Hi, Evelyn —

It seems to me that you are feeling angry at the Church. Most likely, you are rebelling against the feeling that you have to do things, that the Church — and Christianity — binds you to live in certain ways.

Since you have gone away to college, you are feeling liberated from everything in your childhood, and you are associating your religion with your childish way of living. Also, you are on your own and self-directed, and it is hard to be totally self-directed about something that was just sort of done for you or made a part of your life by your family and school. It is hard to be self-directed when you have not internalized your religion and made your own act of faith.

That said, you can do the childish thing, and throw away your religion out of an adolescent sense of outgrowing it, or you can do what should have happened sooner: You can start praying to God to enlighten you, guide you, and help you.

If you are confirmed, ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in faith. You should also get a book about the faith on the same level as your other studies. Handbook of Christian Apologetics is a good book. Talk to your priest.

Don't succumb to a [junk food and video game] sort of spiritual life out of laziness and rebellion.

Mary Ann

Hi, Evelyn —

Thanks for the question.

I just wanted to add to what my colleague, Mary Ann has said.

The college environment has never been kind to students that wish to keep in touch or
at least maintain a certain level of religious identity, unless they are very good religious colleges or universities who practice what they preach.

The college life is one of the hardest spiritual battlefields to get through in one's life, so, Yes,
I would agree that for many, it can be a phase one is going through, but for many, when illness or sickness comes, many usually return to the faith.

• Why?

Because they discover the limitations of their own human life.

In addition to the book Mary Ann has suggested. take a look at our Recommended Reading page.

Catholicism and Fundamentalism gives you answers to many of your questions.

You said:
I'm really falling fast.
.
.
.
I don't know what to do any more.

• What do you suggest I do?

Don't do things that will make you fall faster : ) Look Evelyn, life at times, can be tough on all of us. You are one of the few, the Lord has chosen to be Catholic.

• What does this mean?

To be able to partake in Divine Nature (through the sacraments) and have the Lord working in your life, through the good times and, yes, through the tough times.

— My life has had good times and bad times.
— Jesus' life had good times and bad times.

You said:

• Why should I tell my sins to a priest if I have such a good relationship with God Himself?

Because Jesus tells us in the Gospels to go to his priests to receive absolution for our sins.
Read John 20: 19-23.

You said:

• Why should I bother going to Church when I can pray on my own?

Because His Church tells us to keep the commandments. Yes commandments, not:

• recommendations
• options
• nice things to do if you have the time.

Going to Sunday Mass is the Catholic Christian way of renewing our Covenant with the Lord. At Mass there are many blessings we receive which all allow us to discern good Christian values from phony ones that are not Christian at all. My niece and nephews have told me:

They are bored with Mass.

My reply has been:

Sometimes I get bored with Mass as well, but that's not a reason, not to go.

Even if we are not properly disposed to receive Holy Communion, we still receive many blessings at the consecration of the Blessed Sacrament (the high point of the Mass).

The way I have explained it to my niece and nephews is to think of Sunday Mass like a gas station.

Cars need gas, oil, good tires, and more to run correctly for that week. If they don't get the gas, the car will sooner or later come to a stop. If someone doesn't have the guidance of the Church Jesus founded on St. Peter and his successors, on what to do for that week, they could put:

• oil in the gas tank, or
• water where the oil should go.

and later ask:

• Why isn't my car working?

Following the teachings of the Church ensures, we, the car, work : )

This allows us to fulfill the specific purpose for which we were created for in life.

Like Mary Ann said, make an appointment to talk with your local priest. Tell him you want to get involved in the fun things at the parish and while you are there . . .

Go to Confession.

Remember: The Lord is using the body of the priest (including his voice) to absolve you of all your sins, and all priests are bound to the seal of Confession. This meanings the priest cannot, under pain of being excommunicated from the Church, say anything to anyone about what was mentioned in any Confession.

Also use our knowledge base to search for answers. We have answered over 5,952 questions.

Hope this helps,

Mike