0898708109

Today's Gospel has the merchant who sold everything for a pearl of great price, and St Ignatius's decision to go all-in on "what if I were to do what they [saints] did" is a nice illustration of that.

I recommend https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Within-Teresa-Gospel-Prayer/dp/0898702631

>isn't this the ultimate goal of being a Christian, to become like Christ?

Sure. I think what we should be complaining about (rather than complain that there is too much legalism or doctrine) is that there is not enough asceticism, since that is sort of the first step.

There is a lot of research on this topic. All signs point to a very early tradition of continence linked to the celebration of the Eucharist. Continence is the period of abstaining from sexual intercourse. The research is rather compelling that points to a tradition of, once you were ordained, practicing perfect continence...even in marriage.

From this, celibacy is a very practical and prudent call. Early Church history shows that the precept to remain continent was more prudent for a celibate, not married, clergy.

If you want a good academic work, this work is great:

Apostolic Origins of Priestly Celibacy https://www.amazon.com/dp/0898709512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1GT9Cb5YKH05W

Pretty horrible.

Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil-Worshippers Who Became Saints

I highly recommend this book, In Search for Japan's Hidden Christians, to add to what has been said by joelunch.

https://www.amazon.com/Search-Japans-Hidden-Christians-Suppression/dp/4805313560/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=

As far as translations i would recommend the RSV-CE2, and i think the didache bible is the best for that:

https://www.amazon.com/Didache-Bible-Commentaries-Catechism-Catholic/dp/1939231140

The notes are based in the catechism of the church and it has apologetic pages to explain various things about the faith.

I think any effort on my part to give a "nutshell" account would be lacking. Cardinal Sarah is from Guinea, has been forthright and outspoken, is the Prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and is a favorite of traditional-leaning Catholics.

He's written a couple of excellent books, <em>God or Nothing</em> and <em>The Power of Silence</em>.

(Along with others, I'd be pleased as punch if he were the next Pope. However I'm skeptical this will come to pass.)

You may find this book helpful: Eve Tushnet's Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith

I recommend the Revised Standard Version - Second Catholic Edition. One of the most literal Bible translations while still extremely readable, and in modern English. You can download the Ignatius Press/Augustine Institute app for a free electronic copy. If you look to get a reasonably priced physical copy, here you go.

I wouldn’t use either of the translations you have due to severe Protestant bias in them.

I'm so sorry /u/BeenBeans...I'll definitely be praying for you. I hope it goes well at the appointment tomorrow, but if it doesn't...I recommend Catholic Miscarriage Support that /u/supersciencegirl mentioned as well as After Miscarriage by Karen Edmisten.

I also lost a very early pregnancy this year and it helped me to name the child so I can pray for them and ask them to pray for me.

I always recommend the Didache Bible. The RSV-2CE translation which is used is the best translation into modern English that I have seen and it includes commentary from the Catechism.

Of course anything we try to say must be a itsy-bit-tiny fraction of the real deal...however...the comparison that better resonated to me was something like that.

Imagine a soldier that was promised in matrimony, but gets drafted to war! He then endure war with loyalty to his fiancee! He writes her letters, he thinks about her, he refuses to be a dishonorable man and go with part of his troops have some fun with the girls from the city they just liberated. Finally, when the war is over...he gets sent back home. Waiting in the platform, his fiancee (who also showed similar virtues during his absence) awaits. They search for each other faces in the crowd, and when they lock eyes with each other...BLAM!!! That moment! That moment of joy locked forever is somewhat like Heaven! It's the satisfaction of the soul with finding his ultimate Love!

Notice that if the soldier hadn't developed the relationship this moment would not have happened! They would be like strangers to one another. Similarly, if he acted in a dishonorable way...he wouldn't feel the joy of that encounter! And that is Hell... it's... not standing or not being able to see God when the encounter was supposed to happen in its fullest form!

All this explanation/metaphor can be found in this book. None of this is from my head.

https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Explained-Leo-J-Trese/dp/1889334294

It was written as a textbook for medieval seminarians.

I highly recommend this short book as a very basic introduction to the Summa.

If you want to learn to concepts without straight up reading the text (or along with it) then Aquinas 101 is your best resource.

Yeah, and the Orthodox churches (both Oriental and Eastern) include the same books the Catholics do, if not a few more. All Orthodox canons include Psalm 151, 1 Esdras (Greek Ezra), and the Letter of Jeremiah as a separate book (unlike in the Catholic Bible, where it is Baruch 6.)

