The fact that there was a Catholic Faith already in place even if not in it’s fullest form, and then the specifically Protestant viewpoints flake away. It is undeniable. It happens slowly at first and then suddenly you see yourself moving to a place that you did not set out to navigate towards.

You did summarize the intellectual processes quite well, and yet there is a great deal of emotion that is tied up in it as well… at least for me. I would love for one of you gents to attempt to describe that. In the end, I imagine that a surrender of the heart in some capacity finishes the journey. The mind can only take you to the banks, but the heart swims…

Blessings in Christ,
-g-

I totally forgot to mention the book I am reading now – CTC’s own Taylor Marshall’s book
“The Crucified Rabbi”

Taylor’s book is filled with examples of Israel’s “Kingdom” compared to The Church. There is a link to it on the CTC website. Andrew could find it, I’m sure.

In the peace of Christ,
Teri

But, the final moment of realization was listening to a Jewish Proffesor (not a convert) explain Judaic understanding in the different Jewish communities (Hassidic, reformed, etc.). It was so eye opening hearing him explain why the “Messiah” has not come and how they know from sacred scripture.

Another eye opener was his explanation of the Canon of Sacred Scriptures (Our O.T.) and why the findings of The Dead Sea Scrolls was not “threatening” to this position.
He even explained why the need to get rid of any Greek influence in the Sacred Writings was important after the fall of the temple and also after the last Roman squashing of Jewish Revolt.

Not only is his idea of a Kingdom so obvious in The Church (of course he doesn’t get it), but it is even more obvious in another professor who is a Jewish Convert to the Catholic Church. Bryan mentions him, Professor Feingold.

The Messiah – The “Annointed One” is quite literally a King….and we sometimes take that for granted as Christians when we say it.

There are just too many times Our Lord speaks about the wedding feast and the entire idea of the Church as the Bride to get past that. It should never be thought of as “teams” almost like a rivalry, in Protestantism and even between Catholics and Protestants. We are not the Yankees and the Red Sox :-)

As a woman, it is easier for me to see Our Lord as the beloved Bridegroom who laid down His life for me and would not leave me trying to find His truth interpreted correctly like Goldilocks and the three bears ….running frantically from place to place.

If The LORD GOD speaks in the sacred scriptures of prophecy in the O.T. about finding his beloved Bride and caring for her even though she has gone after other “gods”, how would Our Lord not fulfill that prophecy? HE does perfectly. The Virgin daughter of Zion (Mary) bore the King and Savior, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, to redeem straying and unfaithful Israel and to our amazement, He included all of us as His Chosen Bride! This was done by “His own right arm”.

I have loved Him all of my life, sometimes, I’m ashamed to say, more than others. I have no doubt that He is real and that He loves me. If He wanted to unite all Israel again together (Judah and the forgotten 10 other tribes), how could He be ok with a fractured Kingdom of gentile believers?

Sorry to go on and on…Andrew may not allow the comment :-) But I know that as my Bridegroom He has promised not to allow anything to prevail against me as His Bride/Church. I have faith that all that He said is true….

Blessings and peace in Christ,
Teri

Nah, that is more like a compilation of conversations with Protestants. Scott Hahn is the man. I could listen to him talk for hours and hours about Catholicism implicit in the Old Testament. In fact, most of his EWTN conversations are on my iPod.

I like Teri’s comparison of the Church to a real Kingdom. There is a lot of talk of the Kingdom of God among us protestants, but very little thought of the literal, historical nature of the Kingdom of David – something Scott Hahn brought to light for me.

One of the things that happens is that the “thought process” begins to take on a life of its own. There is so much to think about. But like Lewis said upon his conversion to theism: enough hemming and hawing, it is time that something was done. And of course he could also talk about the act of faith as something that just happened to him, wherein he was lifted up and placed in a new place.

Thank you for articulating so well many of our “common thought processes”. As a Catholic convert and a female who truly loves Our Lord – I could not imagine Him, The Perfect Bridegroom, leaving His Bride in such a mess that she must go from place to place trying to find His Words of truth. That is not agape love.

If Our Lord is The Annointed One, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords and His kingdom shall have no end – then it is not a “democracy”. A kingdom presupposes a King. I don’t vote for a King or who speaks for Him in abstentia. My King did not abdicate His throne, but He entrusted His Apostle, St. Peter with the keys and authority to bind and loosen.

The “gospel” is not “good news” if your faith lies in your own “faith”. A large part of the gospel or good news is that He left a Church/Kingdom that the gates of Hades would not prevail against. They would try and seem to be winning at points in history…but over 2000 years later…..there she is….still standing and waiting for Her King and Bridegroom.
Happy are those who are called to His feast…

In the peace of Christ,
Teri