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Darlene
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 12:27 am |
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Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I just thought I'd update you on how everything went today. I did attend the morning Mass as I had hoped to. My desire and expectations were fulfilled beyond measure.
As I entered the sanctuary, (I was a few minutes late), the priest was talking about Mary. He was speaking about how the Lord had prepared her especially to encounter an angel. His deep respect and awe of God's preparing Mary to receive the news of giving birth to the Messiah brought tears to my eyes. He was so respectful and reverent in speaking of Mary that I could not help but be affected even in my emotions. I recalled our discussion of Mary in Sunday school a few weeks ago and how Mary was "downplayed." What a contrast! I hung on every word the priest said and knew I was in the right place. I knew, without a doubt, that the Holy Spirit had drawn me to this parish on this morning.
The parishners that were present were so respectful and worshipful. It seemed that everyone of them knew all the hymns that were sung. Of course, I listened intently to the words since I'd never heard any of these worshipful hymns before. So some Catholics actually do sing! And everytime the parishners responded during the Liturgy, they did it with sincerity and enthusiasm, as if they were truly anticipating partaking of the Holy Eucharist. I could not help but be inspired when before taking of the body and blood of our Lord, the parishners said in unity, "Lord, I am not worthy" several times. I don't recall all that was said there but I'm sure many of you know what is said in the Mass at this time. All I can say is that I felt tears welling up inside of me many times and could hardly keep them back.
But the best part was yet to come. As the parishners were leaving the sanctuary, I approached two women to inquire about RCIA. I told them briefly about my situation, being that of a Protestant that is on a journey toward the Catholic faith. When I told them that my husband is a staunch Protestant and having a difficult time dealing with my interest in the Catholic faith, the one lady said, "You need support." The both of these dear ladies invited me to go to breakfast with them, and I oblidged. BTW, the one lady is actually a sister (nun), who taught in Catholic Schools and was also a principle for many years.
We all went together in one vehicle to the diner. They started asking all kinds of questions, having to do with my religious background, etc. I told them how deeply inspired I was by the Mass and the sermon on Mary. It was so peculiar, I don't quite know how to say it, but I just knew the Lord had brought all of our paths together.
As we were seated at the diner, I could tell that a number of the employees knew these women and respected them. Then the one lady handed me a brochure and said, "This is the ministry God used us to start." They have a pro-life ministry in which they reach out to unwed mothers and give them food, counseling, shelter, etc. whatever is needed till they give birth. The one lady said that she had been a part of the corporate world for quite some time when God put it on her heart to start this pro-life ministry. The nun (sister) said how she was being called to this ministry at the same time even though these two women didn't even know each other at that time. The Lord Jesus brought them together in His time. As we were talking, one of the waitresses walked up to our table and I was introduced to her. Here, she was one of the fruits of their ministry. She had been an unwed mother and this ministry helped her through her crisis pregnancy.
When our waitress came back to our table she asked if everyone was ready for the holidays. These ladies did not hold back in saying that "We call this holiday Christmas because it is Jesus birth that we are honoring." They were bold and unashamed of their faith. The former corporate lady pointed to the necklace she was wearing (of the nativity) and said to the waitress that this is what Christmas is all about.
When our food came, we all prayed together and I was amazed at how open they were about their Catholic faith. Afterward, the one lady apologized for not allowing me to add anything to our blessing at the meal. They were both so loving and kind. When the check came, I started to get out my money to pay for my part of the bill, and they said, "We'll take care of it."
Both ladies recognized that the Holy Spirit had brought us together. Our fellowship was so encouraging to me. I could not believe that the Lord had been so gracious to me. Not only was I blessed by the Mass, but He brought me together with two beautiful sisters in Christ. And on top of that, now I know of a pro-life ministry in my area that I would be thrilled to be part of.
Before we went on our ways, we all embraced and both women said they would pray for my situation and my husband. Truly, God blessed me far more than I could have ever thought possible.
