From Atheist to Catholic Priest (Fr. Mark Goring) | Ep. 250
Jan 26, 2021
auto_awesome
Fr. Mark Goring, a former atheist turned Catholic priest, discusses his journey to Catholicism and the challenges he faced. The podcast covers topics such as contrasting religious expressions in Texas and Canada, evangelization and repentance, controversial statements by Pope Francis, doubts about faith, approaches to evangelizing atheists, the concept of heaven, and the importance of accountability and support.
Reading good Catholic books can ignite a thirst for God and deepen one's encounter with His presence.
Consolation and desolation are both part of the spiritual life, with dry periods being opportunities for growth and surrender.
Personal experiences and encounters with God can lead to profound transformations and a commitment to prayer.
Deep dives
Father Mark Goring's Conversion from Atheism
Father Mark Goring shares his journey from atheism back to the Catholic faith, eventually becoming a Catholic priest. He discusses his initial doubts about God and the influences of secularism on his beliefs. After reading the lives of saints and experiencing moments of repentance and seeking God, Father Goring found a renewed thirst for God. He emphasizes the importance of reading good Catholic books to encounter God's presence and meditate on His works. Father Goring also highlights the presence of both consolation and desolation in the spiritual life, encouraging perseverance through the dry periods.
The Transformative Power of Good Catholic Books
Father Mark Goring emphasizes the impact of reading good Catholic books in the spiritual journey. He shares how reading the lives of saints and other spiritual works ignited a thirst for God and a desire to seek the truth. Father Goring believes that reading opens the heart and mind, allowing for meditation and a deeper encounter with God's presence. He recommends sharing books on saints and Our Lady as a means of evangelization, inviting others to experience the transformative power of these writings.
Persevering Through Consolation and Desolation
Father Mark Goring discusses the presence of both consolation and desolation in the spiritual life. Drawing from his personal experience, he shares how periods of consolation, filled with delight and joy in God's presence, are often followed by periods of dryness and emptiness. Father Goring explains the importance of persevering through moments of spiritual desolation and understanding that they are opportunities for deeper growth, purification, and surrender to God's will. He encourages individuals to embrace and acknowledge these phases, trusting that God is working a profound work in their lives.
Discovering God in Secret
The podcast episode explores the speaker's personal journey of seeking and discovering God. The speaker shares how, as a teenager, they prayed in secret, read scriptures, and experienced a profound transformation one night while laying in bed. The darkness and fear that had plagued them disappeared, and they felt a deep sense of joy and peace. This experience led them to believe in the presence of the Holy Spirit and the reality of God. It also sparked a commitment to pray every night and to cherish the moments of prayer as a way to see their own dignity and experience the mystery of God's transcendence.
The Power of Community and Repentance
The podcast episode highlights the role of community in the speaker's spiritual journey. They mention joining a Catholic charismatic prayer group and witnessing the genuine faith and joy of its members. Through this experience, the speaker was inspired to share their faith and break free from their own private journey. Additionally, the episode emphasizes the importance of repentance and turning away from sinful behaviors to cultivate a genuine relationship with God. The transformation in the speaker's life caused them to lose some of their old friends, but it also brought them closer to their family and a new community of believers. The episode encourages listeners to embrace community, overcome attachments to sin, and consider a life devoted to priesthood or religious calling.
