"Dead" to my parents--is there anything I can do?

[SwordofStPaul]

I come from a very LDS (Mormon) family. I had been raised LDS, and although I was taught some excellent and extremely beneficial morals, I never felt any indication of God’s presence. Three years ago, against my parent’s wishes, I decided to look into other faiths. I didn’t know what to expect. After some time, I had a personal experience where I felt something I hadn’t before; a deep sense of understanding, love, and hope. It was from that point on that I knew God’s spirit is, without a doubt, in the Catholic Church. After a few years of study, reading, prayer, fasting, and support from Catholic friends, I decided to join The Church. I asked my parents for permission to learn more and, naturally, they refused.

This last year I left to college, a long way from home, and I was given my chance to take part in an RCIA class. I decided to be baptized and receive my first communion this Easter. However, I had yet to tell my parents.

About a month ago, I decided that I needed to be honest with my family and tell them how I felt and what I had decided for myself. During what was the most nerve racking phone conversation of my entire life, I testified of my faith and asked for their love and understanding. My reply was the sound of a phone being hung up.

Two days later, I received an email from my parents that told me, in short, that I was no longer part of the family and that I, by deciding to convert, have shown that I could not possibly love my family any longer. They also mentioned that they feel as if I have died, and that they shall never be part of my life again. They told me that I am not to come home ever again.

After many unanswered phone calls, emails, and even written letters, I have become increasingly worried about losing my family. I know that the Church is true. I cannot deny it. I don’t want to lose my parents or my brother and sisters. I love them with all my heart.

My RCIA leader and my priest have both told me that time heals all wounds, and that I just need to hang in there and continue praying… but it is still hard to take the stress.

Is there anything more I can do? Is there anyone out there that has experienced something like this that can offer me some wisdom about this?

If not, please pray for my parents, I know that they are in pain as well.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear friend,

It is not an easy thing to be rejected–especially from people we love. We spend so much time and energy, trying to avoid experiencing even the mildest forms of rejection. But in redeeming us and showing us how to love, our Blessed Lord knowingly allowed himself to experience what we fear most. He was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, and abandoned by the rest. Those who put him to death wanted him more than dead. They wanted him to suffer. Even the Father was silent during this time. All of his physical suffering only emphasized the rejection he felt.

The place you will find the most strength and peace will be before him in the tabernacle. Just sit there with him, reflecting on what he endured and offer him your pain as a love offering in response to his. I will post a refection on his Passion below. You WILL be at peace.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.

Reflection on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ +

The agony in the garden was really the agony in His mind which resulted in His sweating blood. He suffered the passion in His mind and in His body. Such mental and physical suffering actually intensified each other.

At the base of all His suffering was the one thing that human beings dread the most: rejection. He was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter and abandoned by all the rest of His Apostles; those He had hand picked as His closest intimates. He was most rejected by those who put Him to death. They not only wanted Him dead, they wanted Him to suffer. They not only considered Him to be worth nothing, they considered Him to be worth minus nothing! This significance was not lost on Him. He felt fully the rejection as each physical agony reminded Him.

So we thank Him for joining us on our human journey and actually choosing to experience what we fear the most.

We thank Him for enduring the arrest and the cruelty of the guards and the Sanhedrin. We thank Him for enduring the cruelty of Pilate who allowed Him to be executed rather than risk his own political ruin—and for the cruelty of Herod who wanted to be entertained by having Him work a miracle. We thank Him for all the time He spent satisfying their preoccupation with themselves, just delaying His ultimate death. We thank Him for the anxiety of that night in a cell.

The next morning He was brutally scourged with such intensity and violence that He became as an aged man in a matter of minutes. His multiple wounds bloodied His entire body. The loss of so much blood not only severely weakened Him; it also caused a severe, throbbing headache that remained with Him for the duration.

We thank Him for this and for the mockery He received when they put a purple cloth on His shoulders and pushed a crown of thorns down into His head which intensified His headache. They blindfolded Him and slapped Him, insisting that He ‘prophesy’ who had hit Him. They spat on Him and beat Him.

He stood at the praetorium in utter disgrace according to the attitude of the crowd—while in reality, He stood in utter glory: almighty God, being present to every person who has ever suffered rejection, joining them in their moment of pain. It was there that He was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Physically, He was utterly miserable. He revealed to St. Bernard that carrying the cross was His most painful agony. He was so weak, He could hardly walk. Nauseous and thirsty, He found the weight of the cross on His shoulder almost unbearable. It most likely dislocated His shoulder. It is not surprising that He fell down on the stone streets that were filthy with animal dung—with the cross on top of Him. And He got up each time.

It was only with the help of Simon of Cyrene that He made it to the top of Calvary. There they drove the nails into the carpal tunnels of His hands, causing pain throughout His upper body. The nail in His feet registered great pain through all the sensitive nerves there. When the cross was righted, His up-stretched arms squeezed His lungs and He began to pant for lack of oxygen. So He had to push down on His crucified feet to push His body up in order to fill His lungs with air. This took great effort because He was so weak. Yet He managed to maintain such effort for three hours of agony which increased gradually as He became weaker moment by moment.

By the end of the third hour, His agony was at its peak. He had come to the point where His strength simply gave out and He suffocated. In this eternal moment as He died, He gave us His life. Transcending time, this moment of divine love is present to us in the tabernacles of the world.

Thank you, Lord. We adore you O Christ and we praise you. By your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.