About how long did it take for you to get into the swing of memorizing the rosary prayers and how do you know what page of the missal to turn to during Latin mass? I just started going to a Catholic Church 2 weeks ago and I want to convert so I’m trying to learn as much as I can. It’s an ICKSP church, very traditional, I believe they read the missal from 1964, women wear head coverings, the priest faces the alter during mass, and they receive the Eucharist by kneeling before the priest. It’s not a novus ordo mass but they still see novus ordo as valid

I need help with how to get over this, every time I ask for the intercession of a saint I feel guilty afterwards and feel a pressure on my head. I feel like the back of my head is saying “this is wrong” I’ve been trying to work on my prayer life and so I decided to pray the rosary (it’s not my first time praying it, but I want to start praying it more and ideally everyday) and I couldn’t finish it because the feeling was overwhelming and again I feel a mental pressure. I think I know the root cause of this and it’s my mother. For context I am converting to Catholicism coming from a non denominational household and one of the biggest things my mom keeps telling me is that asking for the intercession of saints is wrong.

The thing is that I know it’s not wrong, we are asking for them to pray for us and we aren’t replacing God. I know that the rosary is a meditative prayer on Jesus’s life and that “Hail Mary Full of Grace the Lord is with thee” is what the Angel Gabriel tells Mary. And same with “Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus” (Luke 1:42)

So why am I feeling this way if I know it isn’t wrong? :(
Any help or guidance would be appreciated, thank you!

hey all, last post i made here was some questions regarding catholic doctrine, as of currently i've basically come to accept that christ's true church is the roman catholic church and (spiritually) consider myself one

i'm still living with my parents so i cant attend mass or go to ocia even though im dying to, i haven't told them my specific catholic beliefs all they know is that i believe in orthodox christian doctrine, they have a ton of hate for the church and constantly try to slander it with things that are completely false. like most people my age i unfortunately fall into temptation a ton, it tugs my conscience though but it's something thats taken over me a lot since a couple years ago, i can't go to confession which also sucks

because i left this really high control system i have a ton of doubts sometimes, generally being intellectual doubts about the truth of certain things, especially since most people who leave that cult become atheists, the r\exjw sub isnt any better, they just trash on the bible and christians in general, i mean someone mentioned they were converting to catholicism and they got clowned on by the entire sub till a mod stepped in because people were being assholes, i generally try to avoid places like that but if youre on reddit youre bound to find some antitheist, honestly sometimes i feel kind of agnostic for no apparent reason

my parents have been... divided to say the least. my dad has been accepting of my point of views and recognizes the unhealthy atmosphere where you can't ask questions or look at contrary points of views and have to discard everything negative as lies, he thinks thats totally contrary to scripture so at least he's somewhat on my side. my mom on the other hand is a superfanatic who treats the governing body and the organization as god himself, she talks more about the organization than the lord, she doesnt even read the bible she just reads publications as if they were more valuable, she constantly trashes on me and calls me a pagan and part of "babylon the great" (false religion), that my beliefs are "lies satan has been in charge of spreading", that i left "the truth", that only "jehovah can attract me back to his organization", saying that when i see the "destruction of babylon the great" and the "great tribulation" i will sh*t my pants, etc. it is genuinely so tiring, yet she cant refute anything i say, if i pull up any verse from john regarding the diety of christ she will refuse to respond and scream at me telling me to shut up and be quiet

i have absolutely no privacy in my house, i don't have headphones, there are cameras everywhere, my mom always looks at me, i feel extremely uncomfortable listening or doing anything spiritual around her, even when she's gone im still paranoid about the 3 cameras that are actively looking at me at all times

a lot of stuff has happened but i feel much more peaceful in my interior, i actually feel like i have a purpose and feel full for the first time in my life, lust has kind of hit me really hard and i'm still trying to fight against it but its a slow process, if you're able to please pray for me and my parents because they are genuinely blind 🙏💕, whenever i have some freedom i'll go to confession and do ocia so i can get confirmed as soon as i can

Is it normal that every time I pray the rosary in front of an image of the resurrected Jesus Christ, I'm certain he's smiling at me? If anyone here tells me I'm crazy, I'll agree. Let's say this has been going on for about two months now (?) and I feel joy because that conviction truly reaches my heart. It's happened to me at times when I feel nothing or I'm discouraged. It's strange because lately I've been somewhat distant from Christ, and so sometimes I feel like it's my imagination or something like that; it's confusing because I tend to judge myself too harshly and look for logic in everything, so I really don't know the point of saying all this here. Anyway, I just want to know if this is normal or if I'm simply hallucinating

(Sorry for my bad English, I use a translator)

I’ve reached a point where I don’t know what to do anymore, honestly I’ll take any advice.

