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MichelleW
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Candace,
Mike Aquilina's The Mass of the Early Christians might be what you are looking for. I remember being amazed by how close the Mass is to the Passover seder, and I searched for something that would help me to connect our traditions to their roots (just for me because I was interested). Very interesting book.
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Michelle
Mom to 3 (dd 14, ds 15, and ds 16)
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cornomama4
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I know this was a hotpoint on the last page, but I'm posting between baby emergencies and can't check back for redundancies:
About praying to the saints, as I was converting a few years ago (from agnosticism) someone explained the praying to the saints like this: when you ask friends or family to pray for you or a special need, you speak to them directly or by email or something. The saints (thus far!) are passed on and in heaven, and I don't think they get Internet up there, and long distance is just too expensive. So when you want to ask a saint to pray for you, as you would ask a living friend or members of your church, you must ask as a thought; a prayer. We don't pray to them in any worshipful way, we pray to ask for their prayers, the same way we ask those on earth for their prayers. We do show them respect when we ask, as you would any living person you really admired.
Someone probably said this, but "pray" means asking. Like "Pray, Squire, where dost thou go with that leg of mutton?"
This also explained the whole statue and icon thing to me: we have pictures around the house of loved ones and important people (President, King or Queen, etc.) so why not have pictures of the most beloved: Jesus, Mary, the Saints, etc. No pictures of God though. Just images of God the Father. At least that's my understanding.....
cm4
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BrendaPeter
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Dear Candace,
I'm not sure how much time you have to read, but I don't have much, so I like to listen to cds. I highly recommend these free cds by John Martignoni. He has a beautiful way of explaining everything simply and he primarily does that through scripture so it's very understandable to those with a Protestant background.
I recommend all the tapes but the most compelling one is "One Church".
Hope that helps! As Alex Jones, Catholic convert, has been known to say "Keep testing the truth, because the truth can take it!"
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Blessings,
Brenda (mom to 6)
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enjoythejourney
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Candace,
As you know I'm on a very similar path, except mine may be headed towards conversion (shh, don't tell anyone on the blog, I tend to avoid religious controversy!).
I think you ladies have done a SUPREME service here discussing this in such a loving, Christ-honoring manner. I thank you for allowing protestants like me, Candace and others to join your forum, even though we're not Catholic. I think God smiles on discussions like these...it is so wise to ask the SOURCE for questions rather than relying on preconcieved notions and downright miscommunications.
I love what was said about prayer equaling worship. I myself had never ever considered that thought! And how profound!
I also like the TRADITION. That is what has led me to the RCC more than anything else. My evangelical "baptisty" church is very good Biblically, but it is absent of ANY tradition. I've been there 6 years and taken communion maybe 3 times? We literally fly by the seat of our pants when it comes to making up our worship and our traditions. There are NO traditions. I myself, want my children to experience a FULLNESS of faith in all areas, and this is what draws me more and more to the Catholic church. That, and my love of all things historical.
__________________
Lindsey
(here to learn more about the RCC)
Mom to:
Cleo (7)
Marcy-Marie (4)
Reece (3)
http://justenjoythejourney.blogspot.com
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LisaR
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Lindsey and Candace, continuing to pray for you!!
I am a convert to the Catholic faith and Tradition/Liturgical Year is a huge part of my family life - both of which were non existant in the Protestant churches I attended.
I would like to suggest the website
www.protestantcatholic.com
these amazing Pastors have teemed up and produced a wonderful DVD, explaining all about the Catholic Faith, and it is endorsed by Protestants and Catholics alike!
I am a part of a History co-op with mainly Protestants (I love it! ) and they have been blown away by this DVD.
We recently all took a field trip to a local monastery (we are studying middle ages)
www.communityofstjohn.com
many have had ah ha moments - realizing for the first time that the Catholic Church has ALWAYS been here- since Peter-and what that really means then for them-and...what a family history we Catholics have!!
__________________
Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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hereinantwerp
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I read this discussion with much interest! I have had many of the same questions. I so appreciate the GRACIOUSNESS of this discussion!!
