How do we, Practicing Catholics, convince Lukewarm Catholics to become more obedient to the teaching of the Church?

[Newbie2]

I would define lukewarm as anyone who is not on fire to learn more about how to live more like Christ and learn more about the church he founded.

Define “on fire”

 

[dmelosi]

Define “on fire”

I think the best way that I could define it would be that it is a top priority in life.

The need to know more burns.

Active on the spiritual journey.

Just a few things that pop in my mind.

 

[CatholicCajun]

1. Pray for them
2. Lead by example

 

[JudeAnthony]

As a non-Catholic, but very involved in witnessing for Christ… I have something I would like to say, if I may.

One of the things that many people become lukewarm with is due to a lack of understanding, lack of compassion, lack of fellowship, etc.

But I feel the greatest thing that Catholics who are “on-fire” can do, is never to fail to be flexible with the changes of culture… like for instance… make RCIA exciting and worthwhile… prayer rallies… home study groups… etc…

I feel that the World today is no longer looking for those who are complacent and long-faced to lead them to the Truth, but for those from whence the Truth is vibrant and joyous.

So really, it’s time for the Catholics who desire to reach out and help be co-redemptrices with Christ to aide a lost and dying world to salvation, is to change their walk and become more passionate, intimate, and deeply moved by God Himself that their relationship grows as well…

Thanks for listening.

 

[chewchoo]

one thing we have to realize tho is that people come to God and church on their own schedule, not on a schedule that we would like it to be…

it took me almost 10 years to migrate from lukewarm to questioning to on-fire (and it is flickering at best)

along with the rest of you, i am very interested in seeing more of my family and my fellow parishioners more on-fire.

i tried to get informational and catechesis type material in our church bulletin, but my pastor wasn’t too receptive. he thought it was a good idea, but it didn’t fit his agenda, what ever that may be…

i have also found that sharing the fire too exuberantly is a turn off to many people, so we come back to planting a seed and then coming back to nuture it once in awhile…

 

[jimcav]

Just tell your story. Here’s mine -

As so many other Catholics, I spent way to much of my life chasing earthly dreams, trying to find a couple of hours of pleasure in a bar, chasing girls, or working OT to buy a new car that was sure to bring me happiness, or trying to get promoted, or even trying to find happiness on a weeks vacation.

All of those things and others just brought me temporary happiness, but not true fulfillment. Something was always missing, as with so many other people today. Since I have found my way back to the Church and truly learned my faith, I have found happiness all the time. I am now really fulfilled. I now know what I’m chasing and its wonderful. I can now more easily weather the tough times, and I’m a kinder gentler person and people notice.

My personal story usually brings about questions from listeners who are looking for the same things, and it seems to be a good opening for me to discuss holiness, the Church and truly reconnecting to our faith…

 

[suupah]

I grew up in a Catholic household with weekly rosary, weekly mass and weekly bible study. I remember one year when i was a kid praying the rosary every day before school. That year was the best year of my life, not because my circumstances were any better but because for some reason i just felt better about everything. I went through all the CCD classes and sacraments through confirmation.

After confirmation i dropped out and didn’t return for 12 years. I lived a very typically secular life during that time. As you can imagine my lifestyle was at odds with church teachings.

I think this is a very common story. I really want to get to the bottom of why everyone bails out after confirmation until they get married.

In my case I wasn’t married when i came back. The lord called me to prayer one afternoon and my life made a permanent shift. I thank God for all the teaching that i received early in life because when the call came i knew just what to do. First thing i did was go to confession then received our lord in the Eucharist. I began daily prayer, rosary and bible reading. I also discovered this website which has helped enormously!

After living life in the church people made comments like…you look happy or are you overdosed on prozac? I still have not evangelized to this day. That is my next step.

God bless

 

[Theodore]

I grew up in a Catholic household with weekly rosary, weekly mass and weekly bible study. I remember one year when i was a kid praying the rosary every day before school. That year was the best year of my life, not because my circumstances were any better but because for some reason i just felt better about everything. I went through all the CCD classes and sacraments through confirmation.

After confirmation i dropped out and didn’t return for 12 years. I lived a very typically secular life during that time. As you can imagine my lifestyle was at odds with church teachings.

I think this is a very common story. I really want to get to the bottom of why everyone bails out after confirmation until they get married.

In my case I wasn’t married when i came back. The lord called me to prayer one afternoon and my life made a permanent shift. I thank God for all the teaching that i received early in life because when the call came i knew just what to do. First thing i did was go to confession then received our lord in the Eucharist. I began daily prayer, rosary and bible reading. I also discovered this website which has helped enormously!

After living life in the church people made comments like…you look happy or are you overdosed on prozac? I still have not evangelized to this day. That is my next step.

God bless

I know where you’re coming from, as a Vietnam Vet i’ve been to the bottom of the pile and back. I thank God every day for his Mercy, and also for the number of people that kept praying for me. As for evangelizing, i try to live my Faith now, and by doing so people have noticed a change in me. At the moment they are looking on not realizing that they are being evangelized, silently, and then sooner or later, bingo !! curiousity gets the better of them, and with the help of Gods’ Grace i give them my testimony.
However never stop praying for each other, because that is the ultimate act of Charity. The Rosary is a most powerful form of prayer.
Totus Tuus.

 

[suzzypancake]

I agree. But in my parish they stand apart and won’t participate in any parish activities. They bad mouth our priest who is a faithful priest. He is very tolerant of practises that other priests don’t tolerate, such as receiving while kneeling.

