The post The Queenship of Mary – CHNetwork Community Question appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

*****

“[For the Latter Day Saints,] it is a mandatory 10%. In fact, it’s so mandatory that it’s required to get into the highest heaven. You have to receive temple ordinances to get to the highest heaven, and you have to tithe 10% to get into the temple. So a 10% tithe is one of the major points on which your eternal destiny hinges. Also, we gave a “fast offering” every month that goes to the needs of those struggling in our congregation specifically. That is left to the discretion of the giver and is often based on how much money you save by fasting for two meals on the first Sunday of the month (an LDS tradition which is actually one of my favorites).” -A.C.

*****

“When I was an Evangelical, we were taught to give ten percent. We had a lot of teaching about money. Occasionally we had some pretty guilt-inducing animated videos inflicted on us about tithing. A popular one was using the story of Cain and Abel as a lesson in tithing. Also it was said that unless you were a regular ‘ten-percenter,’ you would never be considered for the church eldership team. When I looked up Catholic teaching on giving, it made a lot more sense I’m glad to say!” -V.W.

*****

“As a non-denominational Christian, tithing was 10% of our gross income. Giving is a representation and demonstration of your faith and following of Christ. And is one of the items of the checklist to become a member.” -T.K.

*****

“My husband belonged to a church where the pastor mentioned tithes at every service. Scripture was read about giving and receiving 100 fold, and about God blessing those who tithed. Testimonies were given about how a raise was given at work or blessings were received due to being a faithful tither. It seemed like something from a prosperity-type gospel. Of the Catholic Churches I’ve attended, I’ve never heard tithing mentioned except once, and that was when there was the possibility of some of the smaller Churches being closed, including that particular church.” A.J.

*****

So what about Catholics? Is there a set amount one must tithe in the Church?

It turns out that your obligation to give, according to the Catholic Church, doesn’t have a specific number or percentage attached to it. That may be in part because Catholicism has a wide socioeconomic range among Her membership, which includes people from both the wealthiest and poorest places on earth. But the Church DOES have something to say about the obligation to give, and it’s detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church starting around paragraph 2041. That information is included in what are called the Precepts of the Church—essentially the “bare minimum” obligations
for a Catholic. Giving is addressed in the fifth one:

1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.
2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
3. You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.
4. You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church (primarily
   Ash Wednesday and Good Friday).
5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.

You’ll often hear Catholics refer to three ways to fulfill that 5th Precept: Time, Talent, and Treasure. What that means is that you can provide for the Church’s needs by giving time to help out in various efforts or works, talent in the sense that you bring your personal gifts and skills and offer them in some way for the building up of the Church, and treasure, meaning financial support in whatever way you discern God is asking of you.

“Give something, however small, to the one in need. For it is not small to one who has nothing. Neither is it small to God, if we have given what we could.” -St. Gregory Nazianzen
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The post CHNetwork Community Question: <BR>Catholic Converts Share Perspectives on Tithing appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

                God’s chosen ones have been wanderers since the dawn of humanity and throughout the biblical age. Therefore, it is no surprise that salvation history is rife with imagery of literal and metaphorical pilgrimages. The theme of straying “off the path,” away from God’s love, begins in the Garden, and man is destined to spend the remainder of his days searching for the divine presence and His love, in an attempt to regain entry into the Promised Land. This cycle of departure, conversion, return, and embrace by the Father is present in stories from Abraham to Moses to Elijah. The Psalms sing of the people’s ascent toward God’s holy mountain, where they will dwell in communion with Him. Revelation describes our final destination as well: “… the holy city… coming down from God out of heaven.” Of course, it is not until God’s Son Himself embarks on His own earthly pilgrimage that we are shown the true path to the Kingdom of Heaven and given the keys to re-open its gates. Christ’s teachings, from His parable of the prodigal son to His metaphor of the wayward sheep continue these “journey” and “seeking” motifs. They also illustrate man’s longing and need for closeness with the Father and His Son.

                Fostering a deeper union with Christ and His Church is the primary aim of any pilgrimage to holy sites and sacred spaces. The practice of Christian pilgrimage originated in the fourth century with treks to the Holy Land. So who was the first Christian pilgrim to set out on an odyssey to follow in the footsteps of Christ? A daring, sword-wielding young knight? No. A reverent Bishop or Church dignitary? No. A fervent descendent of an early disciple of Christ? No. Daring, reverent, and fervent… yes! But this pilgrim was elderly, a woman, and… a convert. 

                With a passion ignited by her newfound faith, St. Helena crossed treacherous waters and deserts in dogged pursuit of the True Cross and the Holy Sepulcher. This humble servant of Christ, and mother of Emperor Constantine, mapped the hallowed ground where Our Lord tread and unearthed relics of the Crucifixion, all while ministering to the poor along the way. St. Helena’s journey became the paradigm for all future pilgrimages. It opened the door for all the faithful — Church Fathers, future pontiffs and saints, and clergy and laity alike— to go out and visit those places that connect us with our Faith, inspire us, and lead us to a spiritual conversion. And it stirred the hearts of believers and non-believers alike, illuminating our souls’ hunger and thirst for a deeper intimacy with Christ.

                St. Helena’s odyssey also creates parameters that distinguish a true pilgrimage from tourism or an exotic vacation. St. John Paul II encouraged authentic journeys of the soul and elucidated that they can only be spiritual ones if they are a time of prayer, reconciliation, charity, and renewal – intentional, humble, and sometimes arduous walks toward a holy place. As such, the sojourn and chosen destination will then provide “an oasis of contemplation,” a source of grace, refuge, solace, or wisdom. 