Love in Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Darlene
____________________
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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David W. Emery
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1792 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 12:40 am |
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Wow! Darlene, you are home!
David
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Prodigal Daughter
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| Joined: | Wed Nov 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 196 |
| First Name: | Deborah/PD | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptized Catholic, received First Communion, left during Confirmation year. ... |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 12:52 am |
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Darlene,
That is so awesome! What is the name of that parish? I would like to visit sometime.
Deb
____________________
"Man should tremble, the world should vibrate, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest."
St. Francis of Assisi
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Ruthie
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| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houston, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| First Name: | Ruthie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nominal Presbyterian, aetheist, evangelical Christian/Episcopalian, Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 12:53 am |
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I'm so glad you shared this, Darlene! I can't wait to hear the next chapter of your journey. Are you going back to Mass again? Weekday? Sunday? How wonderful that you met those ladies. How will your husband react when you tell him what you found out about Catholic worship?
Ruthie
Last edited on Thu Dec 21st, 2006 12:54 am by Ruthie
____________________
Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. (NRSV, Luke 18:17)
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 01:01 am |
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Yes David, it truly felt like home.
By the way, after I parted with the two sisters in Christ, I went to the Center next to the church, which has several outreaches, to inquire about RCIA. I asked the secretary if the sanctuary was still open and she said "No, because we have had some vandalism. But, I will open it for you and then you can feel safe." As we walked over to the church together, she asked me about my religious upbringing and I told her briefly about it. ie.: That I was raised in an atheist/agnostic home, became a born again Believer in Christ, left a cult, was baptized in the River Jordan, have been part of many different Protestant denominations, and am now on a journey toward Catholicism. This lady was the one who had answered the phone yesterday when I called and her kindness and friendliness was what impressed me then. It was so good to meet her face to face.
As I went back to the sanctuary, I knelt down to pray. I began praying the Most Holy Rosary and felt so blessed to be able to finally pray in a Catholic Church. Two men came into the sanctuary at one point and were there to vacuum and make sure that prayer books were put away, kneelers put back in place, etc. (basically straightening things up) I asked if I should move and both of them said "No." The the one man said, "Please continue praying and please pray for us." That really impressed me.
What a wonderful day it was.
Darlene
PS. By the way, this sanctuary uses the Baptismal font as a place where the parishners bless themselves. This was explained in a leaflet that I read about the layout of the church. It said that instead of having holy water at each entrance to the sanctuary, parishners bless themselves with the water which is in the font. Is this common in other parishes?
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5080 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 01:09 am |
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Darlene wrote: I did attend the morning Mass as I had hoped to. My desire and expectations were fulfilled beyond measure.
Why shouldn't we believe it? When you entered the Catholic Church you were in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. You were literally in the presence of God, and with God all things are possible!
I'm glad you had such an awesome experience.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 01:30 am |
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Prodigal Daughter wrote: Darlene,
That is so awesome! What is the name of that parish? I would like to visit sometime.
Deb
Deb,
St. Lukes in Stroudsburg on Main Street. Perhaps we can go together some time?
God Bless You,
Darlene
____________________
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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Ruthie
Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houston, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| First Name: | Ruthie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nominal Presbyterian, aetheist, evangelical Christian/Episcopalian, Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 02:02 am |
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Darlene wrote: I could not help but be inspired when before taking of the body and blood of our Lord, the parishners said in unity, "Lord, I am not worthy" several times. I don't recall all that was said there but I'm sure many of you know what is said in the Mass at this time.
And you know that quote is from Matthew 8:5-8. A Roman centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus said he would come and heal him but the centurion said "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof, but only say the word and my servant shall be healed."
Since I can't partake of the Eucharist, I find these words so comforting. "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed."
Ruthie
____________________
Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. (NRSV, Luke 18:17)
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Prodigal Daughter
Member
| Joined: | Wed Nov 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 196 |
| First Name: | Deborah/PD | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptized Catholic, received First Communion, left during Confirmation year. ... |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 09:42 am |
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Darlene,
Perhaps we could go there sometime. I sent you a PM. Did you get it?
