What is going on??? PETER/ Cephas

Angelina5 · #1 Apr 30, '12, 8:42 pm

I have recently rediscovered the Catholic faith. I was raised Catholic but joined the Moemon church and discovered that it is not what it claims to be ten years later (this past December).
Over the last few weeks, I have experienced a tremendous reverence for St Peter. A certain love and respect that I can't really explain considering the fact that I didn't really connect to Peter when I was mormon. Now, whenever I read something about him or when I see a depiction of him, I start crying. I am not an overtly emotional person.
What the frack is happening to me???

InspiritCarol · #2 Apr 30, '12, 9:51 pm

God is trying to convict your heart.

It seems to be working.

It sounds like you may have a very special Patron Saint who is willing to be a special intercessor for you. (I have no way of knowing this - just guessing). Pray a lot about it and at your first opportunity seek out a priest to discuss this matter.

Also, get yourself a good Catholic Bible. I highly recommend the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. There's some really good specifics on St. Peter in there.

Blessings. Keep seeking truth.

itullian · #3 Apr 30, '12, 10:15 pm

Peter is a very powerful saint. he has the keys to heaven. the biggest church is named for him.

the first to recognize Christ as Messiah and Son of God. Protos meaning chief.

i'm proud to have his name and his avatar.

keep reading about him and see vids about him on youtube too.

Peter

ByzCathCantor · #4 Apr 30, '12, 10:57 pm

Yours is a moving account on many levels - we pray for you on your journey home!

God is speaking to you through the saints, one of His most trusted ones at that. St. Peter's humanity and his faith are his distinguishing characteristics, and it is special indeed that he has been called upon to lead back to the Church.

**po18guy** · #5 Apr 30, '12, 11:50 pm

Saint Peter has been praying for you, I would say. Look at what happened to him after he had denied our Lord three times. Once the rooster crowed, he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75, Luke 23:62). Once he repented, he became so strong in the faith that he gave his life for it. You have an excellent, admirable, very human patron Saint in heaven. That is something to be grateful for.

Angelina5 · #6 May 1, '12, 4:33 am

Thank you everyone for your helpful insight. I woke up this morning with Peter on my mind. Some tears started to come in my eyes. I will say that it is difficult to trust my *feelings* as they were a determinant of all Mormon truth for ten years and managed to mislead myself via the confirmation of Mormon truth through my feelings

itullian · #7 May 1, '12, 5:55 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angelina5

Thank you everyone for your helpful insight. I woke up this morning with Peter on my mind. Some tears started to come in my eyes. I will say that it is difficult to trust my *feelings* as they were a determinant of all Mormon truth for ten years and managed to mislead myself via the confirmation of Mormon truth through my feelings

feelings can be tricky, so examine your faith see if you find truth there.

and feel free to discuss it all here.

bless you

Boulder257 · #8 May 1, '12, 6:05 am

Welcome home! Sounds like God is really speaking to you. What a moving testament you have!

yancho · #9 May 1, '12, 6:18 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angelina5

Thank you everyone for your helpful insight. I woke up this morning with Peter on my mind. Some tears started to come in my eyes. I will say that it is difficult to trust my *feelings* as they were a determinant of all Mormon truth for ten years and managed to mislead myself via the confirmation of Mormon truth through my feelings

remember that God can be talking to you through feelings as well. What i really suggest is that you start seeking a Catholic priest for spiritual direction. He would help you determine better your feelings and basically guide you better in your route back home. Remember also that Satan would hate every step of this journey, so do be prepared and pray often, especially to St Peter (since he seems to be acting as a bridge between you and God). Remember also that St Peter holds the keys for the Church for which as Christ himself promised that Satan cannot prevail against it. So do keep yourself aware of any temptations, which can easily be in the form of taking these feelings light and doing nothing upon. Remember that Satan is more subtle and sly than when we think. (talking from experience

)

Will keep ya in prayers

nevadairenaeus · #10 May 1, '12, 6:22 am

"When Christ at a symbolic moment was establishing His great society, He chose for its comer-stone neither the brilliant Paul nor the mystic John, but a shuffler, a snob a coward--in a word, a man. And upon this rock He has built His Church, and the gates of Hell have not prevailed against it. All the empires and the kingdoms have failed, because of this inherent and continual weakness, that they were founded by strong men and upon strong men. But this one thing, the historic Christian Church, was founded on a weak man, and for that reason it is indestructible. For no chain is stronger than its weakest link."

G. K. Chesterton

nevadairenaeus · #11 May 1, '12, 6:33 am

The nice thing about Catholicism is that reason supports its claim. You do not need to rely on feelings alone. The more you study the history of the church, theology, and philosophy, the more plausible the Church's claims about itself become.

LucyLight · #12 May 1, '12, 9:57 am

I heard from a reliable source who has frequented Peter's tomb that a common reaction that people have when they visit it is to cry. It's not easy to get down there (It helps to know someone or be part of a tour). If that's possible you might really enjoy it.

nevadairenaeus · #13 May 1, '12, 10:54 am

Angelina5,

It is interesting that you feel a connection to Peter. For me, as a former Mormon, it's Mary. I honestly never really thought too much about Mary in my Mormon days. Joseph Smith, as the great prophet of the restoration who was supposedly second only to Jesus in salvation history, loomed much larger in my mind. Lately, however, I have been increasingly drawn to what Mary represents in the Christian tradition. I like the idea that the most exalted creature that God created is not an archangel, emperor, prophet, or pope but instead is a woman who lived as an obscure 1st century Jewish peasant in a provincial backwater of the Roman Empire; beneath the notice of the powers of the age - a mother rather than some great king. But according to Christianity this one apparently insignificant woman became the means through which God chose to enter into human history, the hinge on which the entire world turned. As the Orthodox hymn says: “It is truly right to bless you, O God-bearer, ever blessed and most pure, and the mother of our God. More honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim.”

**po18guy** · #14 May 1, '12, 11:04 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angelina5

Thank you everyone for your helpful insight. I woke up this morning with Peter on my mind. Some tears started to come in my eyes. I will say that it is difficult to trust my *feelings* as they were a determinant of all Mormon truth for ten years and managed to mislead myself via the confirmation of Mormon truth through my feelings

Your journey is along the same path as Peter's, so you will experience many of the same thoughts and feelings. Please consider going and spending time before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at adoration. He is the One Who called Peter both Satan (Matthew 16:23) and, after Peter had repented, shepherd (John 21:15-17). Feelings do enter into your relationship with Christ, but it is far deeper than that. It will go to the core of your being. Beyond feelings, if you can imagine that.

Angelina5 · #15 May 1, '12, 9:17 pm

I am still hurt from all the deceitful behavior from Joseph Smith. My disaffection from the LDS church is fairly recent. But I do feel that God is guiding me out of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevadairenaeus

Angelina5,

It is interesting that you feel a connection to Peter. For me, as a former Mormon, it's Mary. I honestly never really thought too much about Mary in my Mormon days. Joseph Smith, as the great prophet of the restoration who was supposedly second only to Jesus in salvation history, loomed much larger in my mind. Lately, however, I have been increasingly drawn to what Mary represents in the Christian tradition. I like the idea that the most exalted creature that God created is not an archangel, emperor, prophet, or pope but instead is a woman who lived as an obscure 1st century Jewish peasant in a provincial backwater of the Roman Empire; beneath the notice of the powers of the age - a mother rather than some great king. But according to Christianity this one apparently insignificant woman became the means through which God chose to enter into human history, the hinge on which the entire world turned. As the Orthodox hymn says: “It is truly right to bless you, O God-bearer, ever blessed and most pure, and the mother of our God. More honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim.”