                Pilgrimages help us (re)discover the tangible and intangible treasures of our Faith – relics of the past, Christian fellowship and brotherhood, Our Holy Mother, divine love and mercy. Thus, the fruits of the journey are many, such as conversion, renewal, communion, and evangelization.  Their transformative power can unveil the truth, beauty, and mysteries of our Faith.

                However, one does not need to trek across the globe to have such personal, spiritual encounters. As the summer reaches its zenith and then lazily winds its way to autumnal breezes, consider including some sort of mini-pilgrimage in your travel plans or leisure time. There are many inspiring, soul-feeding meccas of the Faith right here in the United States.  Listed below are some of the favorite destinations of the “pilgrims” who visit our online community:

“For me, it’s definitely the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, MD. It’s on the campus where Mother Seton herself lived, taught, and prayed, up in the mountains on the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania. There’s a TON of history up there, not to mention an amazing museum that includes things like the medical documents related to her sainthood cause, her wedding ring, a piece of the altar rail where she received her First Communion, and more.”  -Matt Swaim, CHNetwork Director of Outreach

“San Antonio, Texas! It’s like a Catholic museum: the missions, San Fernando Cathedral, Basilica of the Little Flower, Oblate School of Theology… so many  wonderful Catholic spots.” -Catherine Ranum, CHNetwork Online Community Moderator

“St. Leo Abbey is a Benedictine monastery north of Tampa, FL. The historic abbey church is lovely, and there is also a Marian grotto on the grounds. The monks have a retreat center and offer organized spiritual retreats for individuals and groups.” -Gregory R. 

“The Basilica & National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, in Carey, OH – a wonderful place, especially during the Assumption pilgrimage. If you haven’t been there, then you don’t know what you’re missing.” -Thomas S.

“Holy Hill near Milwaukee, WI. Every year my family would go and climb the 172 steps to the top of the tower. Climbing the tower is a test of bravery, as the spiral staircase dangerously narrows past a 12-foot open window way up there in the sky…. Sitting atop a hill, [its spires] can be seen from miles away” -Linda L.

“Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine in Orlando, FL used to average 300,000 visitors every year. They just installed a huge pipe organ with 32-inch pipes… [There are] statues of St. Michael, St. Peter on a chair with keys, St. Paul (inside, writing Scripture and outside, having a conversion experience), and St. Joseph in his carpenter’s shop with Jesus as a boy.” -Bradlee S.

“The St. Frances Cabrini Shrine outside Denver, CO – not only does it have everything expected at a memorial for a saint, its location on a mountain top provides incredible views of the peaks above and the plains below!” Chuck L.

“The Shrine and Basilica of Nuestra Señora de San Juan del Valle in San Juan, TX – the basilica is huge, holding 5,000 people — yet six Sunday Masses are required each week to accommodate all the pilgrims. The strange thing is that most people outside the immediate area have never heard of it.” David Emery, CHNetwork Community Moderator

“The Shrine of St. Katherine Drexel in Columbia, VA, collocated with St. Joseph’s Catholic Church – a very rural and fun back-road area to visit and spend a few hours in contemplation.” -Tony F.

While all of these locales and sacred spaces invite us to unique encounters with the Lord and Our Faith, one’s itinerary does not necessarily need to be geographical or spatial in nature. On the contrary, it need only be an interior journey, a pilgrimage marked by a search for the One True Love and emanating from a pure desire to know Him, love Him, and serve Him. Consequently, these journeys, in whatever form they take, become Trinitarian in nature – we seek a deeper walk with and through Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit, toward the house of our Father. The Blessed Mother cannot be left out of our wanderings, either. For Mary is “the one in whom the pilgrimage of the Word, toward humankind, converges with humankind’s pilgrimage of faith… thus [she becomes] a star of evangelization for the journey of the whole Church.” 

                Therefore, even the most simple, humble journeys of the mind, heart, and feet can have the most profound effect on our souls. Zacchaeus climbed a tree; Martha put down a dish, and Nicodemus took a walk at night – all seemingly mundane events. Nevertheless, these intentional, albeit unassuming, sojourns held everlasting consequences. Thus, even those incapable of partaking in a traditional pilgrimage are able to embark on an interior journey, one leading to a deeper intimacy with the Lord. So, go out of the way to get a closer look at Christ. Purposely set aside everyday distractions and tasks to listen to the Word of God. Take the time to walk, unafraid, toward the Truth and the answers you seek. Start a journey, and see what wondrous things await you on the path… and who is waiting for you at the end.

The post Why Pilgrimage? CHNetwork Community Responds appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Many cite the influence of his Essay on the Development of Doctrine, or Apologia Pro Vita Sua as benchmark documents that helped them understand the question of spiritual authority, the importance of the Church Fathers, and the necessity of apostolic tradition. And of course, he’s regularly quoted by guests on The Journey Home, especially his clever quip that “to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.”

How has Bl. John Henry Newman impacted your own faith life? Maybe you’ve related to some of his academic insights, or perhaps his deeply devotional hymns and poetry? Perhaps it was learning about the personal and professional obstacles he faced in the course of becoming Catholic that made his story resonate with you. Whatever it is about the life and thought of Newman that has had an influence on you, we’d love to hear it!

Here’s what some of our members and readers have had to say:

*****

“It would require reams of paper to ennumerate all the ways that the writings and example of John Henry Cardinal Newman sparked, guided, and completed my personal journey into the Catholic Church, as well as the work of the Coming Home Network. After much study and debate with Catholic apologists, it was Newman’s Apologia Pro Vita Sua that convinced me I could no longer remain Protestant, and it was his Essay on the Development of Doctrine that finally convinced me to become Catholic. And the truth of his personal testimony that ‘to become deep in history is to cease to be Protestant’ has been continually reiterated and confirmed in our work and especially in the testimonies shared on the Journey Home program.