I have been so blessed by Elizabeth's book and this website. I am very intrigued and interested about the Catholic faith, and so is dh. But as we are *Protestant Missionaries*, it is perhaps not the time to ask too many questions, LOL!!! (We DO NOT seek to convert Catholics, FYI! When dh has met with "fallen away" Catholics, he has encouraged them to seek out their own priests, and a few of them have!). Actually my main reason for not wanting to explore too much, is I do feel right about where we are at right now, we are very rooted in the relationships/"family" at our home church, and I think those long-term relationships are very important to God. But over the years I have felt less and less content with some of the Protestant ways of understanding and doing things . . . I am sad about the "throwing away" of tradition that has happened, I think a lot of richness has been lost. Also the "me and my Bible" attitude--well sometimes it has just left me alone with some terrible struggles, and I do not think the protestant church (at least in America!) knows what to do with suffering--(Now THAT is an area I would really like to explore more, how Catholics understand suffering).
I was surprised to learn a while back that the Rosary dates way back to the 6th century (is that right?)--it is not so much "Catholic" as simply Christian! And I never knew that!
A question I have always had, maybe this sounds dumb, but, how do you know Mary or the saints hear you when you pray? God is omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent, but a saint is just one person, in one place? I do not understand it.
Also I have heard many protestants talk about the "Queen of Heaven" idea being something with pagan roots? Is this just complete misinformation??? (I hope it is not offensive to ask!)
__________________
Angela Nelson
Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
my blog: live and learn
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CrunchyMom
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hereinantwerp wrote:
I was surprised to learn a while back that the Rosary dates way back to the 6th century (is that right?)--it is not so much "Catholic" as simply Christian! And I never knew that!
A question I have always had, maybe this sounds dumb, but, how do you know Mary or the saints hear you when you pray? God is omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent, but a saint is just one person, in one place? I do not understand it.
Also I have heard many protestants talk about the "Queen of Heaven" idea being something with pagan roots? Is this just complete misinformation??? (I hope it is not offensive to ask!) |
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I suppose that depends on what you define as Catholic The Catholic church traces its roots all the way back to Peter with the idea that ALL Christians were Catholic until sects broke off from the Church. So, accurately, it is a very *old* Catholic idea.
I suppose it is faith that allows us to know the saints hear us. Also, fruits. In order for a saint to be recognized as such in the church, miracles must be attributed to them. People asking directly for the intercession of certain saints have extraordinary prayers answered.
Mary as the Queen of Heaven is an image straight from Revelation Chapter 12.
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stacykay
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LisaR wrote:
I am a convert to the Catholic faith and Tradition/Liturgical Year is a huge part of my family life - both of which were non existant in the Protestant churches I attended.
I would like to suggest the website
www.protestantcatholic.com
these amazing Pastors have teemed up and produced a wonderful DVD, explaining all about the Catholic Faith, and it is endorsed by Protestants and Catholics alike!
I am a part of a History co-op with mainly Protestants (I love it! ) and they have been blown away by this DVD.
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The priest in this video is our pastor, Fr. John Riccardo. He is incredible!!!! And his outreach to non-Catholics and Catholics alike is phenomenol! We are truly blessed to have such a rich and beautiful Faith. The resources for learning more about the Church are growing fast.
Do you have a Catholic radio station in your area? I, as a convert ('83 Vigil Mass) learned more from Catholic radio, including Catholic Answers and others, than I ever did in my so-so RCIA class. All of the books recommendations are great, also. Prayers are with you, in this journey of faith!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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LisaR
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stacykay wrote:
LisaR wrote:
www.protestantcatholic.com
these amazing Pastors have teemed up and produced a wonderful DVD, explaining all about the Catholic Faith, and it is endorsed by Protestants and Catholics alike!
I am a part of a History co-op with mainly Protestants (I love it! ) and they have been blown away by this DVD.
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The priest in this video is our pastor, Fr. John Riccardo. He is incredible!!!! And his outreach to non-Catholics and Catholics alike is phenomenol! Stacy in MI |
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Stacy, that is so great!! This DVD is a wonderful tool for helping us ALL understand what unites us and what divides us- very respectfully done!
There are a few families here whose lives have been changed by this DVD!
We used to live in MI, and the story of Al Kresta and Catholic radio is a great one!
