About to pack it all in

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Coachpete

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I have been a rosary praying, confessing, mass going catholic my whole life. And I’m about to just reject the whole thing, not one prayer of mine is ever answered. I asked for help for my kids and they continue to fail. I ask for guidance in my own vocation and work and nothing happens. My priest tells stories of all the samples of how powerful,prayer is and gives examples of how st Joseph helped his dad etc. nothing like that ever happens for me and mine on any lever. Not our health, our work. Our lives are failures in every way you can measure it. Economically, health wise, you name it.

We try to do things right. Why are we so thoroughly rejected
 
I have been a rosary praying, confessing, mass going catholic my whole life. And I’m about to just reject the whole thing, not one prayer of mine is ever answered. I asked for help for my kids and they continue to fail. I ask for guidance in my own vocation and work and nothing happens. My priest tells stories of all the samples of how powerful,prayer is and gives examples of how st Joseph helped his dad etc. nothing like that ever happens for me and mine on any lever. Not our health, our work. Our lives are failures in every way you can measure it. Economically, health wise, you name it.

We try to do things right. Why are we so thoroughly rejected
Have you tried a genie in a bottle? 😃

All kidding aside, it is tough to have things not go our way. Especially when it seems like we want good things. Gods plans are bigger.

Jesus prayed that his burden would be lifted from him…it wasn’t.
Jesus prayed his church would be one…it isn’t.

I also like this clip from the movie Evan Almighty;

Basically " if we ask God for patience, does he give us patience or opportunities to learn patience?"

youtu.be/RkQnQFeW53I
 
Also Pete,

Faith is not about what you receive. It is about trusting God, loving him and believing in something bigger than yourself.

The Saints received, poverty, pains, illness and death. Great sufferings. But amongst these things came tremendous opportunity for faith and love and grace.

Would we have heard anything about them if they had amassed some wealth and prosperity? No

We hear about them today because of their tremendous faith and concern for others above themselves.

Many people would have said their lives were failures. St Martin de Porres was the son of an aristocrat and could have had anything he wanted. He instead lived in the slums, healed people, loved people and gave all he had away.

When his father died who went to his funeral? A smattering and his name is just a footnote in his bastard son’s story.

When Martin died, All of the city of Lima came out and mourned his loss and now he is a saint.

This life is not about the American Dream. It is about God’s dream for us.
 
a visiting priest is doing a lentan mission at our church. he touches on this issue specifically.

we are christians not because it feels good, it doen’st, it’s not supposed to

why did God come down and become man, certainly not because it felt good, it didn’t, he was spat on, had dirt and rocks thrown at him, had to carry hiw own instrument of torture of death, was nailed to it and left to parch and dry for 9 hours and eventually bled to death. and when he didn’t die fast enough, they stabbed him. there was nothing in it for him, he did it because he loved us.

similarly, mother teresa, took in thousands of lepers, whom nobody else would touch, the hindus beat her with rocks for doing so, she didn’t do it because it felt good, or that there was anything in it for her, there wasn’t.

financial gain, good health and the rest of it will not get us to heaven, faith and love will. try not to worry about things too much, those who think they have less than others, someone else still has less than them. as for your kids, it depends what you mean by them continuing to fail, if they are already adults, they are responsible for their own choices now.
 
I don’t pray for financial gain. I just asked for some guidance. Clearly I’m on my own. I guess no sense in praying for my kids either based on replies. So I won’t bother.
 
The above poster mentioned Mother Teresa. It should be important also to note that she essentially suffered a dark night of the soul for decades. No consolation from God, no abiding sense of His presence, no inner reassurance of His grace. Why didn’t she just give it all up, give all religion up?

In Scripture, many suffer, many fail, many faithful do not even live to see the fruits of their obedience.

Many in Israel were born in hardship, lived in hardship, died in hardship without a pyramid to mark their passing or to show that they had stayed true to the God of Jacob.

Many of the prophets yearned for the coming of the Messiah but never saw him in life. Simeon waited, faithfully praying and fasting in the temple, until the very end of his life for the privilege of cradling the answer to every prayer in his arms.

Job lost everything.

David lost everything multiple times.

Our King died, humiliated, spat upon by men. In the Mass he brings us back with him to new life.

The salvation of your soul is your first responsibility. May St. Joseph grant you the grace of a happy death. It’s a war out there. May God bless you and our Lady keep you.
 
I don’t have all the answers but I am sorry you are having these feelings. I’m sure many people have felt the way your feeling now when they are having a bad day, week, month and even years. Please don’t loose faith! Weather it is clear to you or not God loves you and won’t give up on you, please don’t give up on him or on yourself. Praying for you and your family.
 
I should add that I’ve been through much less than you. I’m sorry if I’m trying to come off as spiritually superior - I have no right.

I don’t really have any answers either. I shall say a prayer to our Lady for you and your children.
 
I have been a rosary praying, confessing, mass going catholic my whole life. And I’m about to just reject the whole thing, not one prayer of mine is ever answered. I asked for help for my kids and they continue to fail. I ask for guidance in my own vocation and work and nothing happens. My priest tells stories of all the samples of how powerful,prayer is and gives examples of how st Joseph helped his dad etc. nothing like that ever happens for me and mine on any lever. Not our health, our work. Our lives are failures in every way you can measure it. Economically, health wise, you name it.