My entire childhood, both of my parents neglected me emotionally. They provided food and a home, but I never really knew what it felt like to be loved by them. I can’t remember receiving hugs or words of affection. When I was a teenager, I told my father that I wanted to end my life, and he told me I should do it.

I’ve always tried to live a good life. I’ve stayed away from drugs and other destructive habits, and I’m an honor student at my university. I’m not perfect, but I’ve genuinely tried to do the right thing.
Even so, I feel so alone for most of my life.

My parents are now separated, and I live with my mother because it’s closer to my university. Our relationship is polite but distant. I have two very close friends who have been incredibly supportive, and I’m grateful for them, but they come from loving families, so it’s difficult for them to fully understand what this kind of emptiness feels like.

Lately I’ve fallen into a deep depression. I’ve cried out to God over and over, but I feel like my prayers disappear into silence. I don’t feel His presence anymore.

To be honest, I’ve been struggling with suicidal thoughts. The only thing that has stopped me from doing it, is that I don’t want to gamble my soul. I don’t want to find out if I will be forgiven for it or not.

But I’m so tired that I’ve started wondering whether God would forgive me for simply not being strong enough anymore and just ending it.

More than anything, I’ve prayed for a family. For somewhere I truly can belong to and where I experience love that I’ve never had.

I’m not looking for theological arguments or debates. Has anyone else gone through something similar like this? How did you keep your faith when everything inside you told you that He had forgotten you?
Please pray for me.

If you've got a dream burning in you, don't let fear or self-doubt talk you out of it before you've even tried. "Nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37) isn't just a nice line, it's a promise. But it's worth sitting with why it's true: not because effort alone guarantees the outcome, but because when your dream is surrendered to His will, He's able to work through it, redirect it, or use even its failures for something you can't see yet (Romans 8:28).
So aim high. Give it everything you've got, "whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10), and "work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23). Not because effort earns God's favor, but because half-hearted work doesn't honor the gift or the Giver.

And don't start living in the "after" before you've even lived the "now." Don't preemptively say "well if it doesn't happen, that's just God's will" as a way to soften yourself against the outcome before you've even tried. That's not faith, that's a wall you're clearly not fooling anyone about, least of all God. Have faith it will happen. Focus on today, on the actual work in front of you, because today is genuinely all you've got. The future isn't yours to carry yet, so don't borrow its weight before it arrives.

And if, after everything, it still doesn't work out, don't take that as God closing a door out of indifference or telling you no forever. Look honestly at what you could've done better, pick yourself back up, and keep going. Sometimes the closed door really is providence redirecting you somewhere better. Sometimes it's just a setback to push through. Discernment (and probably a good confessor or spiritual director) helps you tell the difference, but neither one is a reason to stop trusting or stop trying.
Never forget who's holding you, what you're working toward, and why. Keep going. I believe in you, and God, who authored the dream in the first place, believes in you far more.

(And if part of you is reading this thinking "this doesn't apply to me" or "that door's already closed for good," sit with that thought a little longer before you accept it as final.)

This appeared in Northwest Catholic Magazine, published by the Diocese of Seattle. I didn't realize that my pastor helped found it!

https://nwcatholic.org/news/andrew-foster/r-askapriest-the-internet-s-holiest-forum

I want to live a Catholic life, but I engage in things everyday that I definitely shouldn't be doing, I don't go to Mass or confession and I live a life that is contradictory to the teachings of the Church.

I don't want to be eternally damned and I want to serve God and turn my life around.

Any advice on what I should do would be most welcome

I never believed in God. I doubted and questioned it for my entire life. I’m now 28 years old and although I still have my doubts, I believe that God is real. That God is with me. That Jesus died for my sins. I’ve been praying. Im the closest I’ve ever been to God. My friend just bought me a bible. I read some of it today. I’m currently going through a lot since I am moving back to California from the east coast. I’m going back home to live for free while I figure things out. The anxiety of everything is heavy. The anxiety of life has always been heavy my entire life. I feel like I need to start a new medication but I don’t want to deal with side effects. I want Jesus to heal me. I know that God is more powerful than any medication. I’ve seen first hand what he has done for others. Im praying, crying out to God. Even when OCD is telling me to worry about everything and figure everything out I know those are not my thoughts and are not thoughts from God. How do I fully surrender to the Lord? I’m planning on being baptized soon. I want to be filled with the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.