__________________
Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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MaryM
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hereinantwerp wrote:
| A question I have always had, maybe this sounds dumb, but, how do you know Mary or the saints hear you when you pray? God is omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent, but a saint is just one person, in one place? I do not understand it. |
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This very question was asked somewhere in the above discussion and has been addressed a bit, but maybe not enough.
St. John talks of the elders in Heaven pouring out unto God the petitions of the faithful on earth from great bowls (cf. Rev 5:8; 8:3-4). The Saints are presenting our prayers to God. We are the saints/holy ones on earth whose petitions are being presented to God by the Saints/Elders in Heaven.
Jesus himself tells us of the great celebration in Heaven that takes place in the conversion of one man (cf Lk 15:7,10). It seems natural to believe that those in Heaven know exactly what's going on on earth.
As Crunchy Mom explained in an earlier post we have no reason to think that the constraints of time and place on earth apply to Heaven and those there with God. A mortal, unglorified person on earth would have the restrictions imposed by the way space and time work in our universe. But the saints in heaven are not here and they are not subject to the time/space limitations of this life. This doesn't imply that the saints in heaven are omniscient, as God is. It is only through God’s willing it that they could hear or be aware of our petitions.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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MaryM
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hereinantwerp wrote:
| Also I have heard many protestants talk about the "Queen of Heaven" idea being something with pagan roots? Is this just complete misinformation??? (I hope it is not offensive to ask!) |
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Mary as Queen is biblical. Like Crunchy Mom said from Revelation and also from the Old Testament. The Queen Mother of the Davidic kingdom is the OT prefiguration of Mary. There is a great chapter in Catholic for a Reason -Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God (which was recommended earlier in this thread) that does a very thorough job of looking at this prefiguration of Mary as Queen and our call to honor her in this roll.
I do highly recommend the Catholic for a Reason series for those who want to learn about the Catholic Church's teachings.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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hereinantwerp
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MaryM wrote:
hereinantwerp wrote:
| A question I have always had, maybe this sounds dumb, but, how do you know Mary or the saints hear you when you pray? God is omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent, but a saint is just one person, in one place? I do not understand it. |
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This very question was asked somewhere in the above discussion and has been addressed a bit, but maybe not enough.
St. John talks of the elders in Heaven pouring out unto God the petitions of the faithful on earth from great bowls (cf. Rev 5:8; 8:3-4). The Saints are presenting our prayers to God. We are the saints/holy ones on earth whose petitions are being presented to God by the Saints/Elders in Heaven.
Jesus himself tells us of the great celebration in Heaven that takes place in the conversion of one man (cf Lk 15:7,10). It seems natural to believe that those in Heaven know exactly what's going on on earth.
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Thank you, that is helpful to me!
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Angela Nelson
Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
my blog: live and learn
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hereinantwerp
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MaryM wrote:
hereinantwerp wrote:
| Also I have heard many protestants talk about the "Queen of Heaven" idea being something with pagan roots? Is this just complete misinformation??? (I hope it is not offensive to ask!) |
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Mary as Queen is biblical. Like Crunchy Mom said from Revelation and also from the Old Testament. The Queen Mother of the Davidic kingdom is the OT prefiguration of Mary. There is a great chapter in Catholic for a Reason -Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God (which was recommended earlier in this thread) that does a very thorough job of looking at this prefiguration of Mary as Queen and our call to honor her in this roll.
I do highly recommend the Catholic for a Reason series for those who want to learn about the Catholic Church's teachings. |
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thank you, my husband has a small collection of books on Catholicism, I will ask if he has this or he might be interested to obtain it!
I do not know what is meant by the Queen Mother of the Davidic kingdom? Is it a specific person, or David's own mother? The only Queen Mothers I recall being very "active" are bad ones, like Jezebel or Athaliah. NOT that I would relate a person like that in any way to Mary!
__________________
Angela Nelson
Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
my blog: live and learn
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CrunchyMom
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hereinantwerp wrote:
MaryM wrote:
hereinantwerp wrote:
| Also I have heard many protestants talk about the "Queen of Heaven" idea being something with pagan roots? Is this just complete misinformation??? (I hope it is not offensive to ask!) |
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Mary as Queen is biblical. Like Crunchy Mom said from Revelation and also from the Old Testament. The Queen Mother of the Davidic kingdom is the OT prefiguration of Mary. There is a great chapter in Catholic for a Reason -Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God (which was recommended earlier in this thread) that does a very thorough job of looking at this prefiguration of Mary as Queen and our call to honor her in this roll.