We try to do things right. Why are we so thoroughly rejected
Hi Coachpete,

I’m sorry to hear about your troubles, but don’t give in to despair. You are probably going through a spiritual desert. Go to a bookstore and get “Dark night of the soul”. This is an excellent book that goes through how to deal with times like these.

Remember that you are not alone. All faithful go through these times. Mother Theresa went through this for more than thirty years! So much so that she thought often of quitting her work, but was convinced otherwise by Pope John Paul 2.

And of course, who can forget Jesus’s Passion? Remember His words: [BIBLEDRB]John 15:18[/BIBLEDRB]

Stay strong! I will pray for you!
 
I have been a rosary praying, confessing, mass going catholic my whole life. And I’m about to just reject the whole thing, not one prayer of mine is ever answered. I asked for help for my kids and they continue to fail. I ask for guidance in my own vocation and work and nothing happens. My priest tells stories of all the samples of how powerful,prayer is and gives examples of how st Joseph helped his dad etc. nothing like that ever happens for me and mine on any lever. Not our health, our work. Our lives are failures in every way you can measure it. Economically, health wise, you name it.

We try to do things right. Why are we so thoroughly rejected
I am so sorry!
It appears that we do not all carry the same load; some loads, like yours, are really heavy. He knows best why He has not answered your prayers according to your wish.
During His Agony in the Garden, Jesus prayed thus: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:39
We know that instead of the “cup” passing by, God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus.
May He give you the strength and understanding you need to hang in there. They say it is always darkest before dawn!
Will remember you in my prayers.
God bless!
 
I have been a rosary praying, confessing, mass going catholic my whole life. And I’m about to just reject the whole thing, not one prayer of mine is ever answered. I asked for help for my kids and they continue to fail. I ask for guidance in my own vocation and work and nothing happens. My priest tells stories of all the samples of how powerful,prayer is and gives examples of how st Joseph helped his dad etc. nothing like that ever happens for me and mine on any lever. Not our health, our work. Our lives are failures in every way you can measure it. Economically, health wise, you name it.

We try to do things right. Why are we so thoroughly rejected
Someone here suggested the story of Job. You have to look at your situation in light of Job’s. I do not doubt that Our Father has you in His merciful grip, or your situations could me more dire. I have read stories about the martyrs and saints. I pray not to go through those types of trials, but whatever may come, I cling to Him who created the universe over the one who came to destroy it. Do not despair brother, but in earnest seek Our Father in Heaven.
 
Today’s lectionaries readings may help you. They are titled “Blessed are they who hope in The Lord”.

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

Lectionary: 233

Reading 1 JER 17:5-10

Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the LORD, alone probe the mind
and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds.

Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6

R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so, the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Gospel LK 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.’“
 
While it is true that Christians do suffer for the faith, and this world can be a “vale of tears” for many of us until we reach the eternal reward of Heaven, I do not agree that we should accept this as our lot in life, as if accepting our baptism means embracing a life of constant toil and struggle without any earthly consolation.

I believe that a mature spirituality and a close walk with the Lord can offer us inner peace and an abiding joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. I believe that if we have a robust prayer life, we persist on the path to personal holiness, and we give glory to God, we can find happiness in this life, regardless of the day-to-day suffering and trouble that we may meet along the way.

We are not Albigensians or Cathars. We do not subscribe to the belief that the flesh is evil, and that mankind can never amount to anything until our death and salvation. As Catholics, we believe that mankind is inherently good, and we should seek out that goodness and see Christ in one another. True charity springs from a place of contentment, it is love for the dignity of each human person. Even when we fail in life, when our children are in trouble, when our financial situation is unrecoverable, when things seem darkest, we can take solace in the Lord and know that we are safe and sound, hidden under His pinions. Perhaps we endure suffering because of the effects of sin, perhaps we suffer because we are being spiritually attacked, we cannot know why God allows us to suffer, but we can know that He wants for us a better life, if not here and now, then in the next when we are reunited with Him.

For the OP I would suggest the guidance of a good confessor, and/or a spiritual director. I would seek to develop my spirituality to a point where I did not depend on God to meet my every temporal need, or answer my every prayer petition - God does not work like that. Sometimes we are handed suffering because God wants us to unite ourselves to the sorrowful Passion and Death of Our Savior. It is during that time when we should look to Jesus, see how He gracefully bore His suffering, and imitate Him in every way.
 
I don’t pray for financial gain. I just asked for some guidance. Clearly I’m on my own. I guess no sense in praying for my kids either based on replies. So I won’t bother.
I’m so sorry you feel this pain and sorrow when you have tried and tried to do right for yourself, for others, and above all for God. I don’t know why you have suffered so but I will pray for you and all your family. I hope your prayers will be answered. God bless you now and always. :gopray2::hug1:
 
Just do not walk away from attending Mass. Please trust me on this one.
 
Where ever you go God is with you. The Divinity within is guiding and bringing you those thoughts. Your prayers are being answered they have brought you to this blessed place in your life. Enjoy the present moment and you will see. It seems you are flying the plane and God is your co-pilot. Relax and let God fly the plane and you just enjoy the ride. God knows what you want so just enjoy and be grateful for all that is given.
 
While you can do whatever you want, I hope you will reconsider giving up. Maybe instead of praying for what you want, which I am sure are for good things. Throw yourself on God’s mercy. Trust in him. He loves you and your kids. never give up on him, cling to him, and believe him when he promises not to forsake you. We can’t always see the big picture, but we can hold on to Jesus. His love for us is real,even if we cannot see it, it is there.
 
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