JOURNEY HOME - 2024-02-26 - COURTNEY COMSTOCK

Courtney Comstock shares the series of life experiences and questions that led her from a background in Pentecostalism to a home in the Catholic Church. JonMarc Grodi hosts
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[@virgil015]

As a cradle Catholic, I just have had it too easy. I have so much admiration for those who struggle to become Catholic, overcoming all sorts of obstacles. Your story was great Courtney. God bless you and your family.

[@Aryalanae]

I’m a former anti Catholic Protestant, raised Jehovah’s Witness originally. I’m a very grateful Catholic convert.

[@kathryncallahan7355]

Thank you. I've had to go through this alone as well. My husband thinks I am crazy and none of my family understand. But I entered the church Easter 2022. And I have all my four children baptized in the faith as well. I keep praying that God will give me one family member or friend to see the light and become Catholic so I won't be so lonely, but that hasn't happened yet. So I am seeing this as a trial and blessing to suffer for my faith.

[@nhung-huynguyen7839]

They’re somewhere was because God heard your prayers

[@rauthagabadi9281]

I'll be your friend

[@carlosdanachavira9844]

Pray to St Monica for help. In God there is always Hope.

[@kathrynkohlmeier7686]

Praying for you! I sympathize with feeling alone in my faith sometimes. But I trust God who gives me hope and faith and joy!

[@FigaroHey]

Live your faith in integrity and give them time to see that it has not made you worse, but better. And don't pray for them to convert because *you* don't want to be lonely. Pray for them because, first, God deserves for everyone to give him the worship owed to him, and that worship is the Mass. Second, pray for them to have the fullness of truth so they can be transformed in Christ through the grace of the sacraments. It seems to me that loving God and willing his good (proper worship) and willing you're family and friends' good is a purer prayer than a prayer tinged with desire for yourself. Also offer fasts for those people, and sacrifices.

[@peteryoung5147]

Thank you for your story, it brought back a ton of memories. The annulment process was a a 2.5 year penance for me. We married in the courthouse (which i don't actually regret) for expediency, then I decided I wanted to be Catholic again and had a pretty sobering visit to the confessional. I then found out my wife, whom was a southern Baptist, had to get an annulment, which made zero sense to her, her ex, or her family. My marriage was convalidated and children baptized just before my Polish Catholic Mother left this world. Fast forward 24 years and my wife has a strong Catholic faith and we couldn't be happier. Not the traditional path, but we were young and found our way.

[@charles47t]

Mine took exactly 2.5 years as well, and as you said, it was a penance for me too. Equally, it thought me how to be patient and trust in God. My protestant friends didn't understand , and it gave me the opportunity to witness to them how serious Catholic Church takes the sacrament of matrimony.

[@nhung-huynguyen7839]

Praise The Lord 🙏❤️😇🙏

[@nhung-huynguyen7839]

Thank you for your story ❤🙏❤ One day, on the way drive back home from work, I was listening to the Radio and a person called ask “Why Protestant don’t like Mother Mary and always condemned Catholic about worship statues…” I was asking myself by asking God “Why God, why they’re always blasphemy God by hate Mother Mary like that!!!” Suddenly one Voice like a thunder in mine said “Because Satan hate Her” , then I woooo …

[@Mr.Peck88]

What beautiful story of perseverance in the faith!

[@Heaven-Davian]

Waw…. The patience you have Somebody could have given up. Mary Undoer of knots , pray for us 🙏

[@marktaylor2502]

WHEN YOU KNOW YOU KNOW My path was similar but I converted at age 67 on Easter 2023. My mother was a Southern Baptist but I was raised Evangelical Presbyterian. I was not active in a church and hadn't been for decades though a friend suggested I watch The Chosen. Season 1 Episode 4 showed me my brokenness and that I could do something about it. Jesus' line "Lift up your head fisherman" was seismic for me. I began a deep-dive to learn as much as I could about the Catholic Faith after stumbling upon Bishop Robert Barron's Word On Fire KZbin channel and his debate with English atheist Alex O'Connor. Bishop Barron spoke with undeniable authority. I was also listening to RCIA tapes by Father John Riccardo of ACTS XXIX on KZbin 9 months before I started RCIA at my parish, Saint Louis De Montfort, Fishers IN. I was praying the Holy Rosary as soon as I started RCIA By the way, I did not have to bring my wife of 45 years along to RCIA. She was raised Catholic in England, but is no longer a believer.

[@user-Elle41]

I will pray for you, Mark, and for your wife as well 🙏🏼

[@alisterrebelo9013]

I am confident that the Holy Spirit will bring your wife back and help her rekindle her faith. I pray for you to have to strength to live out the example of Christ for her, this day and the next, through Christ our Lord Amen.