Deb
____________________
"Man should tremble, the world should vibrate, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest."
St. Francis of Assisi
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Katy
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | DFW, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 78 |
| First Name: | Katy | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Non-denom/Bible churches, Catholic since Easter 2005 |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 11:53 am |
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Darlene wrote: PS. By the way, this sanctuary uses the Baptismal font as a place where the parishners bless themselves. This was explained in a leaflet that I read about the layout of the church. It said that instead of having holy water at each entrance to the sanctuary, parishners bless themselves with the water which is in the font. Is this common in other parishes?
Hi Darlene,
I'm so glad that you had a good experience at Mass yesterday! I was praying that you would.
My church also has the baptismal font at the main entrance to the nave to use for holy water, as well as small holy water fonts at each door because of the size of the building. I usually come in the main doors though, and love to use the baptismal font.
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Lord, by Your cross and resurrection, You have set us free. You are the Savior of the World.
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5080 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 12:50 pm |
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Darlene wrote: PS. By the way, this sanctuary uses the Baptismal font as a place where the parishners bless themselves. This was explained in a leaflet that I read about the layout of the church. It said that instead of having holy water at each entrance to the sanctuary, parishners bless themselves with the water which is in the font. Is this common in other parishes?
It often depends on the age and layout of the church. The "ideal" church would have a Trinitarian focus with the baptismal font, tabernacle, and altar given equal prominence in the sanctuary, but of course that's difficult to accomplish. Seating is also a problem, since for the most part, a lot fewer people attend baptism and Eucharistic adoration than mass. But blessing oneself from the baptismal font is certainly appropriate and enhances awareness of the nature of the symbol.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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susiedear
Member
| Joined: | Thu Oct 12th, 2006 |
| Location: | Twin Cities, Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 186 |
| First Name: | Elizabeth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Pentecostal / Evangelical / Catholic! |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 05:44 pm |
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Darlene, I'm thrilled for you, that you have found the fellowship you were seeking. Thank you for writing your thoughtful, hope-filled post, and thanks be to God for His blessings on you.
Elizabeth
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But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. St. Augustine
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BettyBoopToo
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Dec 22nd, 2006 12:49 am |
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Darlene! I do believe it. as I read your post I welled up with tears, Remembering my first experience with mass.
What a wonderful story, Thank you for sharing it. I'm also glad you had an opporturnity to spend some moments alone to pray. After I had been there and was certain I felt his presence so strong. I came back later and found the doors unlocked, I thought I was sneeking back in. ( I'm such a dork ).
I always thought Catholics were not very prayerful. What I found were the most prayerful, Reverent people I've ever met. I just love the Catholic Church.
If you don't mind my saying this, If or when you choose to share your experence with your husband, Don't be too disappointed if he shoots you down or is not very enthusiastic about it. You may already be aware of that, But I was so excited and when I shared with some family, They sometimes would burst my joy like they stabbed it with a knife. Or they'd belittle it like I was some kind of numnuts.
It was pretty exciteing for me, The certainty of knowing for possitive that I was in the presence of God, I felt like it was some well kept secret or something. I remember telling our lord that I was sure that protestants did not know he was really here, Because otherwise, They'd be knocking down the door to get in and wild animals would not keep them out.
Praise our Lord for this wonderful experience.
Betty
____________________
Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Fri Dec 22nd, 2006 01:16 am |
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Betty,
Amen and Amen! And Allelujah!
Darlene
____________________
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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BettyBoopToo
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Dec 22nd, 2006 01:42 am |
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I truly believe that each one of us who have been chosen to be the first in our families to step out of our comfortable protestant box, And has sent us on this journey. It is God's purposeful plan. Don't know why us, But I trust he know's what he's doing. Through all the difficult times I keep praying and excepting this path with gratitude.
God Bless
Betty
____________________
Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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