Why Catholics Join the NAM

[Marguerite F]

Why Catholics Join the New Age Movement!



Mystery, knowledge, secrets, powers, miracles, there are all some of the reasons Catholics join the NAM. By our very natures we are attracted to mysteries. We all enjoy “knowing”. And who doesn’t like to be the keeper of a secret or believe they can possess “powers or witness miracles!

While making my personal tour in the NAM, I was very intrigued to find out that almost half of all the people I met were former Catholics. In my mind, AT THE TIME, it was perfectly understandable. Catholics had rules that were “dated”. Catholics did the same thing over and over every Mass. Catholics were rigid in their thinking and Catholics believed in …oh no…SIN! How cliché! I could go on and on about the reasons given by Catholics for leaving the church and joining the cult of “I-am-my-own-God”; “I can create my own reality”; and more recently (even within the Church) “I can define and clarify my OWN values”. Wow what a deal!

If I am my own God, create my own reality and define my own values than anything goes! But those are only the superficial claims. I believe the real reasons behind the Catholic attraction are: Mystery, Majesty and Miracles. These attributes of our faith have been missing from the Church, dare I say, since the 1960’s and ‘70’s. The fullness of Truth isn’t being taught. We are sterile and devoid of uniqueness and awe!

I remember the nuns training us for Holy Communion. We were instructed to NEVER step foot on the altar of God. I remember looking up to that altar, the tabernacle, the windows, candles and feeling a tremendous sense of Mystery and awe! I KNEW there was something different, special, unique and POWERFUL about that area called “altar”. I also knew that the sacrament of Communion was like a “magic moment” to remember forever! The All Powerful Lord of the Universe coming to little me- Majesty and Miracles.

How many young Catholics today experience any of this in the marshmallow, powder-puff garbage they are force to swallow under the pretense of CCD! I will not mince words here as I speak from the experience of a former CCD teacher. The books and methods of instruction are often abhorrent! At times, I would scrap the books and bring in a large picture of the Miracle of Lanciano and the eyes of even the most errant child were fixed on the image. They looked at the dried blood in the chalice with a sense of wonder and excitement. This would spawn some excellent questions from the class. After one such class that I taught at a Catholic School, I received 30 thank you letters from the students telling me that they would always remember that miracle.

While there are probably as many “reasons” given for joining the NAM as people doing it, I contend that Catholics are attracted by what they are missing (and know on some level exists) from our Faith. The tremendous beauty Majesty, Mystery and Miracles of our Holy Faith is just not emphasized in weekly Masses like it used to be. Our faith has marginalized by “higher critics” who seek to explain away all of the mystery and thus leave the laity with a hollow-cream- puff-nicety-nice- type faith. So the faithful are sitting ducks for any guru or psychic that will off them some mystery, majesty and miracles, the meat of real Catholic teaching. You would be amazed at how many of these NAM practitioners have pictures of Saints, BVM, Jesus and sacramentals in their homes. You would be even more surprised to find them saying Catholic prayers during their psychic sessions or séances. (The devils deception at it’s finest.)

The laity needs to start asking for what they want from their priests and deacons. Ask for themselves and their children. There are excellent books about the Saints, Miracles of the Eucharist, Fatima and Visionaries. One NAM minister I know converted to the Catholic faith when he discovered the Incorruptibles! God has given us signs and wonders and we are ignoring them! How sad. But if the laity will ask, we shall receive all of the Mystery, Majesty and Miracles we could possibly hope for.

Thank you and God Bless. St. John of the Cross, Pray for US

Marguerite.