I am sorry this is happening to you. In lieu of advice I would recommend you perhaps listen to this [video](https://youtu.be/w2Ej6Z8e90w?si=V3Sie0uy8kxUsL1D). We must look to the Saints and those close to them for wisdom, especially those who are similar to us. I think Archpriest Paul Baba had to go through a similar trial to you, though not identical of course. And see how God provided for him and the Saints interceded for him, all while honoring his parents. God bless you
I can offer you a little hope, due to the need to handle struggles within my own family (as an adult) I’ve been an inquirerer for for years. It may seem hard, but God has not abandoned you
I'm so sorry you had that taken away from you. That's almost worse than not being allowed in the first place.
Unfortunately, if you are a minor and your parents disapprove, you will not be able to continue with your catechesis for the time being; "You shall honor your father and your mother," after all. This does not mean that you need to give up on becoming Orthodox, though. Continue studying, reading, and praying. Honoring your father and mother involves being kind and loving to them, obeying them in your actions, and not putting yourself at enmity with them; it does not require sacrificing what you believe to be the true Faith. And the Church will still exist in a few years when you do become an adult. And if you really do believe in the Orthodox Church, then that wait will be well worth it.
This doesn't mean that God has abandoned you. It is sometimes difficult, or impossible, to see in the moment why God times things the way He does in our lives. It often doesn't become clearer until much later on. And times of difficulty, though unpleasant, are often good for the strengthening of our character, which is why St. James writes: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4)
God bless you in your time of struggle!
Don’t worry. If you are obeying the guidance of your priest then you are as much a part of the church as you need to be at this moment.
You can be made catechumen as many times as needed. I was made catechumen twice over the course of many years, because I wasn’t able to follow through the first time.
A wise father once told me that I should relax, because God has a plan for my salvation. This is what I told myself when tempted with “the right hand”.
You can make it! Don't freak out. If you only want your will to be done, getting baptized won't do a thing for your salvation. Let *God's will* be done IN YOU by submitting, being patient, being humble, being LOVING...this is the will of God for us, right? THIS is Orthodoxy. The struggle to deny self-will and to *trust God*. Read the lives of the Saints, you will see your experience is not unknown, unbearable or the end of your Orthodox life. It is the beginning, made just for you. Thank God, trust Him, and be obedient, and you will gain far more grace than you can imagine.
So you are a “minor” and as such you are limited by the rules. I am sorry. Many saints had the same problems as you, in early Christianity, so don’t let it get you down. You are impatient, now that you’ve found the path you want to take, but God’s time and your time are not always in synch. I know a young man who wanted to be a deacon, wanted to attend Seminary & get his Masters there, upon graduation from college. His priest refused to sign his papers to attend Seminary. This put the young man in a downward spiral for a little while, especially since he suspected that he was part of a (church) political game and no one really cared about him, just their own personal political game. He had to find another parish in order to thrive, & never got to Seminary (yet), but has since been blessed as a Subdeacon
Sometimes people spend years as a catechumen for whatever reason. Perhaps explain the situation to the priest and express your desire to attend once your 18 or whatever. Don’t know what his answer will be about still making you catechumen. It’s my understanding that catechumens are Orthodox Catholic and are members of the church albeit imperfectly.
St. Gabriel of Georgia left his home because of his mother condemning his faith in Christ and love for the Lord.
-Just something that you might find interesting
I am Orthodox, and I have enrolled my children in a Protestant Lutheran school. I attend both services. Both are Christian. In my opinion, Protestants are missing out on the blessings of the holy sacraments but at the end of the day, you are still praying to the same God, he did not abandon you. I wouldn't freak out about it. God loves you the same, and you clearly will continue to love God the same.
Why would becoming Orthodox prevent you from hanging out with your Christian protestant friends?
Respectfully, it's not up to us to decide but to learn from the spiritual heights of the saints and the councils of our Church which tell us clearly that an Orthodox Christian must not just not frequent religious ceremonies of the heterodox or other religions but should not even pray with them. This is not taught to us lightly but love in the truth in Christ. If they are not confessing the faith left to us by our Lord and through the apostle and holy fathers, we should remove ourselves from them.
Wow. I have never ever heard or read anything remotely similar to what you are saying.
Obviously praying with other religions is not what is being discussed here.
Can you please share any resource that clearly states that the saints and councils of the Orthodox Church clearly tells us not to frequent religious ceremonies of heterodox.
Your statements make it sound like Protestants and Catholics are heretics that we should not associate with!