[@Aryalanae]

I read and prayed my way to the Catholic Church. But what hit me was the night I was going to reject Jesus as a false god and the moment I took the breath to say the words, Jesus spoke to my soul and he said, pray to me. Give me one last chance. Pray to me. I lividly told him that if he is real at all, guide me to your truth, your 100% truth and nothing less. If all you’re going to give me is 99.99% of your truth then I want NONE of it. Less than a year later, I went to my first mass. And I saw with my own eyes scripture coming into life and then John 6 and the Last Supper made present and I knew I was home and I was shaking and crying with tears of relief and gratitude.

[@Aryalanae]

I’m a very grateful convert! Former anti Catholic Protestant and raised Jehovah’s Witness.

[@sandrawalczak7625]

God bless you for persevering in your long journey to our glorious catholic faith.

[@kathrynkohlmeier7686]

Your story was so powerful. Thank you for sharing! God bless you!

[@user-jz3io3kf9r]

Hi Courtney, I was praying one evening and this was given to me. In the Old Testament in 1Kings 2-20, King Soloman gives his Mother Bathsheba a throne at His right. All Jewish Kings had so many wives, but they had one Mother that was appointed their Queen. Jesus was a Jewish King, and he gave the position to Mary His Mother to be the Advocate to His People in His Kingdom. Her position is called 'Gebirah', Queen Mother, Advocate to the people. God Bless you

[@angelavelazquez2166]

Beautiful and inspirational journey to God!

[@joehenz]

JonMarc, this is the first JH episode I’ve watched with you as host. I was sad/apprehensive when your father retired, but I’m happy to see you’re doing a GREAT job filling his shoes!

[@mrsronireyes8416]

Congrats EWTN.... 1M subscription

[@mariatitabontia1038]

Wow! Our God really makes a way even if there seems to be no way! Thank you, God for the gift of our Catholic faith!❤🙏😢

[@discoverybricks3694]

Courtney is remarkable. Love her journey. What a blessing she is to The Church. thank you

[@softailryder6495]

Courtney , the Holy Spirit is working through you. I think your diocese is lucky to have you!!

[@catnip1767]

My husband did not have to get an annulment because he had never been baptized in any church. (37 years ago in the Archdiocese of Detroit)

[@alisterrebelo9013]

I've watch a few of these and Courtney's journey and intelligence is right up there with the very best. The questions she asked reveal a kind of simplicity that is so genius in cutting through all the theological gordian knots that people tie themselves up in. For example, asking herself why does the Catholic Church stir up so much hate amongst "Christians"? Chef's kiss what a wonderful question. Here's another of her astute comments, that she borrows but remembers: Looking at the crucifix should remind you of what sin looks like i.e. the cost of sin and why avoiding it is paramount. Praise be to God, I made the comment about gordian knots even before Courtney started talking about knots and Mary, the undoer of knots. Praise indeed be to God!

[@Bfair123]

Amazing testimony, my husband too, it takes years for his annulment

[@FigaroHey]

"Why Do Catholics Do That?" was the first book found when as an uncatechized graduate of 12 years of Catholic school, I wanted to learn my faith. There were so few books. Then I found a magazine called "The Catholic Answer." In that I saw an ad for some tapes by a guy called Scott Hahn, and that got me a St Joseph Communications catalogue. And from that I was off and running. This was in Poland in the 1990s. Now there's so much, it is impossible to be interested in Catholicism and not find answers.

[@prudenciogullingoy7105]

Oh It's an inspiring conversion story and testimony from baptist church to Catholic faith. may the ❤️Lord be always with us, thru' the perpetual intercession of our ❤️ Blessed Mother Mary. Amen 🙏

[@marilynSnedden-fb2ic]

❤i am surprised that she needed an annulment. She was not a Catholic and had not been baptized . We were taught in Catholic school that a Catholic needed to have an annulment in order to remarried. Her case case a seems unusual to me.

[@marysanchez6382]

I agree. There’s something I don’t understand about why a non-Catholic needs an annulment.

[@dml414]

The Catholic Church recognizes non-Catholic marriages to be valid if the Protestant community recognizes them.

[@priscillas534]

Such a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing.

[@tubo1639]

Amazing story! God bless!! 🙏🙏

[@wingchun1963]

15:00 the poor girl!. She's going through a devastating divorce, staying with friends for emotional and spiritual support, receiving a token affirmation of empathy, she returns to her parents home where her mom shows her visceral reaction like a vampire looking at the crucifix . How devastating to see her recount her mom's disapproval before she even hugged her child. That's powerful. i feel for her.

