She raised me and my brother in a totally secular way, and it’s amazing that I found my way into the Catholic Church as an adult. I have tried on occasion over a span of over 10 years to tell her something about the faith, but she never listens to what I have to say about it. Instead, she would rather listen to people (liberal feminists) on websites or on the radio who have an axe to grind against Christianity and especially against the Catholic Church. When I told her that Jesus is God, she rejected that and instead tried to make Jesus out to be some kind of New Age enlightened guru. I told her the places in the bible where Jesus says that He is God and where others call Him God. But this rolled off of her like drops of water landing on a hot skillet.
Steve:
Congratulations on finding your way to the Church. God has obviously poured His Grace on you so you could overcome some pretty heavy-duty obstacles to faith and submission. Welcome Home.
I was like your mother once, listening to garbage instead of the truth. I did that for over 20 years. I resented God so much that I refused to call or have someone else get a priest while I was lying in bed with Spinal Headaches after I had an acustic tumor removed.
A few years before the surgery, I talked with a woman who was depressed from having had 3 abortions and living a promiscuous lifestyle, and I could do nothing to ease her pain and didn’t know what to do to ease her pain. My complete alienation from God had made me useless to her.
My heart became so hard that God eventually had to soften it Himself. I’ve posted My story in this forum before, and you might want to search out the posts read it, because I think will encourage you. Because, The main question is going to be how best to honor your mother.
I’ve been in hell, and leaving her bound for there will not honor her, so the question becomes how to change that.
Do you have any brothers and sisters who will pray for both of you daily? Do you know of any Priests who are willing to offer daily Masses on her behalf? Can you offer the Masses you attend for her salvation? Do you have a Prayer Circle?
This is important enough to set a few of those up. St. James said that, “The Prayers of the Righteous are powerful and effective.” And St. Paul said something about battling against spiritual forces which aren’t of this earth.
Do you have a couple of brothers and sisters who’d go with you when you visit her (are they handy with a few things)? St Francis of Assisi said to Preach the Gospel always and to use words when necessary. And, The Romans exclaimed repeatedly, “Look at how those Christians love one another!”
You’d be amazed at how showing people that you care about them will begin to soften their hardened hearts.
I’m not saying this will happen overnight, or even in a month, but give something like this a year (or maybe two in stubborn cases), where someone sees that the people who REALLY CARE about them are the Catholics, and the resistence will drop, and the words, when needed, won’t roll of her like drops off a ducks back.
Now this is the hard-part, during the year, you can’t argue, and you have to preach the Gospel of Love so you mother’s heart softens. She has to see the Love of Christ which everything she’s listening to says doesn’t exist - This is why you will need the help of other and stronger brothers and sisters in Christ.
May the Lord bless and aid your efforts.
Your Brother in Christ, Michael
