Forbidden to attend Mass - can you help?

[stanley37uk]

I am a baptised Catholic , after a few years away from the Church my sister-in-law , a very devout Catholic invited me to the MIdnight Mass at our Cathedral in Edinburgh , my wifr went too although she does not believe in our faith . Following year I again attended just with my sister-in-law , no problems elsewhere in the family .
I felt a strong calling back to the Church .
However in year 3 my mother-in-law began cursing and swearing at me , and accused my sister-in-law of " leading me astray " . My wife lives in fear of her mother and pleaded with me not to go for the sake of her nerves . I had no option but to agree . Her mother then forced us to go to her local Protestant Church which I find drab and lacking the spirituality of my Church . I was choking back tears .
Since then I have just gone to a few mid week holy days at our Cathedral in my lunch hour without them knowing .
I am worried how God any my Church will react , esp to my forced attendance elsewhere .

Stanley

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear Stanely,

When you finally meet the Lord, face to face and he asks you why you didn’t practice your faith, are you going to tell him that your mother-in-law wouldn’t let you? Are you not the man in your family? Your wife needs to grow up and be the adult she is with regard to her mother. And you need to put the Lord first in your life. Tell this you your mother-in-law and that when it is a choice between God and her, she comes up wanting. If this means being estranged from her, fine. Better her than the Lord. Further, you need to be married in the Catholic Church, go to Confession and attend Mass every Sunday! You are in our prayers.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.