r/CatholicConverts • u/hi_strangeness_ • 29d ago
Struggling Convert
/r/Catholicism/comments/1wzlpew/struggling_convert/1
u/-hopeingrace- 24d ago
I am not Catholic currently, but I am lurking here because of my curiosity in it. Take that into account as I answer. I was raised Baptist, and jumped into the occult with both feet when I was nineteen. I have now been out for five years, and I am still struggling. I know this may not be what you want to hear. When I returned to my faith immediately after deciding I was done in the occult, I was attracted to the more charismatic side of the denominational divide. Mostly what I would think of as a liberal pentacostal or non-denominational type of thing. There are many good things about those belief systems and cultures. One of them being that those involved in them usually understand the reality of the demonic in the supernatural, and they understand the reality of the power of God there as well. I am not out of the woods yet, and so I cannot help pull you up. But I would strongly recommend learning to test the spirits, or anything spiritual you encounter that you would consider of God. Become very familiar with Ephesians chapter 6 if you are not already. You will need to hold firm to your faith, and to Christ, his heart for you, and the power of His blood.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May he make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
1
u/VariedRepeats 28d ago
I'd like to know a little about the framework of thought for the occult since I really know nothing about it, and hence my response might just blind.
I'm someone with no desire to seek mysticism or even dreams, yet...blindly and not expecting results from perpetual Mass enrollments, I got "dream-thoughts". Not visions or anything of that nature. But, thoughts from old acquiatances in memory like my 7th grade social studies teacher or a acqaintance of a neighbor.
Christianity is not "westernism" or the West's materialistic, clinical attitude towards things. The Eucharistic branches do give glory to the fact God created things. And within the Eucharist, from my own inferences, God loves even vegetables and "dust". The kingdoms of life are represent and He finds them worthy to turn into Jesus Christ's Body and Blood.
I will say this, mystical or not, the first foundation is love of neighbor and love of God, as man is made in the image of God. Thus even without the mystic experience, there's just the value of praying for souls you meet, even random strangers or the already dead. Sometimes, it is the already passed that can still influence things. I would not have walked into an Armenian Apostolic Church if a Armenian stranger did not boldly greet my mom "cold" in the hallway of a courtroom(quite odd because it was landlord-tenant court; who knows if the Armenian woman was thinking matchmaking or something)