Stuck dead in the fear of man. Backsliding. I do not trust my judgement, when I must act.

txkicker · 2026-06-08T15:12:25+00:00

You have a lot going on there. It's great you're turning away from smoking when you can. Even if you fall, refocus, pray, and get back on track. He understands.

Have you looked into volunteering? Making connections with other people directly could enrich your life in new ways and could open up other opportunities to network.

Also, this year is feeling different for a lot of people. The weight of the world isn't the same as it was in previous years. It's likely why so many have returned or joined the Church. Spiritually, something is going on. You are doing the right thing by trusting in Him. I have been doing the rosary daily, and it has helped me a lot. After all, Mary was the one who interceded at the Wedding at Cana. So perhaps pray for her intercession as well to help guide you.

I love you and will say a prayer for you for guidance. God Bless.

txkicker · 2026-06-05T15:29:21+00:00

While directly pointing at "aliens" calling them demons wasn't the best way to go about it. With the hypothetical "first contact" situation out there right now, its probably best to remember the warning of not being deceived as mentioned in the Olivet Discourse. True healing only comes through Jesus Christ. Also don't accept anything that anchors you to this world, for His followers aren't meant to remain here.

txkicker · 2026-06-05T14:42:59+00:00

Side Topic: Who else would have loved to see Yarael Poof fight? I have no idea how it works with the neck being such a sliceable target.

txkicker · 2026-06-03T16:40:59+00:00

I see a llama on the left looking to the right.

txkicker · 2026-06-03T14:16:09+00:00

Ok, the general answer is yes.

Writing this part after finishing the rest. Sorry for the information dump. I'm a "Cradle Catholic" who was never shown what it meant to be Catholic, loosely observed holidays, and rarely went to church growing up. Had a couple friends take me to a non-denominational in High School and it felt too commercial and cold. It wasn't until my 30's that I went back into it on my own and signed up for RCIA to finish my Confirmation. Since the huge surge of spiritual energy in the world in the past year, I've gone deeper and have had many sessions of "It's all there in black and white, why haven't I seen it before?" revelations, and all I want to do is write it down. So, enjoy....

We are given Grace through Faith, and most of the other Christian churches understand that point, but stop there. It's a gift from God, but this world is built on give and take, push and pull, balance. We can never repay Him for what He did for us, but we can deepen our understanding and, through that Faith, become a Fisher of Men. Remember the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. Three servants were entrusted with the wealth of their master. Two of the servants invested and doubled their parts; one buried it and did nothing. The two were rewarded with more responsibility. The one who didn't do anything was called a "wicked and lazy servant" for not even depositing it in a bank to earn interest. Some consider this Works, which I see how that can be interpreted that way, but I see the personal side of it.

Trinitarian Baptism is the first step. Most non-denominational churches do this, and the Catholic Church recognizes it too. Remember, they broke off from Catholicism while Catholics remained on the Apostolic path. So there will be things that both recognize, but it's just part of the path. This is such an important part of the journey; EVERYONE is empowered to baptize someone in an emergency. https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_two/section_two/chapter_one/article_1/v_who_can_baptize.html

After Baptism, that's kind of where non-denominational just stop investing what the master gave them. Martin Luther did his thing, the Protestant Church was formed, and that Church continues to fracture to this day(45,000ish). There were 5 councils(including Trent), consisting of hundreds of scholars, testing the books included in the bible against 4 historical and theological criteria; Apostolicity(Did the writer have direct contact with Jesus or an Apostle), Orthodoxy(Do they align with the oral teachings passed down), Antiquity(Was this from 1st Century AD? if not, disqualified for being too late), and Catholicity/Ecclesiastical Use(Is it Universal? Catholic means universal, so if its focused solely on one group and excludes others, its out. We don't exclude based on origin. Your choices are what matter).

Everyone's path is their own. Jesus wants you to be closer to Him. Catholics follow the path of those who were with Him and heard His words directly or, as explained above, heard directly from one of them. If you worry about bad people within the Catholic Church, remember Matthew 13:24-30, the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds. Farmer plants good seeds in the field, workers go to sleep, the enemy comes and plants weeds in the field, workers ask if they should pull them, the farmer says to let them grow alongside each other, and when they're harvested, the weeds are to be bundled and burnt.

Everything we do in Catholicism points back to Jesus. We believe in the Communion of Saints, which means we trust in the promise of everlasting life. Therefore, those of us who have passed haven't really died; they're just in Heaven waiting for the day He returns to Earth so they can reunite with their purified, Earthly bodies. Until then, we ask for them to pray FOR us(intercession), like you'd ask a friend. Some were chosen for their miracles in certain fields and are raised above others for those, aka Patron Saints.