One man who is extremely traditional will even not shake hands during the sign of peace. He acts angry often.

i have a neighbor like that…wont acknowledge me in the neighborhood or in church. he wont even hold my hand while saying the our father when hes sitting next to me at mass… i just hold my hand out to him and leave it there as a gesture that he can accept anytime. but it is frustrating

 

[ncgolf]

I would say the task is almost impossible for a any person to do. I think there are 3 major obstacles that prevent lukewarms from fully returning to practicing their Catholic faith.

1. Issues with Birth Control
2. “Choice”
3. Not understanding why Mass is crucial to maintaining your faith.

I believe the convincing is overrated. Talk is cheap. When lukewarms start finding their way back it is usually because of a crises. That is when we must be ready with open arms … remember the father in Prodigal Son, no admonishment of the returnee. That is hard to do, welcome without lecture, haughtiness or anything resembling “told you so”. The Spirit convinces and what we hope is that we can be like the loving father when that person comes back. If God can welcome back without reservation why can’t we.

 

[Ellen_G]

Good Forum and Great Feedback! At my parish we have had adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for a few years now and we gradually get a few more worshippers. I just watched the Journey Home in which a couple ( MD and wife) witnessed to their journey of coming home to the Faith. They mentioned a few times on how we all have a hole in our heart that needs to be filled. They mentioned that nothing was able to fill this hole until they understood the True Presence of our Lord in the Eucharist. We in our church are fortunate to have the Sacraments. Prayer is also a habit, and at first takes an act of the will to get started as a routine. Mother Therese made the Holy Hour a Must in her order. We don’t need to look for ways to evangelize others – we need to make prayer a part of our life and God will show us the way to go out to our friends, and make our enemies our Friends. We all have a daily struggle with what Dr Kubler Ross calls our own Hitler – She then mentioned that we need to become another Mother Therese. Big Shoes to fit into! God Bless.

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

Define lukewarm and then I will answer the question. It is not our call to determine the hearts and minds of our fellow Catholics by labelling them cafeteria Catholics or to say the majority are that way.

Exactly, to do so misrepresents the situation.

 

[Theodore]

Exactly, to do so misrepresents the situation.

Lukewarm means being tepid, neither hot or cold. You know the type ! they say they love you and don’t show it. Christ said to Sister Faustina, my Soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls, and for them the last hope of salvation is to run to my Mercy. I’m sure most of us know what it is like to be loved in a lukewarm manner.
God Bless…

 

[fin]

I

One man who is extremely traditional will even not shake hands during the sign of peace. He acts angry often.

So what if he doesn’t want to shake hands? That doesn’t make him uncharitable.

If he acts angry, well then, that’s another question, of course.

 

[puzzleannie]

How do we, Practicing Catholics, convince Lukewarm Catholics (Caferia Catholics) to become more obedient to the teaching of the Church?

I t.

first of all, how do we get them coming to Mass and partaking in the sacraments? IMO all evangelization efforts undertaken by a diocese or parish should be first directed at their own inactive members. such efforts will fall flat if faithful Catholics are not faithful in all aspects of Christian life. If they are reverent at Mass, but gossip and spread rumors outside, they cannot evangelize. If they teach CCD, but cheat their employees, they cannot evangelize effectively. If they run a vibrant youth ministry, yet contracept, they cannot evangelize.

in answer to OP, the best way to evangelize is to be active, believing, living Catholics in all aspects of my own life.

 

[fin]

to convince them, lukewarm Catholics need to understand their Faith. How many know that the holy sacrifice of the Mass is Calvary itself, of the real Presence, of indulgences and so on?

We also have to beg God to grant the grace of conversion and enlightenment to understand the Faith.

How about showing them that being a devout Catholic is fun? I enjoy being Catholic.

 

[suzzypancake]

So what if he doesn’t want to shake hands? That doesn’t make him uncharitable.

if its not uncharitable, then what does it mean to refuse to offer a sign of peace to a parishioner in his own church.

 

[po18guy]

Christ’s peace, Manny! God is so Good that I recently had this exact experience. I was on a job and worked with a partner. He was in a quandary because he had married a Mormon wife and her entire family was all over him to convert. He was not practicing his faith, but he knew that Mormonism was not the true faith, because they did not venerate Mary. (Thank you, Blessed Mother!). Night after night we just talked about the stress and I witnessed to him as best I could. In a moment of weakness, I apparently stopped resisting the Holy Spirit and allowed something wise to escape my lips.

One night, out of the blue, he said, “I’ve got to go back to church”. Well, I suddenly realized why I had been put in contact with him. I know that this has become my purpose in life, so I explained how easy it was to be reconciled to God. I verbally walked him through the process. The next week, he had already spoken to his priest. A couple weeks later, he was reconciled, back at mass and, through a hook-up with my miracle brother in Christ, enrolled in a Catholic Bible study - and with a scholarship, due to his financial situation. Praise God!

Be not afraid. The fallen-away are everywhere. The encouragement they receive just from hearing a practicing Catholic speak, especially in a world so hostile to the truth, can be all the strength they need. Offer to take them to mass, to the priest, to reconciliation. The pen is put to paper at the Book of Life. Speak up, speak out and make sure your name, and that of another, is written therein.

Christ’s peace be always with you.

 

[fin]

if its not uncharitable, then what does it mean to refuse to offer a sign of peace to a parishioner in his own church.

Well, he could just smile and say peace be with you, no shaking of hands is necessary.

 

[po18guy]

About half of the more strict Catholics I know are unfriendly, aloof, and don’t reach out in anyway to people outside of their closed circle.

A warm heart will melt a chilly reception. You want speed? Use the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s a blowtorch!

Christ’s peace.