Family members, prayer only?

[irishpatrick]

Most of us have family members that are either fallen away Catholics, or simply pick-and-choose what they will follow and believe. Speaking with them when the opportunity arises is important, yet more often than not it will fall upon unwilling ears.

So, are we left to simply pray and offer mortifcations for them?

 

[puzzleannie]

the best book on this topic remains SEarch and Rescue by Patrick Madrid, with family what you say, how you say it, when, and to whom are critical and you can set back a loved one’s reconversion for years by doing it wrong.

 

[irishpatrick]

the best book on this topic remains SEarch and Rescue by Patrick Madrid, with family what you say, how you say it, when, and to whom are critical and you can set back a loved one’s reconversion for years by doing it wrong.

The problems are many. One family member is a devout atheist, several are just fallen Catholics, one has left the Christian altogether for Judaism…they all were baptized and raised Catholic. It is a real mess.

 

[Edward_H]

Prayer, first and last. Sacrifice too. More confession and Mass.

Get so close to the Lord through prayer and sacrifice that the Holy Spirit overflows in you in the forms of peace and joy. And your life will have such an attractiveness and cheerfulness to it that it will draw the attention of your fallen away family members. Sincere joy always attracts. Some of your family members will begin to sense the calm and peace of God in you, and they will begin to wonder, and at least ask themselves little questions.

That’s how it will work, very naturally and slowly. And later, they may ask questions about you and your faith, important details, and you will gently begin to teach, but very slowly. Your conversations will be mainly about them and their lives, not overloaded with doctrine and argument.