Heck, some old Anglican and Lutheran Bibles include them. Contrary to popular belief, Luther did not "remove" the Septuagint books from his Bible. Rather, he placed them in an appendix marked "non-canonical." He did the same with Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation and apparently German Lutherbibel editions today include those books last.

The Lutherbibel für Dich includes them, and on the front you can tell since it says &quot;mit Apokryfen&quot; (with Apocrypha)

Anglicans and traditional, confessional Lutherans take a much more welcoming view of the Catholic books than Calvinist-influenced Protestant traditions. They are prescribed in both the Lutheran service book and the Book of Common Prayer. I joked about this with an Anglican priest (Anglican Church in North America) and told him they were waaaaay better than Christian "inspirational living" material you'd get at Sam's Club or Lifeway. He agreed and said "Yeah, Joel Osteen didn't write the Apocrypha."

>Mary is showing me her Son more fully through this practice.
>
>I feel it makes me calmer and more at peace and close to the will of Jesus. It makes me a kinder person especially to my wife. It makes me kinder to my children.

YES! If only more non-Catholic christians understood this!

&#x200B;

>I am ashamed for not wanting to be be close to Mary for so long.

If you're willing to take the next step, try "33 Days to Morning Glory" by Michael Gaitley. If you love Mary, then you won't regret it :D

On a micro scale I would encourage people to read [https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Are-You-Poor-Spiritual/dp/0898709210](Happy Are You Poor) because often we ought to be living a simpler life, for reasons beyond its impact on the planet (yet it does also have an impact on our brothers and sisters and on the rest of creation.)

Also ex-Baptist here.

This helped me immensely: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Witnesses-Early-Church-Words/dp/0898708478/ref=sr_1_1?crid=196MVRMQ3AQTM&amp;keywords=four+witnesses&amp;qid=1560733404&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=mario+maker%2Caps%2C160&amp;sr=8-1

Have you read Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism by Scott Hahn ?

Scott Hahn and his wife were Presbyterian Ministers and Anti-Catholic Apologists that Converted. Many converts I know have spoken highly about him. I was born Catholic but I was away for over 24 years before the Lord called me back home 2 years ago. God bless you and we welcome you.

You are not praying wrong. You are rightly not chasing Divine Consolations. The earlier poster who quoted St. John of the Cross is correct.

I suggest to you the book

Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and the Gospel-On Prayer

I'm not qualified to say what is going on your husband's head or in his private life, but I do recognize that this is not normal adult behavior. Please take care of yourself and your child. We'll all pray for you.

> This man, is not the man I married.

Yes. This man is looking only at himself. You would not have married that.

So I'm going to say two things you don't want to hear, because you didn't marry a man that would ever make you need to do these two things (and no one wants to do these things even when they need to). But when someone starts acting super weird you do have to think of your safety and your kid, and to be prepared in case things get even more weird.

When things get scary like this, it might be a good time to ask around (in advance of potentially wanting it) for the name of a good family lawyer - not the kind that says they will help you to get even or get a lot of money in a divorce, but the kind that can handle a case where there has been abuse or a case where a wife and child might need legal protection. A lawyer's job is to do what YOU want, and to help you get the kind of help that they understand. A good lawyer will not tell you what to do, but will tell you HOW to do what you want to do, and how to not shoot yourself in the foot.

I also found that it was helpful to not be embarrassed to call the cops (I live in a suburb where they are friendly and their main job seems like "pulling over speeding soccer-moms", which, that's been me; but they also know how to handle domestic problems where one person is scared for their safety.)

I found this book helpful but I don't know if it will be relevant to your situation: https://www.amazon.com/Verbally-Abusive-Relationship-Expanded-Third/dp/1440504636 if it's at the library or available by interlibrary loan, might be worth a look.

Because the last time the Church tried to put pressure on Catholic universities they declared independence from the Magisterium. The bishops are not in charge of these universities nor do they listen to them.

Read The Coup at Catholic University: The 1968 Revolution in American Catholic Education for more details.

They have absolutely nothing to do with science so they could not even in principle be refuted by science. They are metaphysical demonstrations underlined by the Act/potency distinction, essentialism, principle of causality, deductive reason, ontology, and teleology.

The simplest way then to refute meaningless refutations is to ask if the person stating as such has taken the time to actually understand the arguments and the metaphysics and epistemology they are built on. If not, which in my experience is almost always the case, then their criticism of the five ways is meaningless. If they have, then you can debate epistemic principles, but that is much harder and you’ll probably need to do some additional reading to help work through that.