But maybe most poignant were his devotion to the Blessed Mother, his rejection of creeping Modernism, and his prophetic warnings of the scandals and crises that were imminent—which proved to be true in the wars and corruption of the twentieth century, and especially now. He strongly believed that we are living in the Last Days. It is important to seriously consider the becoming, urgent call he would give to his non-Catholic Christian friends who were being drawn toward the Catholic Church: Don’t miss this moment of grace!”

Marcus Grodi, Founder and President, The Coming Home Network

*****

“Blessed John Henry Newman was instrumental in helping me understand the beliefs and devotion to Mary. Although he was initially skeptical about perceived excesses in Catholic devotion, he brilliantly showed that very early Church Fathers such as St. Justin Martyr and St. Irenaeus had taught about Mary as the ‘new Eve’ and showed her special honor. Newman had previously helped me understand how doctrines develop with his masterful Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, and I was especially helped by his discussion of the Blessed Mother in the sixth note on true development. Finally, I was greatly inspired and encouraged by his Apologia and by various biographies to see how he was received into the Church at great cost to him personally, and then to read about how his faithful obedience would later impact the lives of countless others.”

Mike Peters, Recent Journey Home guest

*****

“I first encountered Newman’s work in my doctoral program in historical theology, when I was still an ordained Protestant minister. His Essay on the Development of Doctrine and Apologia pro Vita Sua opened my eyes to realities that were essential to my conversion to the Catholic faith. Later, his Idea of a University deeply shaped my understanding of my role as a university professor. More recently, his sermons and essays on Our Blessed Mother and on the Antichrist have inspired fruitful reflection. And his oft-quoted insight about God’s providence continues to give me peace with its comforting refrain: ‘He knows what He is about.'” 

Dr. Paul Thigpen, Director of Adult Faith Formation & Evangelization, St. Catherine of Siena, Kennesaw, GA

*****

“I came to Newman after the balance in my own spiritual life had already started tipping somewhat toward the Catholic faith. It wasn’t as though I sought him out; the opposite was much more the case. The more I read of especially G.K. Chesterton, the more Newman seemed to appear in the background of the things I was reading. I remember, for example, especially being struck by a passage from Chesterton’s biography of Aquinas, where he quipped, ‘When we say that a puppy develops into a dog, we do not mean that his growth is a gradual compromise with a cat; we mean that he becomes more doggy and not less.’

I thought this was a pretty novel and revolutionary insight from Chesterton, only to discover that it was a concept fleshed out thoroughly and expertly by Newman in his Essay on the Development of Doctrine a half century before.  And there were many other epiphanies and insights like this, where I’d start to think I’d come across some new and extraordinary insight into the Church, only to find that Newman had come to it much earlier than I had, and explained it much better than I ever could.”

Matt Swaim, Outreach Manager, The Coming Home Network

*****

“When considering some of the doctrines and devotions that Luther and Calvin rejected, while reading Newman, it occurred to me that there was no principled way to identify Lutheran and Calvinist reform as authentic developments of doctrine, nor was there a principled means for their rejection of the Marian dogmas for instance as ‘heretical’ apart from their own opinion.  Newman realized these so-called ‘innovations’ were in fact brought about by the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the Magisterium.  So, the rational thing for me was to reject the Lutheran and Calvinist reforms ‘in principle’ as heretical innovations.”

Dr. Joseph Johnson, Parish Director of Christian Formation

*****

“John Henry Newman’s influence on my journey was indirect.  Since I was initially inclined to become an Anglican, I knew about the Oxford Movement and his conversion to the Catholic Church.  I was very interested in Thomas Howard’s conversion, and he mentioned Newman in his books, which I read. Newman also kept coming up in Journey Home episodes, so I became familiar with the concept of the development of Christian doctrine through the secondhand testimony of others.

And I accepted it, partially because I could see it happening in the pages of the New Testament with the council of Jerusalem in Acts, as well as in God’s progressive revelation throughout the Old and New Testaments.”

Howard Hampson, CHNetwork Community Forum Moderator

'To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.' - John Henry Newman
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“Fr Ian Ker’s biography, along with Newman’s own Apologia, helped me understand the Evangelical roots of Newman’s faith. So often he’s seen as the Anglo-Catholic who finally swam the Tiber. In fact he was brought up as a Sunday school, street witnessing Evangelical. For those of us from the same background, his progress through the Anglican Church to the ‘big old church of Rome’ was a Kindly Light leading amid the encircling gloom leading us home.”

Fr. Dwight Longenecker, author, The Romance of Religion

*****

“As with so many converts, Newman got under my skin when I first heard his infamous, ‘To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.’ But he drove me crazy when in his Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine he went on to say that it was ‘easy’ to show that the early Church was not Protestant. He positively pushed me over the ledge when a page or two later he insisted that if the system of doctrine I held as a Protestant minister had ever existed in the earliest centuries of Christian history, ‘it has been clean swept away as if by a deluge, suddenly, silently, without memorial.’ There is simply no evidence of it in the historical record, he was asserting.

A few months later I came home from work and said to my wife Tina, ‘I’ve been crawling around in the early Church a great deal lately. I’ve looked under every rock and behind every tree and… Honey, there ain’t a Baptist in sight!'”

Ken Hensley, Pastoral Care Coordinator, The Coming Home Network

*****

How has Blessed John Henry Newman impacted your own faith life? Please share in the comments below!