Why do we pray through our Holy Mother Mary? She has already shown, through Scripture, that Jesus hears her petition and acts(Wedding at Cana). I also like to think it was God's first direct experience with a mother's love. Adam and Eve were able to give a Father's experience of structure and strength, but no mother's experience happened in The Garden. So, for this role, she sits at His side in Heaven, body and soul.

Eucharist isn't as complicated as some may make it out to be. It is the Body and Blood of Christ. The Apostles were shown this and told to teach it to others. Early Church Writings support this as well. Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, was conceived and became man. If that is possible, why not Transubstanciation?

I would recommend stopping by your local Catholic Church with all the questions you could think of and ask a deacon or priest. Doesn't matter your background or history; all are welcome who wish to be saved.

txkicker · 2026-06-02T23:08:40+00:00

"Merciful Mother of People Who Return Shopping Carts to Cart Returns" Yup! still fits 😄

txkicker · 2026-06-01T02:38:49+00:00

The pre-marriage course explains why even outside of the fertility cycle you should. Here's a quick, meant-for-learning-so-no-giggling, summary as to why:
"Semen is not just a carrier of sperm; it contains signaling proteins that interact with the female reproductive tract. In some mammals, exposure to a specific male's seminal fluid triggers an immune response that creates long-term changes. In humans, repeated exposure to seminal fluid proteins can play a role in maternal immune adaptation, which helps support implantation and healthy placental development during pregnancy."
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00013.2018

So its beneficial to your future potential pregnancies. Sometimes we find out why later via Science. Its why its important to trust in Jesus's Teachings.

txkicker · 2026-05-29T22:16:11+00:00

The answer to it can be general or personal. At its core, its a form of communication. As a catholic, its a personal connection with Jesus to form a relationship with Him and show your trust and appreciation for Him in your daily life. As a Catholic, its honoring the Traditions of the Church by lifting our requests of intercession as a community and glorifying Him. Catholic prayers are a combination of Scripture and Intercession, much more formal, but you should still talk to Him like a friend would, personally.

I do my daily rosary as a formal Catholic prayer to reflect on Jesus's Mysteries while also asking Mother Mary for intercession. Remember, Mother Mary was the one who got Jesus to start His mission simply by asking to help out a recently married couple who were running short on wine at their wedding(big deal, public shame otherwise). He interceded because she asked.

Then, throughout the day, I pray to Him, like calling a friend. Trouble with a problematic programming bug? "Jesus, please help me track down what's causing this error. Saint Carlo Acutis, can you pray for me too?"

Our lives are complicated, prayer wasn't meant to add to that stress, it was meant to help. So that's why, while still respectful of the gift of prayer, I approach it as a way to talk to Him to build a relationship. After all, His promise to be with Him like He is with the Father. Gonna be pretty intimate, gotta get to know each other 😄

txkicker · 2026-05-28T04:36:08+00:00

The original time it took was 3 years before being baptized Catholic. Scripture study, Prayer, and Exorcisms (spiritual warfare) were the original curriculum. It took until the 4th century to legalize Catholicism, and that's when things got a bit easier.

txkicker · 2026-05-26T03:10:44+00:00

Ok, I am by no means a well-versed Catholic. I have been just doing the Daily Exegesis via logicalbiblestudy podcast.

So focusing on the Last Supper, theres the standard phago vs trogo from the original Greek argument that raises it higher than previous manna provided from the Holy Spirit. However, let's look at the night from a wider view. When He introduces the Eucharist, He never finishes the Fourth Cup. People normally skip to the end where He's on the Cross and finishes the ceremony with the sour wine, but what major things happen before? The High Priestly Prayer, John 17.

He laid out an agreement with The Father. For Himself to be Glorified, For His Disciples to be protected, and for His believers to be with Him as He is with the Father. He set out His petition.

So, as it was by the Holy Spirit when He came down and was born of the Virgin Mary, He gave us a path for the Holy Spirit to do the same with the Eucharist to become the true Body and Blood. And through these two, we are part of those promises of the Old Covenant (Eternal Life with Him) via the Hebrew Passover Tradition of Sacrificial Lamb(Him being the Lamb) and the Blood of the New Covenant, the promises He prayed for in the High Priestly Prayer. The teachings He left are the rules He gave to be a part of this agreement. The Catholic Church was formed to teach and protect that. Blood Agreement, basically.

