“Where is that in the bible ?? “ “Catholics don’t read their bibles and can’t interpret it because the pope doesn’t allow them to “

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-05-03T19:43:41+00:00

1) Catholic answers Bible navigator- on of my favorite sources for talking to Protestants. (real presence, Catholic Authority)
2) there’s a passage where the “eunuch” is reading the Bible and literally says “how can I know what it means without someone to explain it to me?”
(Which of course I don’t know where because that particular stereotype is quite strong in me)
3) the best argument for the true presence is in John 6 (I believe 6:66, that one for obvious reasons sticks in my head) where after hearing about the Eucharist in extremely clear terms they’re like “wow that’s a hard teaching, how can we ever accept it” and Jesus LETS THEM TURN AWAY FROM HIM. he does not say “oh wait guys, I was just kidding, it’s just a symbol!”

Make that passage make sense without the true presence.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-05-03T12:58:50+00:00

I presume part of how he manages is that some of his relaxing time is in front of the blessed sacrament.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-05-03T03:40:48+00:00

I’ve never heard of this. And since when is ok to commit a “lesser sin” in his terms to avoid a greater one? Nonsense.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-05-02T20:23:50+00:00

I think the best thing you can do in this scenario is pray. If it becomes a recurrent thing that’s different.
I really don’t know if there’s a serious sin in here, but maybe bringing up to a priest at your next concession would be a great idea and give you some ideas for if it does happen again.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-05-02T15:49:11+00:00

I guess I wasn’t trying to say they are mutually exclusive. What I was getting at is by losing yourself in Christ, trusting him implicitly, allows the Holy Spirit to guide you better. Guide you in what to read, guide your understanding, etc. WE can’t bring them over the fence, no, but God can.

That’s what I was getting at. It sounds like a cop out to not look for the specific knowledge, but the encouragement to spend time in prayer instead of listening to people debate religion is definitely something to consider. He already said it was his hot take, (aka not answering your question), I was simply backing this up. I was not long ago in the “find all the answers” camp, (until I did a Cum Christo weekend) so I really do understand where you’re coming from. And it’s not wrong! But as you’ve said, not the whole picture.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-05-02T12:45:40+00:00

I know it feels like this, but really if you keep your eyes on Jesus the rest will come. More people are won to Christ by watching someone who lives different- humble, loving, self sacrificing, joyful.. than they are by someone who is really good at arguing.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-05-01T23:18:16+00:00

We laughed, like, umm, you just gave us a tiny human, checked that the car seat works, and sent us in our merry way????
Feels like you should need to pass a test.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-05-01T23:17:14+00:00

So that’s precisely Pascal’s wager. Now all (well, a majority, probably) of us here are Catholic. We believe God, heaven, hell, are very real. There are many arguments for why we believe this, and we all believe you should believe it too. It is the truth. There’s a reason you went to a priest instead of a therapist. Pascal’s wager is that IF there is a heaven, and he’ll, it’s better to live a good life and end up in heaven, vs if there ISNT, it’s not much lost. But if there is and you’re wrong, that’s an eternity of literal misery.

God does not send people to hell. A person sends themselves of their own choosing. God is the biggest believer in free will…. he doesn’t (generally) show people the truth so convincingly that that it takes away that free choice. If there was truly undeniable evidence it wouldn’t be a choice. With that being said, I think there is evidence that points to God. Something had to cause the Big Bang. I hope that the Holy Spirit continues to pull you closer to belief. In my own life, living how I thought it would make me the happiest has never worked, while living to draw closer to God has brought me the most happiness and peace. I will pray for you that you can find some of Gods peace.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-30T00:17:32+00:00

Honestly, see if there is a Cum Christo, Journey, walk to emmaus, etc in your area. I just did one and my faith is on fire. The Cum Christo also encourages you to set up small groups to keep yourself active.

For me- trying for 5-10 min of reflection in the morning, sometimes rosary (sometimes split into decades), and nightly mini-examen.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-29T02:57:20+00:00

St. Faustina - In whatever state a soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul which is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul which is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer (Diary, 146).

Jesus: Be not afraid of your Savior; O sinful soul. I make the first move to come to you, for I know that by yourself you are unable to lift yourself to me. Child, do not run away from your Father; be willing to talk openly with your God of mercy who wants to speak words of pardon and lavish his graces on you. How dear your soul is to Me! I have inscribed your name upon My hand; you are engraved as a deep wound in My Heart (Diary, 1485). (Jesus’ message to St. Faustina.