The post How Has Bl. John Henry Newman Impacted Your Journey? CHNetwork Community Question appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Those of us who entered the Catholic Church from elsewhere did so, often at great cost, because we found a sense of truth and peace there that made all the struggles of the journey worth it. Those who came back after falling away from the practice of their faith knew that there was only one place that they could truly call home, and so they returned, like the Prodigal Son, sowing tears and reaping joy.

It might be easy right now to air our complaints about the Church on social media and in private conversation, but what do you love about Her, that has made you want to sacrifice everything to call yourself a Catholic? What are some of the things that have drawn you, in spite of everything else, to be a part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church?

In short, what do you love about being Catholic?

Here’s what some of our members and readers have had to say:

*****

“I am humbled to be Catholic…to be in His body the Church. I’m humbled to recieve Him body, blood, soul and divinity despite my lowliness. I am so grateful for His fullness of truth and for the peace that can only be found in Him. I love Him and the richness and the beauty of His Church.”

Patty M., via Facebook

*****

“What’s *not* to love? We have the Eucharist. We have Peter. We have a family of about 1.5 billion. We have Mama Mary. We have the full deposit of faith – scripture, tradition, and magisterium. We have a great variety of beauty that expresses the one faith. We have the saints that not even death could truly take from us. I could go on.” 

Charles F., via Facebook

*****

“So, so, so, so much! In short, I love the richness of Catholicism: the richness of her theology, her sacraments, her treatment of the human person as fully embodied, her spiritual theology and monastic orders, her architecture and art and music and history. Too much!” 

Ken Hensley, Pastoral Care Coordinator, The Coming Home Network

*****

“Knowing I am home at last. I never felt like I belonged anywhere until I met Jesus and entered his house on earth. I will never leave because no good Catholic made me convert and no bad Catholic will make me leave. I love the Church that Christ established and died for — a Church filled with sinners. It does need cleansing from the top to the bottom; be active in the cleansing but keep your eyes on Jesus and trust God in the hours of darkness.”

Violet F., via Facebook

'I will never leave because no good Catholic made me convert and no bad Catholic will make me leave.'
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*****

“Very simply, because it is the WHOLE truth and not just bits and pieces of it.  I was looking for that for so many years, 35 to be exact, but in my Protestant traditions nobody could every agree to what it was which made me sometimes a bit despondent and apathetic. I love the confidence of reading the Cathechism and knowing that it is the real deal and that I can  believe 100% of everything within its covers. That is a security I never had in my never-ending search for truth within Protestantism.”

Jennie Fraser, CHNetwork Community Forum Moderator

*****

“What I have recently loved to learn are the early teachings of the early Church – particularly the Didache. It warns us against all those sins facing us today. How rich and beautiful it is to be Catholic! May God have mercy on us all, and strengthen our faith through this trial. The water runs clearest at the mouth of the spring.”

Kristen S., via Facebook

*****

“I love that as a Catholic, my family extends around the world and across time.  I love that in her communion of saints, the Church has kings like Stephen of Hungary and beggars like Francis of Assisi, scholars like Thomas Aquinas and simpletons like Joseph of Cupertino. That she has cloistered monks and nuns, and also globetrotting missionaries. I love that the Church has room for me, a sinner, but isn’t content to let me to stay that way. I love that Christ offers me mercy through the sacraments and His abiding presence. I love that we’re still here despite Satan’s strongest attempts to thwart us. And I love it all so much more today than I did when through the mercy of God I entered the Church 14 years ago.”  

Matt Swaim, Communications Coordinator, The Coming Home Network

'I love that as a Catholic, my family extends around the world and across time.'
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*****

“The Church Fathers! While reading their works, St Augustine’s works on the psalms for example, having the proof right in front of you that the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic because the faith has not changed. Realizing you are walking on the well worn path of many many Saints rather than lost in the wilderness of your own opinions.”

Michelle M., via Facebook

*****

“I now have a real, current, growing relationship with Jesus through the Eucharist and through the prayers of the Church.I have direction and purpose in my spiritual exercises and words to pray when the forces of darkness and challenges of life make me speechless. I have an undiminished drive to evangelize both inside and outside the Church because I want everyone to have what the Lord is giving me through the Catholic Church. My wife, my children, my grandchildren and my friends have gotten a better me as a result because I can face reality rather than running away from it.”

Howard Hampson, CHNetwork Community Forum Moderator

*****

However big or small your reasons for loving your Catholic faith, we want to hear them. What are the little things that you love about your faith? What are the major aspects of your Catholic identity that you couldn’t imagine ever turning your back on? Please share your thoughts in the comments below, and invite others in your circle to weigh in as well! We hope to use some of your responses, with permission, in an upcoming issue of the CHNetwork newsletter.

The post What Do You Love About Being Catholic? <BR>CHNetwork Community Question appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Nevertheless, most Christians agree that since Jesus commanded baptism in the Scriptures (most notably in Matthew 28:19), it should have a place in the Christian life.  Catholics and some other groups of Christians believe that it confers actual grace, and should be applied even to infants.  Other Christians believe it’s just a symbol of one’s belief in Jesus, and some even believe a Christian can be baptized multiple times as adults.

We’re asking our members and readers from various Christian backgrounds to weigh in: if you’ve spent part of your Christian life in a worshipping community that wasn’t Catholic, how did they understand baptism?  Was it a symbol?  A sacrament?  When and how was it offered?  Who could be baptized?

Here’s what some of our members and readers had to say:

*****

“My background is Anabaptist. We were not allowed to be baptized unless we had made a profession of faith in Christ. After that, when the pastor was SURE we understood that baptism DID NOTHING, but was only a public testimony, were we allowed to be baptized, by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”

Kristine Franklin, kristinefranklin.net

*****

“I was raised Quaker. They do not believe in the efficacy of any sacrament, relying in total on spiritual communion with the Holy Spirit as the sole means of grace and sanctification.”