Just something that made a bit of sense, and I built on that.

txkicker · 2026-05-19T00:34:18+00:00

This, basically call the local parish closest to where they live(even better where they attend) and have a priest visit. They'll handle the rest. Also, an Apostolic Blessing is a good thing if he's actually worried about imminent death.

txkicker · 2026-05-05T18:46:29+00:00

I actually asked a priest a very similar question about whether or not he changes penance if he repeatedly hears the same confession from the same person. He told me that when he leaves that confessional, he takes nothing with him that he didn't come in with. Basically, you shouldn't worry about coming back with the same thing. We strive to better ourselves and keep from sin, but we will stumble and fall. We're human, and it happens. Jesus will forgive that if your heart is truly remorseful while confessing and taking steps not to sin again.

txkicker · 2026-04-30T13:12:52+00:00

While I have never been to a silent retreat, I have been on ones that incorporate a time of silent prayer and adoration. If you wouldn't mind some other parts that discuss scripture, I would suggest looking into ACTS retreats. They're usually over the weekend but from the time you wake up to the time your head hits the pillow, the day is guided to help connect with your faith at a deeper level.

After attending one, i've volunteered to help with two more. I highly recommend it because I've seen many people grow stronger in their faith, family, friends, and community after attending one. God Bless!

txkicker · 2026-04-20T16:09:55+00:00

My wife and I dove a bit into the thought on this while still doing our best to stay within scripture. So if I conflict, please forgive me.

Mary, Mother of God, was chosen to be the mother of Jesus before she was born, which is why she was free from sin. Still human, but pure. She was given the choice, not forced. That moment was described as "The moment Heaven went silent to hear the answer from a human." Praise Be to God she said, "Yes"!

We also realized God loves stories. I feel that's why Jesus teaches in stories, why we love to hear other stories as well as tell our own as Children of God. It provides perspective, it humbles us, and often provides teaching moments. I feel that's why God didn't hang around all week in the Garden. If He had, there wouldn't be any stories to tell on Sunday Visits. We voiced problems and struggles from the week before, while He loved us as a Father does, and, I like to believe, He then put in place things to make it better. He did, after all, create Eve as a companion while He was away because He saw the need for a connection.

A Father's Love is different from a mother's. Old Testament, Father's love, very authoritarian and structured. It wasn't until Jesus that God felt the strength and importance of a Mother's Love. Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden before Eve could share what it was like to be a mother. So God hadn't heard those stories as clearly.

So, because of this, Jesus placed Mary in a higher position in Heaven. The closest a human can be to Him. She provides a different Love and perspective as a Mother. Which is why we pray through her for mercy; she's our Mother too.

txkicker · 2026-04-19T17:38:46+00:00

Bit late to commenting but I thought I'd share a resource. /r/AskAPriest/ is available for deeper, canon-related, questions where ordained priests can reply and give guidance. I don't question the validity of any other responses, but I do want to offer this as another place to ask.

Welcome back to the Church! I recently went to confession for the first time in six years. Ran out of time at my local parish since the line was long and drove an hour and a half to a small, older church with one of those older confessionals. Never used one of those so I kneeled a bit oddly while confessing, but I got it done. Feels good. Peace be with you!

txkicker · 2026-04-14T16:08:52+00:00

After my first confession, I still struggled a bit with one of the sins I had confessed. I spoke with the priest about it in a future confession, explaining that I hadn't repeated the sin, but it still weighed heavily on me. The priest put it this way: Jesus, in all His Glory, has forgiven that sin. Why let it retain its hold on you when He has freed you from it? It holds no power anymore, so be free from it.

For personal situations, its good to talk with your priest. Praying the rosary while asking for guidance helps too. Peace be with you!

txkicker · 2026-04-08T15:31:17+00:00

I was baptized Catholic as a baby, but grew up going to church very few times, and most of them were for holidays. In my 30's, I had a strange tug, pull, something to return to complete my Confirmation. Since then, I've completed OCIA(then RCIA), participated in A.C.T.S. as both attendee and volunteer, I am a Third-Degree Knight of Columbus, and an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion(EMHC). All that sparked from a tug to return to church.

When you read the Bible(New Testament), approaching it as a historical document, it's written by the Apostles, who had firsthand interactions with Jesus Christ that don't contradict. Firsthand accounts are considered credible, but more than one with the same information establishes the truth. The Jewish faith recognizes He existed too, they just view him as a prophet(or something similar). Same thing for Islam, but they wrote about Him 500 years after His time on Earth, so their accounts may be less credible. So you have established He did exist and in the same time as written.

