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Hi, Barbara —
Thanks for your question; and Welcome
Home!
We had a similar question here:
where my colleague John said:
- go see your local priest
- have your Confession heard,
and
- come on home to the Church.
Because Islam is totally contrary
to any form of Christianity, I would
strongly encourage you to buy a Catechism of the Catholic Church and study
it. The main theological split between
Catholic Christianity and Islam is
the relationship between the Creator — God and His Children.
- In Islam,
this relationship is manifested
as a [Master/slave] relationship,
where the Master just gives
orders and the slaves obey;
the relationship is a distant
one between Master and slave.
- In Catholic
Christianity, as well as most
of Christianity, this relationship
is a
[Loving Father/Loving Son] relationship,
where the Father is there to protect
His children while respecting
their free will. The obedient
child will in return, out of [his/her] own
free will, freely choose to love
and obey his [Father/Creator]. Any commands the Eternal
Father has for His children are
always commands that are for the
good and holiness of His children.
This relationship mirrors family
life on earth because the Trinity
is a reflection of family life.
- The father of the family reflects
the Eternal Father.
- The mother
of the family reflects
[the Church|Jesus] and the fruit
of their love . . .
- their children,
proceeds from the two and reflects the Holy Spirit in their
family.
Unlike Islam, there is a close
relationship between God and His
children; similar to the relationship
found within many Christian families.
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Once your pastor hears your returning-to-the-faith Confession, I would also encourage you to continue to live a sacramental life. This includes receiving the Eucharist
every Sunday, and daily, if possible, while going to Confession on a regular
basis.
The bishops of America have recommended
going to Confession at least once
a month. If you,
like many of us, struggle with the
sins of the flesh, make sure you
go to Confession before receiving
the Eucharist. (Saturday afternoon
is a great time.)
I would also encourage you to surf
the web for a Rosary and start praying it;
Our Blessed Mother gave us some great
promises for those who recite it
on a regular basis.
Final suggestion: Whether you talk
to your priest in the Confessional
or via an appointment,
ask him about what ministries the
parish offers that you can get involved
in.
Hope this helps, and again, Welcome
Home!
Mike
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