Kevin H., via Facebook

*****

“As a non-denominational Christian, we looked at baptism as the next step after making a decision to follow Christ. We didn’t view it as necessary for salvation.”

Angela S., via Twitter

*****

“I was baptized at age 9 as a Baptist, by total immersion. I remember being mostly nervous about the whole thing. I don’t recall it being a very momentous event. The most memorable thing about it (aside from being dunked backwards by a large, imposing preacher) is that it took place the day after JFK was assasinated. Pretty hard to forget that date! It wasn’t until 50 years later while going through RCIA classes that I came to understand the real significance of my baptism…. (it) has come to mean a great deal to me in the context of my life as a Christian, thanks to my ongoing Catholic education.”

Karen H., via Facebook

*****

“I accepted Jesus into my heart in the 2nd grade while my family attended a Baptist church. The pastor told me about how to become a Christian so I could go up for communion, but no one mentioned that I needed to be baptized. It wasn’t until I was in the 8th grade when my youth pastor asked if I had been baptized and I said no. He shared with me how it was important to be baptized as a public statement of your faith, so 6 years after I accepted Christ, I was baptized.”

Seth Paine, Developer of Web and New Media, The Coming Home Network

*****

“Baptism was meant to be an outward sign of an inward grace. It was not believed to be efficacious in any way. It was done because Jesus said we were to be baptized – an act of obedience.”

Kandice Longstreth (watch her Journey Home episode)

*****

“I was taught it was an outward expression of your faith, contrary to Jesus own words. It was an essential part of my conversion as an adult. I was baptized Catholic in 2015!”

Corina J., via Facebook

*****

What about you?  If you have a background in a Christian tradition other than Catholicism, how did you view baptism?  What led you to think about it differently?  Please share your own experiences in the comments below!

The post Sacrament or Symbol: How Did Your Previous Christian Tradition Interpret Baptism? – CHNetwork Community Question appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

How did you get started with the Rosary?  What helped you learn how to pray it?  What did you discover as you began to warm up to the devotion?

Here’s what some of our members and readers had to say:

*****

As a convert from Evangelicalism, I got started praying the rosary by first asking God’s forgiveness if it was a sin! It’s difficult for cradle Catholics or those who converted from more traditional Protestant denominations to appreciate how difficult it can be for those used to equating prayer with worship to say those first few Hail Marys. It took some time to appreciate the strong scriptural connections the words of the rosary contain. Since then, it’s become more natural, especially as I learn to better meditate on the mysteries rather than focus on what can feel like ‘vain repetition.’ May God use these prayers to bring more people to Christ through his holy mother!

– Douglas Beaumont, editor, “Evangelical Exodus“

*****

I had just started RCIA when Rosarium Virginis Mariae came out. So one evening that fall I figured it was time to give it a try. Sat down at my kitchen table, lit a candle, said a quick prayer of apology for how awkward this was going to be, and started with the Luminous Mysteries – figuring everyone was more or less equally new at those. For a while it did feel like trying to rub your belly and pat your head at the same time. But it didn’t take too long to get the impression of Mary sitting next to me and pointing, ‘Do you see my Son the day He was born? Do you see Him risen from the dead?’

Rebecca W., via Facebook

*****

When I came into the Church, I was unsure of how to develop a relationship with Mary and the Saints.  I came to a point where I had to stop reading about Mary and just start talking to her. It was really awkward!  I began to speak with her as to a friend and Mother.

I began praying the Rosary regularly. I knew that I didn’t want to quickly recite the words. I wanted to really connect with Our Lady and meditate on the mysteries. I found a book that taught me how to pray the Rosary with Scripture to help keep me focused on each mystery. I found that it not only helped me connect with Mary but, primarily led me closer to Christ. I’m so grateful for our Blessed Mother and that Jesus gave her to us.

Rachelle Mountjoy Parker, From the Churches of Christ to the One Church

*****

In college, I was an Evangelical Protestant with a Catholic roommate. Through a lot of arguing and debates, I had intellectually accepted much of Catholicism, but had no desire to convert.

Then one Sunday, I decided to pray the Rosary each day for a week, ‘to see what happens.’ So I grabbed one of my roommate’s cheap plastic rosaries he kept around, along with a ‘How to Pray the Rosary’ booklet he conspicuously kept out on his desk. I prayed the Rosary on Sunday, on Monday, on Tuesday…and then decided to convert to Catholicism!

I tell my roommate that he had three years of trying to convert me without success, but it only took Our Blessed Mother three days!

Eric Sammons, author, The Old Evangelization

*****

When I first met my wife, she prayed the rosary a lot. While I was taking RCIA & even afterwards I used to dread praying it because it took so long. I would be filled with anxiety for it to be over. I asked God for a peace in my heart not to ever want it to be over but just to embrace its length and appreciate its purpose. While I was engaged and living with my father and grandmother I got introduced to EWTN and I realized I could just pray along. The first time I tried it my dad prayed with me, and every night I had it on TV he prayed with me. Jesus has always redirected me to his mother. They are in sync.

Melvin Windley, AKA Rabelz the MC, Catholic rapper

*****

I started praying just a decade of the Rosary at first when I was just journeying towards the Church. Then, a friend asked me to join a group which was committed to praying two Rosaries a week for the people of Syria and Iraq. I had joined a parish committee by that point which was in the process of supporting 9 Syrian Catholics as we sponsored them for the immigration process. Then, for the 100th anniversary of Fatima, our Bishop asked us to pray a Rosary every day for peace. I haven’t quite worked up to every day, but probably 4-5 days a week, I do just that as I drive back and forth from work.