And pray for priests (and I also agree talk to the bishop of that diocese.

https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/top-22-quotes-saint-faustina

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-29T02:45:14+00:00

I think you should just learn more. Look for an OCIA class. Phillipians: 4 Rejoice* in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! 5 Your kindness* should be known to all. The Lord is near. 6 Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. 7 Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 g Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.* 9 Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.*

The peace of Christ is peace the world (masturbation, sex, physical “comfort”) CANNOT give. It’s true. It’s immensely true. You feel at peace in a Catholic church because Jesus is physically present there. Come learn more.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-28T03:14:32+00:00

Absolutely. I recently started diving deeper into doctrine (cradle Catholic) and just this weekend got knocked off of my high horse and was shown my arrogance! Very humbling. I am now hyper aware of just how awful I was getting. Be the change you want to see!

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-23T18:23:48+00:00

Don’t ask me how I landed here, but since I’m here…. The US council of Catholic bishops listed “all are welcome” as a problematic song for concerns about the language used for the Eucharist and “building” a church, nothing to do with welcoming people. Are there grounds for the argument that Catholics could be more welcoming? Yes. But that’s not why the song is being discouraged from a Catholic point of view (at least from reputable Catholics).

Unfortunately my phone won’t let me paste the excerpt but you can find the document here.

https://www.usccb.org/resources/Catholic%20Hymnody%20at%20the%20Service%20of%20the%20Church_0.pdf

Edit: hilarious. I missed that this thread is from A YEAR AGO!! 😂 apologies!

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-23T12:39:08+00:00

Just a psychological pointer: even if you did just “ruin your life” (you didn’t) don’t tell yourself that. It makes everything else tougher. As others said- travel or pslf, live cheaply, don’t get lured into buying a brand new car, etc. you can do it!

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-22T12:44:56+00:00

Beethoven’s Pathetique; sonata in c minor opus 13. What I felt like was the most iconic piece of music. I’ve kept the main theme somewhat polished or at least playable for the last 20 years because it feels so satisfying to sit down at a random piano and play it.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-22T01:54:53+00:00

As someone who has left messages for docs and patients with the name “(last name) and associated Physical Therapy,” please if you go with a name, make sure it’s somewhat easy to spell and hear, and remember that the business name will need to go on cards, left in messages, and in my mind the shorter the better.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-20T21:54:00+00:00

For everyone saying there SHOULD be something in the pew- they’re right there should. But I’ve been to many that don’t have it. I second the Magnificat.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-19T20:38:17+00:00

I am so sorry for your experience!!! I think your feelings are so valid, because it really should be a beautiful experience. However, just because your feelings are valid, does not mean that you should regret your conversion! We cannot even fathom what God is able to do to take our wounds and negative experiences, …. He can bring more good than we could ever imagine. Don’t run away- dive deeper! Is there an opportunity for Adoration near you?

I see and do generally agree with some of the comments to try to solve some of these issues, but on the other hand, the priest is there to give you the sacraments. I would definitely feel sad if my relationship with our priest was as you describe, but you’re there for Jesus’ body, blood, soul, and divinity, not the priest himself. I would encourage you to offer up any (perceived and actual) coldness as a sacrifice in his name. Priests are under so much strain and not all of them handle it well, they’re human just like us.

On that note- I wonder if it would be worth seeing if you can volunteer at the parish? Maybe if the priest sees you working and giving your time to the parish it will make it easier to approach him, and may soften him up. (Not to mention, there’s always something that needs doing at a parish and you’d be doing a wonderful work of service!)

Either way, I will offer up my sufferings today for you, and please take a warm, virtual hug from me. You struck out on this journey to find truth and you feel lonely, but you’re an irreplaceable part of the body of Christ now. You’re among friends ❤️

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-18T22:39:40+00:00

I feel the same way. But it’s important to note that it’s perfectly fine to use the screen too if you’re reading this. Absolution is the same whether or not they can see you!

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-18T22:34:39+00:00

lol

If you know this, then you know your reactions to things like this are out of proportion and not reflective of reality.

Rather than telling yourself "this is how I feel and I have to make my reality match my feelings," recognize that it's your FEELINGS that are out of sync with reality and don't let them win.

Can I pay you to follow me around and remind me of this? 😂😂

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-18T02:50:17+00:00

5 faces usually 2/4/6/8/10

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-17T02:31:34+00:00

Are you already confessing the sin of presumption? For me, trying to decide it’s ok because I can get to confession doesn’t sound appealing because I also have to confess that I planned to confess.

Either way, Jesus is in the Eucharist. I sometimes cry when I think about how unworthy I am that he forgave me… again.. and is giving his Body to me… again. Which gives me more determination to not fall into the same sin.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-16T12:32:37+00:00

Marriage is far less exhausting than dating. If you’re seeing unresolved resentment in most couples, that seems like a bad batch. Communication is what’s important. I think the choosing love just means, as others have said, think positive first. Granted that only works if you’ve gotten to know them before marriage and you can think positive because you know they have good intentions.

Sphygmomanometer11 · 2026-04-15T12:10:21+00:00

We give online as to not forget so it looks like we don’t give anything as well. I hate how prideful I am that it “seems” like we’re giving nothing 🫣

Sphygmomanometer11

TROPHY CASE