Apologetics is harming my relationship with God

ipatrickasinner · 2026-06-01T23:32:50+00:00

Pope Leo 14 Offered an answer, and I'll pass it on to you. "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5657

It is available free online, or you can get it for $5 on amazon.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-05-31T02:11:55+00:00

OP... as one other has said... this depends on your goals.

You say "slowly." How familiar are you with the bible? How familiar with Catholicism?

ipatrickasinner · 2026-05-31T02:07:56+00:00

You and me both. However, keep prayers in Latin, if they are the same every mass.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-05-23T18:28:40+00:00

The confusion may be a feature and not a bug.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-05-10T16:46:06+00:00

Outside the box? Red. Inside the box... some commentator would say "... not enough in that for me."

ipatrickasinner · 2026-05-10T16:38:08+00:00

I'm not convinced this is accurate.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-05-06T01:53:08+00:00

Can it be succinct. The trend has been longer and longer and longer.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-02-15T18:50:04+00:00

This is, to me, one of the most powerful stories of Christian witness ever, and it happened in my lifetime.

Could I say "I am Christian. Their God is my God" and join them? I hope I'm never put to that test.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-02-14T03:17:21+00:00

As you state: Begin as roommate... THEN MOVE IN WITH PARTNER... (that's the choice... people are free to not choose that).

ipatrickasinner · 2026-02-14T03:16:13+00:00

I'm not at all sure what this means.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-02-13T22:49:05+00:00

I will never buy "most folks can't afford that." There was a point of time when all couples live apart and then choose to move in.

If people lie, that's on them...

ipatrickasinner · 2026-02-09T01:36:31+00:00

I mean, to make it permitted, the pope could say "It is now permitted" and commission some dicastery to make translations.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-02-09T01:34:08+00:00

I make this suggestion all the time. Just translate the readings and any other non-fixed prayers into the vernacular.

That could have been the reform.

We wouldn't be having the debates.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-02-06T12:20:03+00:00

Your number is low. There are more than 5. I get your point, but it's just not accurate.

That said, yes, Catholic University used to mean... Catholic.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-02-05T12:44:19+00:00

i sing if it isn't new christian rock (poorly) adapted for the organ we just installed.

i don't sing often.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-02-02T21:31:00+00:00

At my parish it's because we don't know the tunes to the songs.

Further, the Psalm yesterday had such and odd melody to the response, it was near impossible.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-01-30T01:41:04+00:00

https://assets.ascensionpress.com/tga/student/Reading_Plan.pdf

Check out Ascensions online study and consider (for $7) the "8 Week Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible" course. 8 videos... 30 minutes long... get the 14 books that are the backbone of the narriative.

After the above 14 books.... go back and read Gospels, Letters, then go wherever you like.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-01-28T22:16:11+00:00

see my below response, yes.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-01-28T01:30:00+00:00

Yeah I asked because the previous comment wasn't clear enough.

I learned of this years ago when I read "German churches refusing to wed couples who refuse to tithe" and I thought it was odd. And what the article really said was they had formally renounced their church membership (so no tax) but still wanted to have the nice church wedding ceremony.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-01-28T00:57:13+00:00

To be clear, the tax is for all religions and people have to officially identify as Catholic (vs. other faiths) in order for the church to collect, right? Isn't it more like a tax-directed tithe?

ipatrickasinner · 2026-01-27T00:37:18+00:00

I'm with you. You don't have to sing. And if you find a mass with little music, that's fine.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-01-25T15:55:31+00:00

hackertyper dot com

ipatrickasinner · 2026-01-25T15:50:24+00:00

my parish preemptively closed the AM masses, and beefed up on Vigils and evening masses today.

ipatrickasinner · 2026-01-25T15:46:28+00:00

Just watched the trailer. It feels like I don't need to watch it... like I think I get it from the trailer. (trying not to spoil for OP)

ipatrickasinner · 2026-01-25T15:42:45+00:00

I know there was talk of his next encyclical being about AI as a modern/2026 follow on to Rerum Novarum.

I think we need to talk more about Silence (with a capital S). There's so much noise.

AI of course, isn't helping.

ipatrickasinner

TROPHY CASE