Jennie Fraser, CHNetwork Community Forum Moderator

*****

I started praying the Rosary when I was in RCIA not because I was initially attracted to it, but because it was a common Catholic practice that I wanted to learn as I became Catholic. It was so complicated at first with so many prayers to memorize! But just once and you’ve prayed 53 Hail Marys… so really (except for maybe the Creed) you’ll memorize them quickly! I appreciated having the option to pray prayers that were handed on rather than needing to make up my own words. And it helped me to begin a life of devotion to Mary our Mother!

Fr. Brandon Bigam, Diocese of Lexington

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The first time I heard the rosary being prayed was very early in my conversion. I listened to Catholic radio for the apologetics but each night they would put on a track of the rosary and I would get legitimately upset because to me, at the time, it was of course Marian worship and repetitive. However, over time, as I wanted to become Catholic, I began to want the rosary more and more. As my Catholic Faith grew, so did my love of the rosary. And now as a Lay Dominican it is always on my mind and lips.

Shaun McAfee, founder, EpicPew.com

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When I joined RCIA, and my Mary questions were put to rest, our instructor gave me a hand-knotted rosary. At my confirmation, I acquired several more in many different styles and colors. Praying the rosary helped me through the difficult transition of separating from the church we left. I prayed it at adoration and in the week leading up to confirmation, meditating on the mysteries surrounding Christ’s death and resurrection. I have found such peace in the rosary. And writing this is a great reminder to pray it more often!

Lorelei Savaryn, This Catholic Family

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I lost my mother about 3 years ago. I had attended a Catholic college, but was not a convert at that time. I did not grow up in any church. I worked a temp job recycling trash and one day, I found a packaged Rosary with a St Therese prayer card in it. I missed my mom so much that I started praying the Hail Mary. I didn’t know how to pray the Rosary yet. Then I attended the local Parish and my heart melted at Holy Communion. I was given more information about the Rosary from my sponsor at the parish. I love the Rosary now.

Vanessa I., via Facebook

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Believe it or not, I started praying the rosary about a year before I ever started going to Mass. It seemed simple, accessible, and private, which was helpful for me, because at that point, my interest in Catholicism was itself private.

A lot of people had major Marian hangups on their journey into the Church. Mine weren’t that big, and I have to say that encountering the rosary on my way towards Catholicism was part of the reason I was able to understand Mary’s role in salvation history so easily. Praying the scriptures, and envisioning what Mary must have been doing during each of those 20 mysteries, really helped me to see her as a fellow Christian- a lover of Jesus who wants everyone to know him and experience him.

Matt Swaim, Communications Coordinator, The Coming Home Network

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I started praying it during my conversion. It was such a blessing, meditating on the life of Jesus through the eyes of his Mother. At first I prayed it once a week. Then I made it my goal to pray it everyday (I fell short many times, but the intention was there!). Back in August, I had severe depression, and I immediately went to the rosary. It completely lifted me out of it, and the Divine Mercy chaplet afterwards was the coup de grace for my depression. It was totally gone. Ave Maria!

Kristen S., via Facebook

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I received my first rosary from a Catholic friend along with some of Scott Hahn’s books. It sat on my shelf for the better part of a year. As I was praying in my office one day for God to help me overcome temptation, I heard, very clearly, God tell me to talk to my mother. At first I dismissed this response and kept praying, but it became clear that God wanted me to ask His Mother for her intercession. I made God a deal – if he agreed not to strike me with lightening, I would pray the Rosary. It was an incredibly peaceful experience as I meditated on the life of Jesus and the temptation passed. And yes, I had no idea how to tell people that I was a baptist that regularly prayed the Rosary after that.

Adam Janke, St. Paul Street Evangelization

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How did you get started with the Rosary? Or if you haven’t started yet, what kind of help are you looking for?  Please share in the comments below!

The post How did you get started with the Rosary? CHNetwork Community Question appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Do you have prayers that you’ve adopted as your own to use before and after Mass, that have developed personal meaning for you?  Here’s what some of our readers and members shared:

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“I spent 40 years of my adult life in a vibrant Evangelical church before returning to my natal Catholic roots of faith. It may sound crazy, but I approach Communion singing ” Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” with holiness and gratitude.”

Diane P., via Facebook

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I generally use (prayers composed by St. Thomas Aquinas) before and after Communion.  As I process up the aisle to receive, I also often silently recite (or silently sing) ‘Just As I Am’ as well. It’s a residual effect of my Protestant heritage I suppose, but the words still seem very fitting to me.

Greg Westwood (Read his conversion story: Unto the House of the Lord)

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“At the consecration, I always say silently: ‘My Lord and My God’ to confirm my faith in the Real Presence. In the pew before Communion and as I walk up the aisle to receive, I usually ask that the spritual veil be lifted from my mind, to the extent that is the Lord’s will, so that my internal sense will be alert and alive to the reality of what is about to happen and Who I am about to receive. I have never had a standard prayer of thanksgiving after communion, but I have recently discovered the ‘Stay With Me’ prayer of St. Padre Pio.”

John S., via Facebook

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“As the priest lifts up Jesus’ Precious Body and Precious Blood: ‘Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. You have given us Your Precious Body as everlasting Food; You have given us Your Precious Blood as life-saving Drink’. Before receiving and while in the Communion line, I pray the Act of Contrition. After receiving Our Lord, I pray: ‘My Lord and My God’. Then, I read the Communion antiphons and other prayers.”

Deborah W., via Facebook

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“‘Lord, create in me a new heart and cast me in your image, cell by cell, pixel by pixel, until I reflect you perfectly.’

Cheesy, I know, but that’s what I pray!”