[@dougmoore8314]

Our marriage was convalidated at our parish after the church did its investigation. And we had gone through a class and several conversations with our priest. Before we were married again we had fold our arms when we lined up for communion. That was it. We are extremely happy now. We pray the liturgy of the hours each night together.

[@Marist_Chanel]

❤

[@russellweber3466]

Why do these protestants and non-denominationals have to read 10 books on various subjects concerning the Catholic faith and Catholic church doctrine. Why do they have such difficulty understanding the Blessed Virgin Mary's relationship with her son, Jesus Christ? My mom was raised southern Baptist and my grandparents named their youngest daughter Mary, after the Virgin Mary. I used to run a print Christian ad agency, LPI of St. Louis, and I have literally been in hundreds of Christian churches around the US. Not once did I walk into a protestant church and get the sense of the divine, because Jesus Christ isn't there. I've walked into Orthodox Russian and Greek churches and there was a sense of the divine. Walking into a Catholic church and not just for Mass or Eucharistic adoration, there is the real presence of Jesus Christ in the church, you can sense it.

[@alexespanto5270]

thats what nikki a devout muslim stated when she entered an Evangelical Church for the first time .she didnt sense the presence of Christ ,but when she entered a catholic church for the first time ,she immediately felt Jesus presence !

[@FigaroHey]

To "beg the question" means "assume the truth of an argument or proposition to be proved, without arguing it.". People who mean "raise the question" should say, "raise the question."

[@FigaroHey]

Maybe those people who came for an annulment and didn't go through with it actually have valid marriages. She makes it sound like all you need to do is apply and you'll get an annulment definitely.

[@jimmalloy7279]

Did her mother come around at all? Does her husband attend mass with his family at least?

[@johncollins537]

Did Courtney’s husband become Catholic? What happened with him?

[@peacebewithyou2512]

I wonder if you are married overseas, do you need to have an annulment from the country where you were married?

[@IotaEtaSigma]

Not anymore. You can do that from your current parish and diocese. However, you will need to get your marriage documents from the parish where you got married.

[@ruairioneill1601]

Not the same show with marcus gone

[@Aryalanae]

That’s his son??

[@skaz777]

Not knocking her story at all. In fact, it’s a great testimony. The title “Former Pentecostal” is misleading though. By her own account she was never Pentecostal, her mother was, people around her were Protestant, and she was taught basics from that culture but only believed in God. She identified as non denominational until she was Catholic. That’s how she told it. Good stuff. The show shouldn’t misrepresent.

[@user-wk1li2cm5o]

Colossians 3:1 KJV Bible - Jesus is not in a wafer. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”

[@wingchun1963]

Close, but it's a swing and a miss. Jesus is the bread of life. John 6 56- Jesus was born in Bethlehem - meaning, " House of bread" He is the true bread that comes down from heaven. He is the clean oblation the gentiles offer from the rising and setting of the sun.- Malachi 1:11 Offering the sacrifice of Melchizedek of bread and wine. No, prot. You are sadly mistaken

[@user-wk1li2cm5o]

@@wingchun1963 Not a protestant.

[@wingchun1963]

@@user-wk1li2cm5o not Catholic Not Ortho So a prot.

[@alisterrebelo9013]

​@@user-wk1li2cm5o If you're not a Protestant, you're even further from the truth. Why do the disciples walk away when Jesus says John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Did they leave because they had an objection to a spiritual or metaphorical understanding of what Jesus was saying? Literally no one who believes in Christ has a problem with a spiritual or metaphorical understanding of these words. The ONLY problem anyone ever has, back then and now with you, is a literal understanding of the words. So do you see Jesus or John correcting the disciples for thinking it is a literal understanding of Jesus's words?

[@user-wk1li2cm5o]

Mark 7: 7 KJV Bible - Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. John 3:3 KJV Bible “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The catholic and LDS systems and many other systems are man made. They are not the church.

[@wingchun1963]

We say the same thing about the man made faiths of the LUTHERANS, WESLEYANS, METHODIST,CALVINISTS all named after their human founders relying on their own understanding. What's worse are the heretical teachings which spew from their misreading of our sacred text, the bible. OSAS, eternal security, abortion, contraception, bible alone, faith alone, all from the religious revolutionaries triumphantly praising themselves on a wide smooth road

[@alisterrebelo9013]

Your beliefs are manmade. Things which aren't in the bible, but are mere traditions of men: - The word Bible. - The word Trinity. - Belief in the trinity is necessary for salvation. - T.U.L.I.P - Sola Scriptura

[@GizelleJane2012]

Wow she had me shedding tears when she finally got baptized 😭🤍✨ beautiful testimony!!

[@ntalemathias1590]

Great journey of salvation, very inspiring. Thank you