Hi everyone!
I’m 25 years old and recently came back to the Catholic Church around December after being away for quite a while. It has honestly been one of the biggest blessings in my life.
A few days ago I officially registered for Confirmation! I start OCIA in September, and my parish has already received my application and sent me the schedule.
I’m really excited, but I’m also a little nervous because I don’t really know what to expect. I’ll be working during the day and attending classes in the evening, which is completely fine. I think it’s just the unknown that’s making me anxious.
For anyone who went through OCIA as an adult:
What was your experience like?
Is there anything you wish you had known beforehand?
Any advice for someone who’s excited but also a little nervous?
I’d love to hear your stories.
Thank you!

I struggle to believe in god and connect with my faith but I am Catholic nonetheless. And sometimes I wonder if I am in hell and the reason I cannot find god is because I am in an eternal state of separation from god. I don’t want to be. But I struggle to find any other explanations for how there can be suffering and pain in my life and god just not be there. Does anyone have any reasoning or arguments that show I can’t be in hell? I don’t believe I am in hell. But it’s a question I can’t shake

*TL;DR at the end if you don't care about my life story*

For some context: I'm a 19m Korean-American who has been born and raised my entire life in the same protestant church (we're technically PCUSA but act more like a baptist/non-dem church). If you're a Korean-American Christian, you know that community, culture, and faith can be very tightly intertwined - ofc this varies by family. 

For about 2-3 years I've been an inquirer of EO and RC. I used to be really into EO and was particularly drawn into its mystic characteristics and deep-rooted tradition, but over the past few months the Lord has been bringing me home to the RCC and day by day I feel more and more assured of it's truth and universality. God-willing, I'll be a catechumen in the fall. 

Now what I wanted to talk about was how lonely this journey has been. Most people around me are pretty secular and don't care about looking too much into religion, and for the more zealous types they are usually very staunchly anti-Catholic and have many prejudices/misconceptions about the Catholic Church. 

I remember my own mother used to say she would be very upset and deeply saddened if I ever converted to Catholicism. I've been trying to break down the years of anti catholic indoctrination from her upbringing but only through the influence of my more open-minded father has she become more accepting of my desire to convert. She's become more comfortable with Catholicism as we've become closer family friends with a Filipino family who are devout Catholics, however she wants to refrain from telling my grandfather (her dad) in Korea about me. My grandpa is a retired minister and preacher with very strong traditional beliefs which can be overbearing at times. My mom once told me he couldn't eat for an entire week after hearing the news that she was marrying a half-korean half-american (Look up 혼혈 [honhyeol] if you want to learn more about the history of mixed Koreans and the discrimination they experienced and still experience) Thankfully, this disdain died out as he got to know my father more and he loves me very much as his grandson. He's a very passionate man and so my mom is worried that my conversion might cause some rifts between our families which would not be ideal as we already share a large physical distance. 

I haven't told many friends about my plans to convert but I have a feeling that if I told them they would take it more as me wanting to separate myself from the community rather than leaving due to my personal theological beliefs. It's hard because some of these people I've known literally my entire life and have gone to school with. 

Ironically, online spaces, where I first encountered the beauty of Catholicism and learned about its theology, have been detrimental to my faith lately. It seems like there is so much animosity among denominiations, with a lot of hate being directed towards Catholics. Apologetics can help you grow your faith, but it can also put you in a constant stance of combat, even when there is no one attacking your faith irl. This might sound kind of pathetic, but there was a period (that I'm still coming out of) where I had delusions of persecution and was very scared of what people would say about me or do to me if they found out I'm becoming Catholic. This was only amplified by the fact that I barely know anyone that is Catholic in my day-to-day life. Being chronically online can push you into echo chambers of negative energy that will reflect on your psyche. 

Sorry if this post is long and seems like I'm just venting/ranting. I don't have anyone in my real life to talk to this about so I'm just putting it out there so that maybe someone will see and possibly relate. If you're Korean-American Catholic, just send a reply so I know that there are others out there like me, it's very encouraging. 