I come from an anti-Catholic Evangelical background too... yeah, it'll probably be a bit rough. I loved watching that interview with Dave Rubin, because while his encounter with the thought of Aquinas inspired Bishop Barron to pursue the priesthood, reading the Angelic Doctor persuaded me to become Catholic. Reading Aquinas as a high schooler might be a bit daunting, so I recommend The Light of Christ: An Introduction to Catholicism. To better understand Catholic worship I would recommend The Spirit of the Liturgy by Joseph Ratzinger, who became Benedict XVI.

Finally, and this isn't necessarily about Catholicism per se, but St. Augustine's Confessions is a wonderful, wonderful book -- encompassing biography, prayer, meditation, psychology, and philosophy. It is what convinced me that Christianity between Christ and Martin Luther wasn't just Monty Python-esque stupidity.

If you'd like to read about this further, check out <em>How Christianity Saved Civilization...And Must Do So Again</em> by Mike Aquilina.

You are correct, you sister said out of ignorance to the facts of Joan Of Arc’s life.

Please Have her Read the following, you read it also:

Check this out: Joan of Arc (Ignatius Press eBook) Ignatius Press by Mark Twain

Or have Her watch

Joan Of Arc starring Leelee Sobieski

You should definitely pick up The Case For Catholicism by Trent Horn. This book is exactly what you're asking for, in depth.

I'd recommend the recent book by Edward Feser and Joseph Bessette, By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed, a historical and philosophical defense of the traditional Catholic view on capital punishment.

> Please don't advise treatment if you're not a 'professional.'

That's literally why I told OP to see OP's family doctor.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-st-johns-wort/art-20362212

I'm not going to respond to you again (you should of course feel free to post more if you are moved to do so.)

>My main issue perhaps is that I do not want to be a secondary creation.

You aren't. Yes, the Bible says that wives need to be submissive but it also says that husbands must love their wives. Love is a two way street. Think of it this way, a celebrity of any type must be submissive, in a way, to their bodyguard. Do you think if the Secret Service told the President to "Duck!", s/he'd not obey? That doesn't mean that the bodyguard is any way, shape, or form "better" than the President; it's just their roles.

There are some passages saying women should be silent but there are also plenty of passages talking about women preaching and prophesying. Obviously, the Bible is a bit bi polar on that issue.

As for Wicca it's only a 20th century creation based off of now known to be flawed archeology and anthropology reports. It has no basis in fact.

For contraception, it causes breast cancer. That alone should give anyone pause.

It was published last year in this collection:

https://smile.amazon.com/Exploring-Star-Trek-Voyager-Critical/dp/1476678219/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=voyager+exploring&amp;qid=1610133955&amp;sr=8-1

However, if you give me a few hours to dig it up, I would be pleased to send you a copy of the essay. I will just DM it to you, if that’s okay.

Something you might want to ponder is which “church” broke off of which. You have taken the position that the Catholic Church is a “weird offshoot” of Christianity. But what if it was the other way around? What if the only church that existed until the Protestant reformation was the Catholic Church and it was the Protestants who broke from the line of succession? With that in mind, go back and read some of the early Church fathers, or Doctors of the Church. The faith they are talking about is the Catholic faith, not a Protestant offshoot. Read what they say about the Holy Sacraments and the Eucharist.

Also, you might consider taking a look at where the collection of books known as “The Bible” came into being. Here is a good place to start: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Bible-Debt-Catholic-Church/dp/0895557967

You are asking the right questions. Now you need to read a bit more and start finding answers.

I'm currently working through The Divine Office for Dodos. It's a step-by-step guide, where you basically just learn one thing at a time and build on it later. It starts out with having you look around through the breviary getting an idea of where everything is before having you go into any of the actual prayers. That book, however, recommends starting with Night Prayer (Compline), which is shorter and on a one-week cycle.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0899424821

You can read about them in Bugnini's own book, The Reform of the Liturgy (1948–1975) or in this newly published biography on Bugnini, Annibale Bugnini: Reformer of the Liturgy. There were many motives behind the reform. One of them was to "Protestantize" the liturgy in the hopes that it would help advance ecumenism. Another was to simplify the liturgy in order to make it easier for people to understand, hopefully increasing people's participation and bringing more people to Mass. I think that these changes, while well-intentioned, were misguided and resulted in a "banal on-the-spot product" that is a rupture with the organic growth of the liturgy.

