G
gloraykid
Guest
I was raised Catholic and married my husband in the Church. He was unbaptized at the time. My in-laws of 17 yrs, both baptized and raised in different protestant denominations, don’t practice anything (and never did- as they never even had my husband -their son - baptized). Once we had their 3 grandchildren, they have been willing to attend their sacraments, but are wholly secular in what they say and do. When my husband converted about 10 years ago (when our youngest was an infant), he didn’t even tell his parents right away because he knew they’d be upset (even tho they don’t practice any religion). A few days after converting, he did tell them, and boy, were they upset (One of them actually said: “If you has to convert, why didn’t you join our religion!”). We’ve tried to engage them many times in discussions of the faith, but they avoid it assiduously. In any event, we just keep on with our faith, inviting them to as many religious events as possible, praying before meals, etc. and shamelessly using our kids to get them before the blessed sacrament at every opportunity! This past weekend, as usual, we hosted Easter dinner — and they came bearing the most secular hallmark, glitterly bunny, butterfly and tulip “Easter” cards for the kids — with bookstore gift cards inside. I acknowledge their generosity … i am just so tired of celebrating our CATHOLIC holidays with people of no faith-- and of their refusal to even ACKNOWLEDGE that these holidays we all get together for (i.e. Christmas and Easter and the kids’ sacraments) are RELIGIOUS, GOD-CENTERED events!!! Clearly they obviously avoid the “Christian” Easter or Christmas stuff, and purchase the secular choices in every instance, when they KNOW we are Catholic. I confess I don’t know exactly what I would say, but would it be uncharitable to say something about how the so-obviously secular cards offend us? Would it be sinful NOT to choose to celebrate these religious holidays with them? Or do we just continue to grin and bear it (and pray, obviously…), doing damage control with the kids where necessary and hope we rub off on them, vs the other way around…