How can I...

[coolduude]

… bring my mom back into the Church?

She was raised Catholic, but fell away from it. She has not gone to Confession in several years, and has not recieved the Eucharist in at least two years. She hasn’t even been to church in at least a year!

She refused to go to Confession for my Confrimation, and she always sleeps in on Sundays, even when we go to noon Mass.

The ironic part of all this is that she taught CCD for several years. (CCD is Catholic education for public school kids.)

I look at my friends and see how religious their family is, and then I compare that to our family. We have 1 crucifix in the entire house. (Heck, we probably have more pictures of Buddah than Jesus) Speaking of Buddah, my mom wears a necklace with a Buddah picture on it.

And for those wondering about my dad: He is there. He tries to get us to church, but we are busy often times. Why doesn’t he try to get my mom back? He tried, many years ago, but the attempt fell flat. He tells my brother and I to pray for our mom so she comes back.

How do I bring my mom back?

I really don’t want a confrontation, because if I mention church outside of church, she’ll scoff at me, then look at me like I’m crazy.

Any ideas?

 

[teachccd]

Just continue to be an example for her by your regular Mass attendance and prayerlife. Preaching many times causes people to move back further. Talk about Jesus, the Mass and other things pertaining to our faith as a “part” of a conversation and not the intention. For example you might say, “Hey mom did you know that at Mass this morning Father Joe said …” And then fill in at other times with, “Mom, I’m going to confession tomorrow” or “Mom, last night when I was saying the rosary, the phone rang and …”.

Only you know your mom. Could you ask her what prompted her to teach CCD for so many years? Depending on your relationship with her is where your boundaries will fall. And most of all PRAY! Saint Monica prayed for years before her son, Augustine, came to the faith and then became a Doctor of the Church!

Never give up hope. I’ve experienced these miracles first hand. Never ever give up…God Bless…teachccd

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

**YOU can’t bring her back. It is a lesson your father learned and now you must as well. Only she can come back through the grace of God. But she has to be open to that grace. So your father is right…prayer is your most powerful tool right now. It is stronger than anything you could “do” to or for your mom.

Just continue to grow in your faith, be a good example of a faithful Catholic, and allow God to work in His time. I know it is tough to see someone we love stray so far from the Faith, but it is really beyond our control. But with God, anything is possible. Break out the big guns…pray, fast, sacrifice…all for your mom’s reversion. None of those things are ever wasted.**

 

[teachccd]

But never neglect to realize that God does work through us. So while you cannot bring her back, God can work through your examples to bring her back. But like the previous poster said, only the Holy Spirit will ultimately bring her back. I’ve seen this first hand and God allows people to go through certain journeys so that when they do return they come back stronger than they were when they left…God Bless…teachccd

 

[dg5887]

It’s simple. Just pray…ALOT! God hears the prayers of the faithful. It may take many years but in God’s time He will answer your prayer.

 

[wifenmommy]

I’ll echo the great advice you have recieved thus far…just keep praying! Also, I so recommend the book, “Pierced By a Sword” by Bud McFarlan. Jr. For a nominal fee, you can request the book I think from Catholicity. All of his books are wonderful!! But this is the one that got my behind back to Church for quite a few years now (and subsequently dh back too!!!) Keep praying!!

 

[OLHope]

I have one idea that might work, I suggested it to another family and they are closer than ever. Make Sunday, family day. Make an effort at getting yourself and your dad and whoever else possible to keep going to the same mass every week. Make it a point to budget a bit to go out for brunch or dinner afterward, to discuss the homily or what was different about the mass you enjoyed. What you took from the mass, what the gospel resonates with your past week’s events…etc…eventually your mom will want to partake in it and it will pique her curiousity to have all this nice time and why should you all enjoy that without her? She might just be overstressed from work or slightly depressed…so maybe a purpose for one of her weekly free days(I am assuming), could be a great motivation for her to get back into the swing of things!!

You can invite the priest or a lonely usher…make it a nice day, go to a park or visit a relative. Sundays in my house are great, luckily we are all local so getting to family is not too difficult plus we stay in touch all the time and are closer as a result!

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Prayer is a mighty tool. And it might take awhile. It took my father at least 50 years to come back to the Church, with the prayers of his sisters, his brother-in-law the perennial Grand Knight, his children, his grandchildren, and of course that intercessor or intercessors, his wife.

It doesn’t matter what other people’s families have. It matters what your family has. You need to work within that framework.

You do not only need to set a good example as far as your prayer life, Mass attendance and confession goes. You need to be a cheerful, helpful son, ready to pitch in when needed. This is not an easy thing to do as a teen. Let you mom not only see that you attend Mass regularly, but that you are there to help load the dishwasher, vacuum the rug, and clean the gutters, a go-to guy.

 

[puzzleannie]

… bring my mom back into the Church?

you can’t
only the Holy Spirit can
live your life in conformity with Christ and his Church, obeying his commands including honoring your mother (which does not include condoning or enabling any abusive of sinful behavior) and be for her the shining light, the salt of the earth, the faithful servant. You cannot change your mother, you can only change yourself, and that only with the help of the Holy Spirit, whose gifts you received at Confirmation. Live out those gifts and let Him take care of the rest. Pray for your mother daily, and due some kind act for her daily, preferably one she cannot see and cannot thank you for.