The Light of Christ: An Introduction to Catholicism

https://www.amazon.com/Light-Christ-Introduction-Catholicism/dp/0813229715

> The Light of Christ provides an accessible presentation of Catholicism that is grounded in traditional theology, but engaged with a host of contemporary questions or objections. Inspired by the theologies of Irenaeus, Thomas Aquinas and John Henry Newman, and rooted in a post-Vatican II context, Fr. Thomas Joseph White presents major doctrines of the Christian religion in a way that is comprehensible for non-specialists: knowledge of God, the mystery of the Trinity, the Incarnation and the atonement, the sacraments and the moral life, eschatology and prayer.

> At the same time, The Light of Christ also addresses topics such as evolution, the modern historical study of Jesus and the Bible, and objections to Catholic moral teaching. Touching on the concerns of contemporary readers, Fr. White examines questions such as whether Christianity is compatible with the findings of the modern sciences, do historical Jesus studies disrupt or confirm the teaching of the faith, and does history confirm the antiquity of Catholic claims.

> This book serves as an excellent introduction for young professionals with no specialized background in theology who are interested in learning more about Catholicism, or as an introduction to Catholic theology. It will also serve as a helpful text for theology courses in a university context.

A book about him came out in October/November. You can find it on Amazon, or if you sweet talk me, I could send you a free copy.

Eugène de Mazenod: A Saint for Today https://www.amazon.com/dp/1942190387/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Y.2aBb0DQGA2B

At the risk of self-promotion, I wrote a book on the subject: The Old Evangelization.

Essentially, I think we need to embrace time-tested methods of promoting and defending the Faith. This includes publicly condeming sin, warning about Hell, celebrating reverent liturgies, and being unapologetic about the uniqueness of Catholicism.

I will write a short book for you now:

Don't spend what you don't got. Don't sell yourself to the usurers.

But for reals, you can do worse than Enough! and The Millionaire Next Door.

Given how widespread misconceptions about our faith are, there is just so much potential for Catholic TILs such as..

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-science-make-little-real-progress-in-Europe-in-the-Middle-Ages https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most-misunderstood-historical-event

Fellow teetotaler here. I too get annoyed with the "pipe and ale" trying-to-be-Chesterton Catholics, but I think we can still get this analogy. It's fine.

I do think more Catholics and more Americans in general should probably honestly assess whether they're a little too dependent on this substance, though.

There’s an amazing memoir of a Catholic priest who served in the German army and all of the anti-Christian animus that he suffered as a Franciscan monk prior to and while conscripted. He didn’t put up with any of it but amazingly wasn’t killed even though they put him on trial a few times. He met Pope Leo during the war and got special permission to be ordained during the war so he could hear confessions and dispense last rites to the soldiers in the military even though he hadn’t completed his seminary training yet.

He ended up being a big deal in his POW camp in Morocco after he was captured in Italy. Really turned a lot of guys around.

The best and most convincing I've read is Studies on the Early Papacy by Chapman. He was an Anglican convert and the best Patristics scholar I've read, particularly on this issue.

Fortescue gets recommended a lot, but he's polemical and his arguments aren't the strongest. I mean, I agree with what he says, but he doesn't provide enough evidence to definitively prove his case. Same (minus polemics) goes for most of the other works commonly recommended.

Nobody else but Chapman gives you the whole picture and an extremely careful analysis, showing why he's right and everybody else must be wrong. By the time I got done reading the first few articles in Studies on the Early Papacy, I knew that to become Eastern Orthodox I would need to anathematize a number of highly respected Fathers.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy

I suggest you read the following. It fully in line with Church Dogma, you have to be careful because there is a lot of New Age BS out there.

The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us by Anthony DeStefano

There's a new book out that I want really badly: A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament. I guess I'm going to wait until the paperback version.

Anyway, the OT is a diverse collection of books, written in various times, in various genres, to various audiences. All of these factors, plus the revelation of Jesus Christ, will play a factor in our interpretation. You are currently a player in our shared salvation history, that began in Genesis and continues today. Do not be afraid.

Thomas Merton was influenced by the book Zen Catholicism. There is also an Eastern Orthodox book which views the Tao Te Ching as a kind of Eastern Old Testament. It's called Christ, the Eternal Tao and was heavily influenced by Fr. Seraphim. I hope you find one of these useful. I've read the latter, but only know of the former.

