C
cleobanzj
Guest
Happynoodlecat,
I am a Catholic married to a Pakistani muslim for 15 years. This marriage made my Catholic faith stronger. I was a cradle Catholic before getting married. I had no understanding of the jewel that I had in Christ.
I married my husband thinking that love will conquer all. I did not even think through what will happen if we have children. All I knew was that I will remain Catholic and he will remain a muslim and all would be well with the world.
The first few years of marriage were a major adjustment. When we bought our first house, my husband told me never to put a crucifix inside our house. I obeyed. I bought rosaries and small crucifixes, but they were inside drawers. However, I was never allowed to put a crucifix in our bedroom. Several years later, it wasn’t me that bought a crucifix in our house, but our son. He had made a crucifix for easter and had given it to me. Uncannily, my son put it in my bedroom. Thus we had a crucifix in our bedroom for a while.
A saving grace in our marriage was that his close relative in the US lived 600 miles away from us and that his parents have died several years before we met. I say this because interference from relatives were minimal, although if we do visit his relatives, my husband gets indoctrinated of what a muslim does or does not do.
One summer, we visited his relatives. We stayed there for three days and one of those days fell on a Sunday. Of course I requested my husband to go with me to find a church in the city. we went looking for a Catholic church, but got there after mass ended. So we went home. After my husband’s relative found out where we went, his relative told me that “You will burn in hell for going to church.”
This started me in a search for an understanding of my faith. I started to pray more and started going to mass more. I noticed that the more I prayed, the more harmonious my life became. A few years later we were blessed with a son. My struggle started because he wanted his only son to become a muslim. I said nothing, but prayed hard. It took him a year and a half before he allowed my son’s baptism.
Same thing happened when my son started school. He wanted to put him in a secular school and then take him to the mosque for his sunday school. I did not say anything, yet I prayed and prayed. Somehow, by the grace of God, he agreed to put him in a Catholic school. There was also an incident where he wanted to take my son to the mosque. We were all dressed up to go to the mosque, suddenly, my son had hives all over his body. It ended with him going to the mosque and my son and I to the hospital.
When it was time for my son’s first communion, again I said nothing, but I prayed. This was the time that he had his first heart attack. He went to the hospital and this hospital transferred him to a catholic hospital as the catholic hospital had better cardio facilities and doctors. While they were doing the procedure on him, his heart stopped for a few seconds, meanwhile I was outside praying. A few days after the procedure, he brought the communion topic up. He said that my son can attend his first communion. I hurriedly filled out the communion slip. It was close to a week before his communion. Phew!
So you see, happynoodlecat, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am able to bring my son up in the Catholic faith, against all odds. However, I still believe that it is better if a husband and wife belong to the same faith. Otherwise, you will be unevenly yoked. I pray for the day that my family can worship together as one. Moreover, if his relatives in Pakistan knew that my husband’s son is being brought up as an infidel, it will be a great scandal, such that if ever I visit pakistan, it will be my demise.
Take care happynoodlecat. Marriage requires a lot of compromises and cannot be taken lightly. My advice is to pray and ask for Mary’s intercession. Do not make any decision that you have not offered to the Lord first. Actually, let HIM make the decision for you. Pray the St. Michael the Archangel prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. God Bless You.
I am a Catholic married to a Pakistani muslim for 15 years. This marriage made my Catholic faith stronger. I was a cradle Catholic before getting married. I had no understanding of the jewel that I had in Christ.
I married my husband thinking that love will conquer all. I did not even think through what will happen if we have children. All I knew was that I will remain Catholic and he will remain a muslim and all would be well with the world.
The first few years of marriage were a major adjustment. When we bought our first house, my husband told me never to put a crucifix inside our house. I obeyed. I bought rosaries and small crucifixes, but they were inside drawers. However, I was never allowed to put a crucifix in our bedroom. Several years later, it wasn’t me that bought a crucifix in our house, but our son. He had made a crucifix for easter and had given it to me. Uncannily, my son put it in my bedroom. Thus we had a crucifix in our bedroom for a while.
A saving grace in our marriage was that his close relative in the US lived 600 miles away from us and that his parents have died several years before we met. I say this because interference from relatives were minimal, although if we do visit his relatives, my husband gets indoctrinated of what a muslim does or does not do.
One summer, we visited his relatives. We stayed there for three days and one of those days fell on a Sunday. Of course I requested my husband to go with me to find a church in the city. we went looking for a Catholic church, but got there after mass ended. So we went home. After my husband’s relative found out where we went, his relative told me that “You will burn in hell for going to church.”
This started me in a search for an understanding of my faith. I started to pray more and started going to mass more. I noticed that the more I prayed, the more harmonious my life became. A few years later we were blessed with a son. My struggle started because he wanted his only son to become a muslim. I said nothing, but prayed hard. It took him a year and a half before he allowed my son’s baptism.
Same thing happened when my son started school. He wanted to put him in a secular school and then take him to the mosque for his sunday school. I did not say anything, yet I prayed and prayed. Somehow, by the grace of God, he agreed to put him in a Catholic school. There was also an incident where he wanted to take my son to the mosque. We were all dressed up to go to the mosque, suddenly, my son had hives all over his body. It ended with him going to the mosque and my son and I to the hospital.
When it was time for my son’s first communion, again I said nothing, but I prayed. This was the time that he had his first heart attack. He went to the hospital and this hospital transferred him to a catholic hospital as the catholic hospital had better cardio facilities and doctors. While they were doing the procedure on him, his heart stopped for a few seconds, meanwhile I was outside praying. A few days after the procedure, he brought the communion topic up. He said that my son can attend his first communion. I hurriedly filled out the communion slip. It was close to a week before his communion. Phew!
So you see, happynoodlecat, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am able to bring my son up in the Catholic faith, against all odds. However, I still believe that it is better if a husband and wife belong to the same faith. Otherwise, you will be unevenly yoked. I pray for the day that my family can worship together as one. Moreover, if his relatives in Pakistan knew that my husband’s son is being brought up as an infidel, it will be a great scandal, such that if ever I visit pakistan, it will be my demise.
Take care happynoodlecat. Marriage requires a lot of compromises and cannot be taken lightly. My advice is to pray and ask for Mary’s intercession. Do not make any decision that you have not offered to the Lord first. Actually, let HIM make the decision for you. Pray the St. Michael the Archangel prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. God Bless You.
I’m speechless…to be honest.
But he staunchly refuses to eat anything containing pork, which I respect, though it amuses me. 
Sister happynoodlecat, its a very shocking incident to hear 
.