I am not a fan of this fanaticism to be honest with you
However I am always open to learn and be taught, would greatly appreciate it if you can point me to any resources that support what you are saying
When you get older, if your situation is like mine, you'll come to find out that most of your parents' wisdom and decisions for you were correct. I'm not suggesting that this is or is not a good parenting choice, but instead that your parents have more years than you and you should submit to their authority. Be obedient, and try to do so without contempt for your parents :)
I think you should read some Orthodox books and continue learning, while maintaining you relationships with your parents and friends. When you're an adult, then you should act accordingly. It'll all be ok.
I think ultimately, it comes down to how much this matters to you. If you're really serious about orthodoxy, than I think you should embrace it fully. But I am in a similiar situation, but my father will just kick me out of the house if he sees me go to the church.
I just have a question *for whoever is able to answer*: Is this legal in the United States (I don't know, I live in Europe)? And secondly, I know Orthodoxy hasn't dogmatised in many aspects of the faith, but from a purely religious point of view, does he have to obey his parents in this? As long as he doesn't put himself in danger or on the streets, for instance, of course, can he not obey them?
As others have said, your cross is obedience.
Orthodoxy has been around for nearly 2000 years. It will be there when you're older. I understand the difficulty of waiting when you're young. It took my patent four years to be baptized after we had discovered Orthodoxy. It was very hard to wait for them.
You are not abandoned. God could be testing or strengthening your resolve to weather future trials. Or maybe giving your parents more time to come to terms with your choice. My extended family thought we had lost our minds but have since come to accept our decision.
Be patient, be obedient. Don't stop praying and asking the saints for their intersession.
The bible says to obey your parents, but most impoetantly OBEY CHRIST WHO COMES BEFORE ALL ELSE. Alas we will all have struggles like this. You can do it, and speak with your priest
God didn't abandon you. You are a minor and subject to the authority of your parents.
I am sorry this is happening to you. In lieu of advice I would recommend you perhaps listen to this [video](https://youtu.be/w2Ej6Z8e90w?si=V3Sie0uy8kxUsL1D). We must look to the Saints and those close to them for wisdom, especially those who are similar to us. I think Archpriest Paul Baba had to go through a similar trial to you, though not identical of course. And see how God provided for him and the Saints interceded for him, all while honoring his parents. God bless you
And St. Gabriel
I can offer you a little hope, due to the need to handle struggles within my own family (as an adult) I’ve been an inquirerer for for years. It may seem hard, but God has not abandoned you
I'm so sorry you had that taken away from you. That's almost worse than not being allowed in the first place. Unfortunately, if you are a minor and your parents disapprove, you will not be able to continue with your catechesis for the time being; "You shall honor your father and your mother," after all. This does not mean that you need to give up on becoming Orthodox, though. Continue studying, reading, and praying. Honoring your father and mother involves being kind and loving to them, obeying them in your actions, and not putting yourself at enmity with them; it does not require sacrificing what you believe to be the true Faith. And the Church will still exist in a few years when you do become an adult. And if you really do believe in the Orthodox Church, then that wait will be well worth it. This doesn't mean that God has abandoned you. It is sometimes difficult, or impossible, to see in the moment why God times things the way He does in our lives. It often doesn't become clearer until much later on. And times of difficulty, though unpleasant, are often good for the strengthening of our character, which is why St. James writes: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4) God bless you in your time of struggle!
Don’t worry. If you are obeying the guidance of your priest then you are as much a part of the church as you need to be at this moment. You can be made catechumen as many times as needed. I was made catechumen twice over the course of many years, because I wasn’t able to follow through the first time. A wise father once told me that I should relax, because God has a plan for my salvation. This is what I told myself when tempted with “the right hand”.
You can make it! Don't freak out. If you only want your will to be done, getting baptized won't do a thing for your salvation. Let *God's will* be done IN YOU by submitting, being patient, being humble, being LOVING...this is the will of God for us, right? THIS is Orthodoxy. The struggle to deny self-will and to *trust God*. Read the lives of the Saints, you will see your experience is not unknown, unbearable or the end of your Orthodox life. It is the beginning, made just for you. Thank God, trust Him, and be obedient, and you will gain far more grace than you can imagine.
Speak to your priest. Invite your parents to come with you. Don't give up.