Jennie Fraser, CHNetwork Community Forum Moderator

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“During the consecration when the bells are rung, I pray, ‘Thank you Jesus for coming into the world an infant as I, You without sin, I a sinner but Your beloved. I adore and love you.’ At the second bell I pray ‘Thank you Lord for dying on the cross and then rising for me! A sinner but your beloved, I adore you and love you!'”

Karen G., via Facebook

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“Before Mass: ‘Dear God please do not let me be distracted or be a distraction. Help me to be silent after receiving you. Thank you for my being born in a country where I can attend Mass without persecution, please continue to bless this nation in that way. I love you, I thank you, I am yours.’  After Communion,  the Anima Christi and struggle to be silent and just be with Christ.”

Brenda M., via Facebook

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What about you?  What personal prayers and devotions have you developed for before and after Communion?  Please share in the comments below!

The post What Prayers Do You Say Before and After Communion? CHNetwork Community Question appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

For a lot of new Catholics, the liturgical calendar means a whole new way of weaving faith into their everyday routine.  For parents, it provides a lot of fresh opportunities to teach children about saints, and dive more in to seasons like Advent and Lent without jumping straight into Christmas and Easter.  With that in mind, this week we’re asking our members and readers:

How has embracing the liturgical calendar impacted your faith life?  

What are some of the feasts and observances that have become particularly special to you?  How has the cycle of holy days and seasons helped you grow in your Catholic faith?

Here’s what some of our members and readers had to say:

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“When we were Baptists, our year revolved around a mostly secular calendar. The only times when our calendar was given over to Jesus were Christmas and Easter –  and the Christmas celebration, as an example, ended on Christmas day. In that way, we still went along with the commercial celebration of Christmas. We lost the joy of the full celebration of Christmas from December 24 to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

As a Catholic family, the liturgical calendar helps us grow in our relationship with all the Saints as we surround ourselves with the celebration of the life of Christ from the anticipation of his birth (Advent) to the Feast of Christ the King of the Universe (the end of the Church year). In the words of our 7 year old son: ‘Jesus is the King of the whole universe? Woah!’ Yeah, son. Woah. May each of us recapture that sense of childlike wonder as we meditate on the lives of Jesus and the saints.”

Adam Janke, Vice President, St. Paul Street Evangelization

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“One of the beauties of the liturgical calendar is how it is constantly inviting me into the heartbeat of the of the Church. It is interwoven into our appearances, our rest, our family interactions, and even our diets. It causes us to look inward and choose repentance, regularly purge sin from our lives, focus on spiritual growth and service. It’s perfect: enougth rest, work, celebration, and seeing beauty in the ordinary. As a mother, it’s a simple way to teach these principles to my children as colors change with hymns, readings, and reflection on the lives of the saints. As a convert, I don’t know how I lived without the liturgical calendar. As a Catholic mother, I am immersed in it.” 

'As a convert, I don't know how I lived without the liturgical calendar.' - Jessica McAfee
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Jessica McAfee, EpicPew.com

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“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I used to be Anglican. It was my spiritual heritage, and I loved the liturgical aspects of it, but I left Anglicanism because of the theological and moral waywardness of its teachings. I ended up being in some very anti-liturgical, but very devout, Protestant congregations.

A couple of years before coming across the writings of the Church Fathers which propelled me towards the Church, I found myself longing for the structure and definition of liturgy again. I found myself trying to do the Liturgy of the Hours and longing for the feasts and festivals of old which marked the calendar. Of course I looked towards Anglicanism again, but found it just as dry and barren as I had so many years before. Imagine the joy I found when God pushed me into the Church. It was like twice-joy, for not only had I found the truth of the Church and the true faith, but I was once again blessed by the rhythm and security of the liturgical season whose practice stretches back into the ages and ties us to those who practiced it long ago.”

Jennie Fraser, CHNetwork Community Forum

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“Liturgy, and the Church Calendar in particular, was one of the major draws for me when I made the decision to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. I’ve long loved the rhythms of the Church Calendar, even as a Protestant, and the way they unveiled truths about reality. I particularly love the non-identical repetition involved. Every year begins again with Advent and yet this Advent is not the same as the last, not precisely. This is true not only because it begins on a different date each year, but because time continues to move forward, but not in a line, rather in a spiral. Thus we continue to return to the same spot each year, but on a different level, ever moving closer to eternity.

I would love to see some of the old feasts such as Lamas or Plough Sunday return so we can better see how the Calendar takes up the agricultural year, but still what we have makes the connection between the seasons (whether Northern Hemisphere or Southern) abundantly clear, if only you have the eyes to see.”

David Russell Moseley, Letters from the Edge of Elfland

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“I love Lent and Advent – the time of preparation for Easter and Christmas really helps me focus on and think about the events in a deeper way. And I love the reminders of saints’ days, particularly the saints I’ve come to appreciate most, like St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. Joseph. The whole cycle of the liturgical calendar helps me remember to look beyond the happenings in my own life and to focus on the things that are eternal.”

Jeri-Lynn, via the CHNetwork Blog

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“The Liturgical Calendar has impacted my faith life in several ways.  First, it helps me feel connected and more fully engaged in the life of the Universal Church.  The thought that people all over the world are celebrating the same holy days and remembering the saints together is absolutely beautiful!  Getting to know the saints throughout the year inspires me and reminds me I am not alone on the journey.  It also provides an opportunity to share with my children about the saints as I am learning about them.  They will often ask me, ‘who’s the saint of the day?’

Second, as I read the daily Mass readings and prayers I am comforted to see that spiritual ups and downs on the journey are the common experience of all believers.  The readings and the liturgical seasons reflect that truth.