I do highly recommend the Catholic for a Reason series for those who want to learn about the Catholic Church's teachings. |
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thank you, my husband has a small collection of books on Catholicism, I will ask if he has this or he might be interested to obtain it!
I do not know what is meant by the Queen Mother of the Davidic kingdom? Is it a specific person, or David's own mother? The only Queen Mothers I recall being very "active" are bad ones, like Jezebel or Athaliah. NOT that I would relate a person like that in any way to Mary! |
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Bathsheba was queen during *Solomon's* rule, and so forth. She is referencing the practice of Israel to have the mother (not the spouse) of the king act as queen.
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Barbara C.
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Just to clarify the above post, the mother acted as Queen because polygamy was the standard for kings. The kingdom did not always pass to the first-born son or the first son of the first wife.
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Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
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ChristinaK
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What an interesting discussion! I'm also an evangelical Protestant and I have had many of the same questions Candace has. I love how open this board is to answering questions about the Catholic faith for us.
One thing that I don't understand at all is purgatory? I'm going through a bible study at church now on eternity, eternal judgements, heaven and hell and have been wondering about the Catholic belief of purgatory? Could someone explain it for me or point me to a source that explains it?
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Helen
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ChristinaK wrote:
| What One thing that I don't understand at all is purgatory? I'm going through a bible study at church now on eternity, eternal judgements, heaven and hell and have been wondering about the Catholic belief of purgatory? Could someone explain it for me or point me to a source that explains it? |
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I think Purgatory reflects the reality of human existence. Purgatory acknowledges that not every human being dies as a perfect saint or as an unrepentant sinner. We believe that only saints go straight to heaven and that those who loved God in this life, even if not perfectly, will be cleansed first before entering heaven.
I believe the cleansing is a sort of repentance. In the next life, we will see more clearly the times when we didn't return the Lord's love for us. He will show us and give us the opportunity to love Him the way He deserves from us.
It is always painful to be shown great love and our failure to respond. We couldn't be unified with the Lord in heaven if we still possess areas we have not turned over to Him. In Purgatory we finish the process of turning ourselves over to Him. When completed, we will then be able to enjoy the "bliss of heaven" which is total union with God.
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Ave Maria!
Mom to 5 girls and 3 boys
Mary Vitamin & Castle of the Immaculate
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Angie Mc
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hereinantwerp wrote:
Also the "me and my Bible" attitude--well sometimes it has just left me alone with some terrible struggles, and I do not think the protestant church (at least in America!) knows what to do with suffering--(Now THAT is an area I would really like to explore more, how Catholics understand suffering).
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Angela, learning about suffering from a knowledgeable Catholic perspective has been a very large part of my growth in faith. Here is my favorite book on the topic, Making Sense Out of Suffering by Peter Kreeft. I have also been blessed to witness devoted Catholics, who may or may not have a scholarly understanding of suffering, find peace within suffering that has touched me beyond words.
Love,
__________________
Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
About Me
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chicken lady
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hereinantwerp wrote:
what to do with suffering--(Now THAT is an area I would really like to explore more, how Catholics understand suffering).
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I have a friend who conerted to Catholism over the suffering theology. She had searched her entire life for the meaning and found it in John Paul ll letter on the Meaning of Christian suffering
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MarieC
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What a great thread! I am a cradle Catholic but don't always know how to explain things so I'm learning right along here, too!
stacykay wrote:
Do you have a Catholic radio station in your area? I, as a convert ('83 Vigil Mass) learned more from Catholic radio, including Catholic Answers and others, than I ever did in my so-so RCIA class. All of the books recommendations are great, also. Prayers are with you, in this journey of faith!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI |
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You can check out a great Catholic radio station and listen online. (I'm guessing this is the station you listen to, Stacy?) Lots of good stuff there in an easily understood way. The Catholic Answers program (I believe at 6 p.m. EST) is very helpful.
__________________
Marie
mom to 6
dds-98, 00, 02 and 09 & dss-03 and 06
Out in the Orchard
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Teach me about Catholicism??
