Converting a spouse

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My wife was raised Luthern. We were married in a Catholic Church. She does not go to church with me. She does not practice her Luthern religion either. I ask her to go to church with me and I pray for her to become Catholic. I feel my vocation is to bring her to heaven. What can I do to bring her to heaven?
 
4321dcba said:
My wife was raised Luthern. We were married in a Catholic Church. She does not go to church with me. She does not practice her Luthern religion either. I ask her to go to church with me and I pray for her to become Catholic. I feel my vocation is to bring her to heaven. What can I do to bring her to heaven?
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I would keep praying and loving her unconditionally. Keep living your faith as best you can too, growing in holiness. Also, find other couples you connect with who are Catholic… Catholic community/friends (who do not pressure) can be super helpful because it takes the pressure off you as they can pray and be available for discussions as well.

My sister’s husband converted after 4 years of marriage… she lived her faith - never hid it - but found she could not overload her husband with talking about her faith or encouraging him to convert as he just perceived it as pressure. Eventually, in his own time and his own way, he researched the faith and found it was for him. He came home one day from work and said, much to my sister’s surprise, that he wanted to start RCIA.
 
  1. Be the best example of a Catholic, faithful to the teachings of the church that you can be.
  2. Pray constantly that the Holy Spirit will enkindle in her heart a desire to learn more about the Catholic Faith.
  3. You likely had her agree to raise the children Catholic, if you were married in a Catholic Church. If she takes this agreement seriously, then you could explain that it will be important to you to go to Mass as a family(when you have children). It would probably also be important to you that she understands Catholicism to really love and understand who you are as a person. Both of these discussion points if not good for conversion are atleast good for your relationship.
  4. Sneaky FUN tactic: If she is onboard with the conversations above. Take the opportunity to show her just how universal the Catholic church is. Get her to go to Mass with you on Sundays, but agree that you can never go to the same Mass twice (not forever, just for as long as it lasts.) She will get to see Mass in different languages (vernaculars and hopefully latin.) She will get to hear different types of liturgical music, see different types of church architecture, and hear different priests. You can take her out for lunch or brunch somewhere different each time. Maybe you’ll run out of places and make some fun day trips to other small towns. It is good together time and across the depth and breadth of Catholicism she is bound to find something that will inspire her, if not atleast give her a big picture image of what it is.
  5. Be patient and loving, but express yourself. If you never ask the right questions or offer the right opportunities she will not have a chance to respond. You have to seem comfortable discussing religion with her for her to feel comfortable approaching you with her religious thoughts and concerns.
 
You cannot convert her, only the Holy Spirit can. Be the best husband you can be, love her as Christ loved His Church and her heart may start to soften towards the one true Church. You and God have the same goal here. It is best not to pressure her, in the words of St. Francis, preach the gosepl always, when necessary use words
 
The best ways:
  1. Pray, pray, pray for the Holy Spirit to come into her heart and lead to a desire to learn about the faith;
  2. Be a great example of a practicing Catholic and show all the joy that comes with it!
    God bless you; I will pray for your intention!
    Silyosha:)
 
I’m in a different spot. I’m a Catholic. My husband is nothing. He was raised in the Morman Church and doesn’t practice that any longer. Has went to some non-demon churches, but never "sticks’ with it. He’s a recovering addict, but doesn’t go to meetings needed to continue w/ his recovery. It’s really playing havoc in our marriage. I’ve told him I need 3 people in our marriage. I’ve never asked him to convert to my faith. Just believe in God and live a good, clean Christian life.

Right now he is struggling w/ all kinds of demons.

Prayers, please. Thank you.🤷
 
4321dcba said:
My wife was raised Luthern. We were married in a Catholic Church. She does not go to church with me. She does not practice her Luthern religion either. I ask her to go to church with me and I pray for her to become Catholic. I feel my vocation is to bring her to heaven. What can I do to bring her to heaven?
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My situation was the opposite of yours; my wife was Catholic, I was batized Luthern but was not a practising Christian at all, and we were married in the Catholic Church. It took me 27 years of marriage to finally heed the calling of the Holy Spirit and enter RCIA. So give it time, and pray for the Spirit to open her heart.
 
If you are looking for a good resource, the book “Search and Rescue” by Patrick Madrid is about how to approch family and friends about the Catholic Church, and it will detail the items listed in the previous posts. It also has a great reading list in the back of specific topics if you need more of the theological info for a convert or potential convert.
 
Chiltepin said:
  1. Be the best example of a Catholic, faithful to the teachings of the church that you can be.
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This worked for me! My husband entered the church at Easter Vigil last year and would like to be a sponsor someday.
 
St Paul said something along these lines. Lead by example and don’t nag.
 
I agree with the person who said “you” cannot change anyone.
Only God can change her/his heart.

I also agree that living YOUR life as a strong pious Catholic is the best evidence for her that there is.
 
I would add this;

Gd is working in her life.
Gd is working in your life.
Gd never sleeps.

You need to point out the things in your day that you seen Gd doing.
You can ask her opinion on things you struggle with in your faith life.
You need to tell her what things you are praying about. (not the big stuff- abortion)
You need to tell her what Gd is trying to teach you about your faith life, your short comings.

She will then start seeing things in her day that are more than coincidence.
She will ask you about things she struggles with.
She will tell you things you can pray about or may pray herself.
She will tell you what Gd is trying to teach her.
 
Gd does things;

Just wanted to add;
Even things like, why most of the world’s oil is in the middle east can prove Gd’s glory. If you can converse the wonder of Gd. You know, Gd could see into the future and know He needed to redistribute some of the world’s wealth. The same could be said of China’s economy growing.
 
4321dcba said:
My wife was raised Luthern. We were married in a Catholic Church. She does not go to church with me. She does not practice her Luthern religion either. I ask her to go to church with me and I pray for her to become Catholic. I feel my vocation is to bring her to heaven. What can I do to bring her to heaven?
Click to expand...
Live your faith fully, pray for her, and live the example of what being Catholic means. Do not nag her to become Catholic, but let her see your living example. As married partners, you are responsible to each other to grow in faith, confirm each other’s faith and become Saints. You’re on the right track. 😃
 
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