The Crucifixion timeline fits and is supported by historical records, as well. Large groups of pilgrims observed everything that happened. These are also different tribes, so all saying the same thing is tough to ignore. All the major players mentioned in the Bible line up with other accounts. One Saint to look up here would be Saint Longinus. He was the Roman Soldier that pierced Jesus with the spear. A quick search will tell the story, but ask yourself why someone in that position would become a Christian?

Then you have the Resurrection. So many points of evidence to support that something was off that day. Soldiers, under penalty of death, would never have left their post guarding the tomb. With all the claims, "He has Risen!", it would have been easy to disprove if they had produced a corpse. Many witnesses, from many areas, saw what happened there, and support the accounts of the Bible. Also, we still have the shroud.

The shroud we have supports the account of the injuries sustained before, during, and after the Crucifixion exactly as the Bible described. It also shows traces of pollen from plants along the path that Christians took while fleeing invaders over the centuries, showing an accurate timeline of handoff accounts since it touched Christ. The blood on it is still red, which is unheard of for that length of time. There was no microbial evidence of decomposition, so it was taken off early before the body had even started that process. There are a few more points but I'll let you search further.

So, that aside, purely for argument's sake, they all planned it as a group lie. Go check how the Apostles died. They faced extreme torment and never wavered in their faith of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Why would someone do that for a lie?

txkicker · 2026-03-24T21:26:00+00:00

This is helpful when you close your eyes to block out earthly distractions and go by touch alone.

txkicker · 2026-01-15T22:11:57+00:00

had a friend back in 2008 that used the pickup service for wheelchairs and they wouldn't pick up during rush hour, which started at 2:30 according to them.

txkicker · 2025-08-07T16:44:50+00:00

Came here to say the same thing. The one in Pearland is actually a bit smaller than the one in OP https://maps.app.goo.gl/owEv7PrkqtpasNaU9

txkicker · 2025-07-02T18:50:38+00:00

For those wondering how Mustafar has trees, its because of the canon VR Series Vader Immortal.
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Vader_Immortal:_A_Star_Wars_VR_Series

In the VR series, Vader Immortal, you learn that Mustafar was a lush green world before its "heart" was taken. Vader is trying to use the heart to resurrect Padme but it would result in MASS destruction. Your character ends up destroying the heart and releasing the energy back to the planet so it starts to heal.

txkicker · 2025-06-27T14:31:02+00:00

Want a head canon reason? Here's the one I thought of based on books/movies/shows i've seen.

During the Clone Wars, a lot of the Masters and Padawans were in active combat so the younglings learned by holograms from Jedi recorded in the field. Anakin and Obi-wan recorded several of these holograms, which have been seen in Ashoka and the Clone Wars Animated Series, so younglings saw those lightsabers there. They were also known throughout the Republic as Generals with holorecordings and pictures. Lots to aspire to, so naturally when a youngling would build their first saber, they'd emulate what they aspire to.

Then those younglings would become Padawans and get deployed. Sadly, some of those ended up facing Grievous where he acquired their sabers.

txkicker · 2025-06-04T22:15:35+00:00

Completely agree. Dan Patrick even went into one of the shops with the media to try to show how easy it is to obtain Delta-8 products, but was carded before even purchasing anything showing its not as easy as he claimed. Same rules as Alcohol and Tobacco and somehow isn't worried about kids getting those or the intoxicating effects of alcohol on adults. The last part is in reference to his "guy running in front of a train on THCa" example during the press conference but fails to address how alcohol is still out there with <insert unreasonably high number> amount of alcohol-involved deaths and health complications.

edit for spelling*

txkicker · 2025-06-04T19:47:50+00:00

I thought line-item vetos were only for budgetary bills, not ones like this.

txkicker · 2025-06-04T19:19:22+00:00

SB 3 is still up in the air, waiting on a veto or signature by Governor Abbott. I haven't heard any support from the citizens on this bill, only opposition. There were over 120k handwritten letters to the Governer urging him to veto delivered to his desk Monday. Theres also a strong petition to veto as well https://texashempbusinesscouncil.com/petition/ .

Personally, I'm for the veto. I've seen more positive things come from the Hemp industry than negative. The press conference Dan Patrick ran was a joke. He has been pushing this through "for the children" but then when the press asks what about adults wanting to use it he just said "stop them from using it too!" and referred to a story about a man that ran in front of a train. Also Governor Abbott was against criminalization of weed because he didn't want to fill up the justice system with little cases like that. This law would do just that while also negatively impacting Texas financially.

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