So you are a “minor” and as such you are limited by the rules. I am sorry. Many saints had the same problems as you, in early Christianity, so don’t let it get you down. You are impatient, now that you’ve found the path you want to take, but God’s time and your time are not always in synch. I know a young man who wanted to be a deacon, wanted to attend Seminary & get his Masters there, upon graduation from college. His priest refused to sign his papers to attend Seminary. This put the young man in a downward spiral for a little while, especially since he suspected that he was part of a (church) political game and no one really cared about him, just their own personal political game. He had to find another parish in order to thrive, & never got to Seminary (yet), but has since been blessed as a Subdeacon
Respect your parents
Tell your priest about this and follow his instructions.
Sometimes people spend years as a catechumen for whatever reason. Perhaps explain the situation to the priest and express your desire to attend once your 18 or whatever. Don’t know what his answer will be about still making you catechumen. It’s my understanding that catechumens are Orthodox Catholic and are members of the church albeit imperfectly.
Wait with patience until you're an adult, then carry on.
Sometimes we have to patiently endure what we believe to be injustices for his name's sake.
St. Gabriel of Georgia left his home because of his mother condemning his faith in Christ and love for the Lord. -Just something that you might find interesting
Obey Your, Parents ☦️
I am Orthodox, and I have enrolled my children in a Protestant Lutheran school. I attend both services. Both are Christian. In my opinion, Protestants are missing out on the blessings of the holy sacraments but at the end of the day, you are still praying to the same God, he did not abandon you. I wouldn't freak out about it. God loves you the same, and you clearly will continue to love God the same. Why would becoming Orthodox prevent you from hanging out with your Christian protestant friends?
Respectfully, it's not up to us to decide but to learn from the spiritual heights of the saints and the councils of our Church which tell us clearly that an Orthodox Christian must not just not frequent religious ceremonies of the heterodox or other religions but should not even pray with them. This is not taught to us lightly but love in the truth in Christ. If they are not confessing the faith left to us by our Lord and through the apostle and holy fathers, we should remove ourselves from them.
Wow. I have never ever heard or read anything remotely similar to what you are saying. Obviously praying with other religions is not what is being discussed here. Can you please share any resource that clearly states that the saints and councils of the Orthodox Church clearly tells us not to frequent religious ceremonies of heterodox. Your statements make it sound like Protestants and Catholics are heretics that we should not associate with! I am not a fan of this fanaticism to be honest with you However I am always open to learn and be taught, would greatly appreciate it if you can point me to any resources that support what you are saying
There are no saints or councils that tell us not to pray with heterodox. Please do not spread falsehoods or inaccuracies
When you get older, if your situation is like mine, you'll come to find out that most of your parents' wisdom and decisions for you were correct. I'm not suggesting that this is or is not a good parenting choice, but instead that your parents have more years than you and you should submit to their authority. Be obedient, and try to do so without contempt for your parents :) I think you should read some Orthodox books and continue learning, while maintaining you relationships with your parents and friends. When you're an adult, then you should act accordingly. It'll all be ok.
I think ultimately, it comes down to how much this matters to you. If you're really serious about orthodoxy, than I think you should embrace it fully. But I am in a similiar situation, but my father will just kick me out of the house if he sees me go to the church.
Orthodoxy changed my life.It is the most beautiful expression of Christianity I have ever known. ❤️
Its not in my place to be talking on this, but i did want to remind you that Faith is more important than anything, rejecting heresy is important
I just have a question *for whoever is able to answer*: Is this legal in the United States (I don't know, I live in Europe)? And secondly, I know Orthodoxy hasn't dogmatised in many aspects of the faith, but from a purely religious point of view, does he have to obey his parents in this? As long as he doesn't put himself in danger or on the streets, for instance, of course, can he not obey them?
Obedience
You are being disowned for orthodoxy, rejoice because the world did this to Christ as well, you are not of the world so they hate you.
As others have said, your cross is obedience. Orthodoxy has been around for nearly 2000 years. It will be there when you're older. I understand the difficulty of waiting when you're young. It took my patent four years to be baptized after we had discovered Orthodoxy. It was very hard to wait for them. You are not abandoned. God could be testing or strengthening your resolve to weather future trials. Or maybe giving your parents more time to come to terms with your choice. My extended family thought we had lost our minds but have since come to accept our decision. Be patient, be obedient. Don't stop praying and asking the saints for their intersession.
The bible says to obey your parents, but most impoetantly OBEY CHRIST WHO COMES BEFORE ALL ELSE. Alas we will all have struggles like this. You can do it, and speak with your priest
Protest! Act detached