I have good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad:

The vast majority of Catholics, honestly, aren't particularly recognizable by their words or actions. Most parishes won't have a particularly vibrant and orthodox community. Frankly, a pretty large number of Protestants are better at being Protestant than the vast majority of Catholics are at being Catholic.

I'm not trying to discourage you in saying this, but you're almost certainly going to be surprised and disappointed by how little to do with the faith most Catholics have. To be honest, converts such as yourself put almost all cradle Catholics to shame.

What's the good news, then? (queue Gospel pun here)

But seriously, the good news is that you're converting. You can help fix that in your local parish, among your family, friends, and neighbors.

As for my opinion on Catholic masculinity?

www.amazon.com/Three-Marks-Manhood-Priest-Prophet/dp/B01A1618AS

I'd check out Eifelheim:

>Over the centuries, one small town in Germany has disappeared and never been resettled. Tom, a historian, and his theoretical physicist girlfriend Sharon, become interested. By all logic, the town should have survived. What's so special about Eifelheim?

>Father Dietrich is the village priest of Eifelheim, in the year 1348, when the Black Death is gathering strength but is still not nearby. Dietrich is an educated man, and to his astonishment becomes the first contact person between humanity and an alien race from a distant star, when their ship crashes in the nearby forest. It is a time of wonders, in the shadow of the plague. Flynn gives us the full richness and strangeness of medieval life, as well as some terrific aliens.

I made a podcast to remember todays miracle witnessed by 50,000 people

I hope you enjoy it

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1226960/9334513-oct-13-the-miracle-of-fatima-as-witnessed-by-50-000.mp3?download=true

Our Lady of Fatima - pray for us

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.

You have to understand there is no natural priest shortage; however, good, strong candidates were not allowed in many seminaries in the 70s, 80s, and even 90s. Why? The gatekeepers were enemies of the church but were and still are within the church. It's gotten marginally better since then. Read Goodbye, Good Men.

My fundamental problem with the Eastern practice of married clergy is that, unless someone is going to tell me otherwise, it doesn't require continence.

The ancient tradition in the Church, regardless of East or West, is the requirement for continence. There has been very compelling research on this in the last two decades. The West has admitted married clergy in more recent times (as is always the prerogative of the Pope), but because of celibacy, the question of continence as such hasn't come up (not talking about sin).

This is my complaint. I think the idea of "reinstating" in a larger way married clergy in the West is theologically incorrect with the tradition if it doesn't have the idea of continence in said marriage. I think the East has erred in this practice, as there is a demonstrable change in practice in this regard...again, unless I'm reading it wrong and Eastern clerics are required to be continent in their marriages.

https://www.amazon.com/Apostolic-Origins-Priestly-Celibacy-Christian/dp/0898709512

And there's a follow-up book.

Former seminarian here.

I am currently married. I was in college seminary for two years. First, if you feel a strong desire, there is nothing wrong with entering the seminary to see where the call goes. That's easier said than done, of course.

College seminary was low pressure in comparison to major seminary. I knew I was called to marriage because I didn't have peace in the seminary. I loved seminary, had a great experience, wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm still friends with guys who went all the way through and are now priests.

But, my soul wasn't at peace. When I left, I struggled BIG TIME with guilt. But over time I found peace with God and myself. When I dated, I had a strong sense of peace that this was the path God intended. I strongly advise reading Searching For and Maintaining Peace by Fr. Jacques Philippe. A great book that helped me find my way.

Bottom line, joining seminary does not mean you are signing your life away. Seminary is for discernment. Go for it if you feel strongly enough.

It's definitely an interesting topic I haven't had time to research. You may be interested in reading Science Was Born of Christianity by PhD Chemist and Catholic Convert, Stacey Trasancos. I've yet to read it so I have no comments on it, but it's on my Kindle library and have been curious about this topic as well.

I'm afraid you're seriously mistaken. Two people of the same sex can't be married. It's like how a square can't be a circle. It just goes against the definition of the term.

If you want to understand why I say this, I highly recommend this book. It explains why it is illogical to consider anything other than an exclusive man-woman union as a marriage.

This isn't about "tolerance". This is about the meaning of the term marriage.

I was inspired by Donald Calloway's Champions of the Rosary, and decided to wield a Rosary wherever I go! It's a spiritual weapon, and should be wielded as such. It is also a great conversation starter regarding our faith, as practically everybody I talk to notices it and asks me about it. The Rosary saved my life, so I'm more than glad to preach Mary's Psalter whenever I can!