TL;DR: Are there any Korean-American Catholic converts out there? Conversion can be isolating, I would love to hear your testimony!. 

Please pray for my conversion

God bless!

Hey there! I hope you're all doing ok.

I was reading through the chapter 3 of the Gospel of Luke, and there John the Baptist gives advices to different groups of people. One of the advices mentioned is about clothing: "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none" (Luke 3:11).

I've always had this question since I've started taking my faith more seriously. Growing up I never owned many pieces of clothing and even some of the shirts and pants I wore were previously owned by my older brothers. Now I'm in my mid 20s, God has been good to me, and even tho I'm by no means rich, I have a bit of money. Since I've been able to buy my own clothing, I've always had a like for owning many pieces of it, not necessarily expensive, even if I've had the money at a certain moment to buy an expensive pair of shoes or an expensive shirt, I've never felt comfortable expending large sums of money on a single piece of clothing, all the clothing I've bought is affordable by anyone.

Now, I know we must help the hungry and anyone who needs it, feeding someone is more important than buying a new pair of shoes, so my question is, how many pieces of clothing should a Catholic own? Is it wrong to own many pants and shirts and shoes even if they're not expensive?

Currently on Day 138 of The Bible in a Year Podcast, and I've heard enough. Joab stood on that business.

Hello, I'm currently agnostic, but I'm considering converting to Catholicism. I agree with a lot of the intellectual arguments for Catholicism, but I struggle to believe in it emotionally, if that makes sense.

Anyways, I am a paralegal at a small law firm. I'm currently working on a paternity case where the father sexual abused their two year old son five years ago. I'm having to go through all of the evidence, including very explicit images of the boys torn up, naked body, and videos of the psychological damage it did to him for the next half decade.

I was wondering if there were any christian teachings that could help me process it all. Viewing this horrific content has made it near impossible for me to believe in God.

Why would a just god allow this to happen? There's no way a two year old deserves this. Or even if he allows it to happen, why was he allowed to evade any criminal charges. In fact, my client was the only one that got a charge because she put a tracker on his car after he threatened to kill her and the kid.

Sure, if god is real, he will be punished after his death. But when the father thought he was going to go to jail, he hung himself, only to be saved last minute by the grandfather. Why would God not just delay the grandfather by a mere minute? It would have helped this poor boy so much if his father was dead.

I understand the intellectual counter arguments to all of this, but seeing it firsthand makes the counter argument seem so weak. I want to believe in God so badly, but how can I when the world is this way?

I've been turned away in confession twice so I stopped going to confession for almost a year, but today I met with my priest because I wanted to confess but I didn't think I was able to so I wanted to ask him about that.

I've been severely depressed for a long time and when he asked if I intended to stop sinning I said no because I've given up and I feel hopeless. That's why I wasn't absolved previously, because I don't have intention to amend my life or avoid it in the future. He told me that's a problem and that I need to change that, but then he said that since I'm sorry for my sins he will give me a conditional absolution.

Afterwards I asked him if it even works that way and he said that it does and that I should trust that I'm absolved, but I'm worried he didn't understand me because he didn't let me say everything I wanted to and he can't read my mind or know my intentions.

Also he didn't have me list any of my sins and I asked him why and he said that I didn't have to, and he didn't give me a penance either. Also he gave me a blessing and said it was for people that are sick but he didn't explain anything else. Is this normal?

John 3:5 comes to mind but is there anything else?

Has anyone here had a ‘destination wedding’ in a Catholic church?
I’m desperately trying to narrow down locations and would love to hear where you got married (or where you’ve attended a wedding) if you’re willing to share the church name.

I’m mainly looking toward the Northeast, East Coast, or Midwest, but I’m open to almost anywhere if it’s especially beautiful (no California/West coast). My fiancé and I are hoping for a traditional Catholic church with stunning architecture or a unique setting, and one that is welcoming to couples who aren’t local parishioners (would kind of prefer a church who is used to that process).
If you have any recommendations or experiences; good or bad, I would really appreciate them!
Photos are a huge bonus if you’re willing to share.
Thanks in advance. 🥰

My answer: I would say Yes. In the Bible good spirits, such as angels, when they appear one of the first things they say is something like 'do not be afraid' so fear is never the intention. Even Jesus when He walked on water and the disciples thought He was a ghost, He said 'It is I, do not fear'. On the other hand, a demon would use fear to either make people obey the demon or push them into despair, either way the ruin of souls results.

