u/samsunbed64

Got a 2:1 in Sociology and International Relations, realised it was useless and enrolled on a Welding course last year, I've got the Level 1 and have enrolled on the Level 2. I've been looking for apprenticeships and have had no success, I work part time in Tesco currently.

I enjoy welding, but feel I'm behind and I'm getting impatient, should I do the Level 2 (The Level 3 your guaranteed an Apprenticeship) or try and look for another job now. I'm torn, its a gut punch seeing others my age and even younger get ahead, I'm not jealous, good for them, but I get annoyed at myself for putting myself in this situation.

For those who have been raised in the faith, and those who have converted... What is it like living there as a Catholic? Do you face any hate? Do you interact with the mostly Southern Baptist/Evangelical population? Would you say that Catholicism is growing in your area or decreasing?

For those who have been raised in the faith, and those who have converted... What is it like living there as a Catholic? Do you face any hate? Do you interact with the mostly Southern Baptist/Evangelical population? Would you say that Catholicism is growing in your area or decreasing?

I'm based in the UK, and I'm the only practicing Catholic in my family currently. I'm a 24 year old single Male and I have moved back into my mother's house.

My parents aren't together but my mother is an Evangelical who got roped into a 'church' a couple of years ago, she's got my sister into it as well, I despise evangelicalism. Every time I've tried to bring up my faith it has led to arguments and I don't know what way to go about it. It's got to the point where I don't have the energy for it anymore and I hate being around anything associated with it I.e. the music she plays in the house, the videos she watches etc. I kick myself for not having become Catholic before she started going there because I think if I did she would have joined the Church, she has a lot of friends at that 'church' and is quite active within it.

My dad and that side of the family aren't practicing any religion, although they've been welcoming to me, I'm worried about my 2 younger sisters.

One of them is autistic and is going through a rough time with her mental health and deliberately overdosed on tablets not long ago, but she's constantly on social media and although my dad and step mother know this, they don't seem to be doing anything to try and stop it, a lot of themes of what she's looking at seem to be really depressive too.

One of them has started adopting 'goth' like fashion sense and is hanging around with older people part of the same sub-culture, I'm worried this could delve into something demonic, she was wearing a cross the other day I noticed but dressed as a goth.

I believe my family is cursed.

There were over 21,000 baptisms this year, it has the most TLM's in the World per capita and has the second most overall after the USA, Chartres pilgrimage has grown.

Some insight from French Catholics would be nice, how are the attendances where you live? Have you noticed a change?

I'm 24 and I've just finished a level 1 Welding and Fabrication course, and I've enrolled on the level 2 as a backup as I've not managed to find an apprenticeship. I also have a 2:1 degree in Sociology which has turned out to be useless.

Currently working part time in Tesco, depressing, not sure which direction to go in with anything. I have decent GCSE's, A Levels and of course a degree and now a trade qualification... But I'm still in a shitty situation compared to others my age. I'm still learning to drive, I live at home, no girlfriend or mates... (Not trying to beg for sympathy just stating the reality of my situation).

Feels like I've done everything I was encouraged to do and I'm still stuck in a rut, fell for the boomer lies when I was younger. Would have gone straight into the trade if I had the foresight.

This week I've msturbated and viewed prn multiple times , after going for 5 months without either, I feel horrendous after each time yet still keep doing it,, the urges are defeating me.

I got baptised at Easter and before then I'd do the act and consume that material habitually, then I have basically gone cold turkey as i know both are grave acts.

My acts are particularly grave because I've presumed God's mercy, after I committed them the first time I kept carrying on as I recognised I was in mortal sin anyway. I'm going to Confession tomorrow for these sins and it will be my first time confessing them.

I've had an awful day today, had a terrible driving lesson this morning and I prayed before it (probably not as intently) as I should have, and then I left my phone in the instructors car and it took me a while to get it back, was supposed to meet up with friends and they cancelled. After the lesson, I got home and was in a rage and asked God why he hadn't answered me. I'd been feeling terrible for the rest of the day out of guilt and frustration.

This evening I've been struggling with stomach pains, not helped by the extreme heat here in England today. I pray the rosary every evening and mustered up the strength to pray the joyful mysteries on my knees, groaning in pain, writhing and breathing heavily, I persevered through it, I then got to the Salve Regina and the sharp pain went.

I genuinely believe the Lord through the intercession of Our Lady has taken that away, he's recognised that I have mustered up the strength in discomfort to pray despite being ungrateful today. Afterwards, I said a devotional prayer to our Lord's precious wounds on my crucifix and then prayed Psalm 103 and these verses have hit me...

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

And forget not all benefits,

Who forgives your iniquity,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with mercy and compassion

Psalm 103:2-5

This may only be small, but it's reminded me that despite my despair and resentment, he still loves me and grants me reward in times I show devotion to him.

I will forever be indebted to Our Blessed Mother and my Lord Jesus Christ, I don't ever want to stop loving him.

Ave Christus Rex

Phillipians 4:13 🙏🏻

I'll pray consistently but it feels empty, I pray the rosary everyday but often struggle to meditate, my brain just doesn't stop rushing, I try and read scripture but nothing goes in. Why? It feels like God has forsaken me, even at Mass last Sunday I couldn't concentrate for some reason. Sometimes I'll try and pray my own prayers but I often stumble and don't know what to say. Maybe this is his way of testing me. I have even confessed spiritual procrastination a couple of times as I feel terrible for this.

I've only been Catholic since Easter so of course I'm very new to the faith, but I feel like a failure.

24 years old here and been doing lessons for over a year and still not test ready. I have autism but haven't mentioned it, it doesn't really affect other parts of my life so I'm thinking that I don't feel the need to, also I don't want him to look at me differently.

I've been struggling with manouvers recently, though I feel I have improved, but the problem according to my instructor is that I make different mistakes each week, so its hard to grasp where I'm at. Some weeks my positioning on roundabouts will be dodgy, other weeks I'll keep forgetting to check my mirrors, now it's manouvers for the most part.

The problem is I get stressed out in lessons, every single week we have the same conversation about keeping calm and steady, this leads to me rushing and not methodically breaking things down. And when things don't go well I get angry (not at the instructor but myself). My instructor says that my anger and anxiety gets the better of me and he is right, but I don't know how to manage it.

I've tried rescue pastels but they haven't helped, I've tried praying but God hasn't answered me yet.

My options are to carry on (I've rebooked for November), take a break and come back to it maybe next year perhaps with someone new or to just pack it in completely.

I pay 80 pounds a week for 2 hours, financially it's mostly been fine but now it's starting to eat up my savings.

It's very trivial, but do you say 'bless me Father' or 'bless me Canon', and is the act of contrition to be said in Latin?