Finally, staying connected with the liturgical calendar offers opportunity for deep reflection and repentance as well as joy and celebration!  I am forgetful.  I need reminders continually of God’s goodness and my deep need for Him.  That’s what the Church through the liturgical calendar offers as well.”

Rachelle Parker, From the Churches of Christ to the One Church

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“This is s great question! I have been a life-long Catholic and had a spiritual awakening in my 40’s.  The liturgical calendar guides my faith daily. I look forward to which of our saintly brothers or sisters to learn about or ask for prayers. It has given me a much broader view of the church and who we are.

It has opened up a love for our Lord, our Blessed Mother and the church that has carried me through many trials. With the different colors of the liturgical seasons I feel so much more a part of the Church… it even influences the way I dress at times. It is a rich deep ocean of beauty that I feel as if I am only beginning to appreciate.”

Diane G., via Facebook

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“Living the liturgical calendar is like breathing with the lungs of the Church. Especially as a mom of young children, I lose track of things pretty easily, but I know that I can pick up the Mass readings, pray the Divine Office, or celebrate the daily feast and be at once in union with the prayer and mind of the universal Church.

In our home we celebrate ‘name days’ or the feasts of Saints that we or our children were named after (in birth or at Confirmation) or with whom we have a special relationship. I also keep an eye out for liturgically-colored fabric or scarves (purple, pink, white, red, gold, etc.) at garage sale or thrift stores, so that I can decorate our prayer area or dining table with the season’s colors. The visual cue reminds me throughout the day of the season and inspires me to lead my family in that way.”

Teresa Grodi, Catholic Faith Journeys

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“I know for me personally, once I discovered there were more feasts on the calendar than just St Patrick’s Day, I started looking literally every morning to see which saint, or groups of saints, were designated for that date, and resolving to know more about them. Getting into feasts and seasons was one of the most tangible ways for me to learn the ropes of living like a Catholic. I thoroughly enjoyed researching how different saints and feasts were celebrated historically and in different cultures, and even if it was as simple as just saying “St. So-And-So, pray for us” at mealtime that day, it was a major upgrade to my daily prayer life.

And I think it satisfies a very human need to make each day have its own individual personality- why else would we see so many dumb pseudo-holidays springing up over the past few years?  Every day on Twitter, it seems another one is trending- I mean, for crying out loud, over the past few days, we’ve had #NationalRicePuddingDay, #InternationalCatDay, and we  just came off of – no joke – #SneakSomeZucchiniOntoYourNeighborsPorchDay.  The world is starved for the liturgical calendar.”

Matt Swaim, Communications Coordinator, The Coming Home Network

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“It has been so grounding to be able to incorporate our Catholic faith into our family life through the liturgical calendar. As a convert, I’m still getting adapted to the frequency and organized pattern of feast days, seasons, and other Holy Days throughout the year, but I am so thankful for it! It’s such a firm foundation to stand on, for our own personal faith walk, and for teaching our children about the important celebrations within the faith, and also about the many Holy people who have gone before us.”

Lorelei Savaryn, This Catholic Family

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What about you?  How has discovering and embracing the liturgical calendar as either a new Catholic, or a returning Catholic, impacted your faith life?  Please share in the comments below!

The post How Has the Liturgical Calendar Impacted Your Faith Life? CHNetwork Community Question appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

For our latest CHNetwork Community Question, we asked our members and readers who they were most afraid to tell about their conversion to Catholicism and why, as well as what happened when they finally worked up the courage to share what God had been doing in their lives.  Here’s what some of them had to say:

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“My parents and family. My dad is a long-time independent Baptist pastor, and I didn’t want to cause them any scandal among the congregation. We managed to come into the Church during one of his brief retirements, so I felt better about that at least. Overall, it was about what I expected as far as reaction. A bit of shock and then avoidance.”

Rebekah B., via Facebook

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“My mother! I was baptized as a baby Catholic and when my father left at my age of 4 she searched a few different religions but primarily Seventh Day Adventist. It was latter discovered that she had a will that specifically stated if something happened to her we were not to be raised Catholic.”

Nancy M., via Facebook

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“My father, a Protestant pastor, was the last in my immediate family to hear about me joining the Catholic Church. I knew he wouldn’t understand and that in his love for me would hurt over my decision. Now, two years later, my husband seems to be having the toughest time with it. I guess he thought it wouldn’t last. Please pray for me.”

Carol S., via Facebook

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“I was more afraid to tell people why I left the Church back in 2000. It was a result of my own stupidity and spiritual laziness. But when I came back, it was in a big way. I don’t publicly announce it, but my circle of acquaintances know where I stand and, more importantly, why.”

Brian W., via Facebook

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“My brother. We grew up in a pretty anti-catholic household. I knew he would be upset and when I told him, and he was. Even a little over three years later, it is something we silently have agreed to just not discuss.”

Tara B., via Facebook

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“I was afraid to tell everyone. My entire network of family and friends are Protestant. I’ve lost a lot of friends. My family has been supportive, but it was a shock to many of them. It was a lot for them to swallow. Shoot, it was a lot for ME to swallow.”

Jeremy M., via Facebook

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“I was afraid to tell my wife. As I thought, she did not take it so well. But with time she softened up and was received into the church a year after I was.”

Jason M., via Facebook

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These comments remind us why The Coming Home Network is so important- and by that, we mean not so much the people in our Ohio offices, but YOU- people everywhere with common experiences, sharing your struggles and joys and standing by one another.  If you have an experience regarding this week’s Community Question that you’d like to share, comments are open- we’d love to hear from you!

The post Who Were You Most Afraid to Tell About Your Conversion? CHNetwork Community Responds appeared first on The Coming Home Network.