However 'if they truly appear' is a big IF. Most hauntings can be explained by natural causes, or by illusion/fraud/hallucination, etc. so even though the pop culture reports them as ubiquitous, they must be very rare.

does it happen like on judgment day, or when you die?

as an Anglican-Catholic (I share beliefs with both) i don’t really get this one.

Plus, I thought that we are all pure in the Father’s eyes after Jesus died anyway right? So is purgatory a final cleansing, but I thought in Hebrews Jesus is the final sacrifice, no more cleansing or purification is needed.(I asked this in my last post I think)

thanks guys :D God Bless

What is your opinion on Thomas Aquinas college in southern california,

And what do you think the experience of a non-Catholic going there would be.

The title pretty much says it all. My brother and his wife are having a marriage convalidation next month and he asked me to be a witness. I am not Catholic and do not know what to expect. I also want to buy them a gift, what would be appropriate for this type of ceremony?

I want to clarify one thing first. I am not complaining about modern shapes or materials like concrete or steel.

The real tragedy of modern church architecture is the sudden disappearance of figurative art, statues, and visual storytelling. By stripping churches of images, we broke a long tradition and ignored basic human psychology.

Here is why this was a huge mistake.

1. A Break of Tradition

Sacred art was not a medieval invention. Dura Europos in Syria, one of the earliest Christian house churches from the third century, is covered in biblical frescoes. For nineteen hundred years, Christianity was a visual and narrative religion. Completely bare churches are a historical anomaly.

1. The Literacy Myth

People often claim we only used sacred art because past generations were illiterate. This is false. Monasteries, which were reserved for highly literate monks, were packed with frescoes. In the late nineteenth century, literacy in Western Europe was near one hundred percent, yet churches were built with more detailed art than ever. Humans need visual resonance regardless of their reading ability.

1. Psychology and the Intellectual Trap

Some theologians argue that a completely bare room is necessary for pure devotion because it removes visual distractions. However, this is a purely intellectual theory that completely ignores how the average person actually experiences prayer. We are highly visual creatures. Expecting everyday people to walk into a plain concrete room and instantly reach a state of mystical awe is absurd. It treats humans as abstract minds rather than embodied beings with senses.

1. The Loss of Attraction

A historic church is a visual treasure chest. Even an atheist can sit in a Baroque or Gothic church and spend an hour captivated by the details. In contrast, you can visually process a bare modern church in thirty seconds. After that, there is nothing left to explore. It feels like a sterile lecture hall.

By abandoning figurative art for total abstraction, an elite group of architects threw away our most powerful tool for emotional connection. We did not fail because we used concrete. We failed because we forgot that we need stories, faces, and forms.

My brain is all foggy. I have a quite a bit of discomfort shall I say or such a feeling pertaining to Invincible and Vincible ignorance.

For some last few hours I have been trying to figure out ​I should and would reconcile Cantante Domino, Exultate Deo and Lumen Gentium, even though that, as a Catholic I truly do feel that I understand that all following teaching should be interpreted and take into account as not to contradict previous teaching. But for the life of me I can't seem to stop thinking that it does seem contradictory. I don't think myself either a Sedevecantist or a SSPX-er but it really is not intuitive.

For example, Invincible ignorance as I understand is a person who is entirely unaware of the Gospel or Church teachings and through no fault of their own is not morally culpable. I understand it to mean some tribal person who lives his entire life in the middle of a desert with never hearing about the Church or having access to it.

But with what I find an issue is the vague or murky meaning of what makes someone Vincibly ignorant. Which I understand to be a lack of knowledge that a person could have easily overcome by applying reasonable diligence.

Is a for exmaple Mongolian person in the steppe and who sincerely believes in tengrii who for example has access to the internet through a phone, would he be considered vincible or not? Where is the line? Is it all up to each subjective interpretation? If a person was eating and they saw a preacher preaching but decided to go somewhere else vincible? Is a person who is engulfed in access to the teaching of the Chruch but rejecting it for a banal reason vincible? And this "understanding" is troubling to some point. What constitutes someone not "really" understanding a teaching and therefore being invincibly ignorant? If a priest explains to someone 99% of a teaching correctly but the listener doesn't understand the other 1% does it make him vincible or invincible?

Thank you for reading, I apologize for this lengthy post and if anyone answers I thank you much more.

Also sorry if my English is bad it's not my native language. ​​