Many people who become JWs are hurting. Some are former Catholics who were not taught the faith very well. For example, my wife was raised Catholic but never really learned the faith while growing up. Her CCD experience was horrific to say the least. To this day she wonders why her CCD teacher allowed her to teach the class JW doctrine and even said to her that much of it “made sense”. Eventually, my wife and her mother, both cradle Catholics became JWs. I attribute much of this to very poor catechesis.
In addition, once these people become JWs they are taught that only the JWs teach “the truth” and that only JWs are doing the will of almighty God by going from door to door and passing out Watchtowers and other literature. This does lead to a superiority complex. The JWs also buy into many Protestant criticisms of Catholicism and view many of the devotions that Catholics engage in as goofy superstitions.
Realize, that their reaction to your prayers and practices is mostly due to ignorance. I know because I have been their and done that. I said awful things about the Catholic Church, her priests, her religious, and her laity when I was a JW. In fact, I helped people leave the Catholic Church and become JWs. I might add that in my 20 plus years of going from door to door as a JW, I was never stumped by a Catholic (Protestants who knew their faith well did stump me and make me think on occasion when I was a JW going from door to door). This is all the more ironic and sad given what I know today about the Church and what she teaches .
Realize also, that by the grace of God and through the prayers of the Catholic faithful throughout the world and the infinite value of the Masses said for the conversion of the world, I am here today a fellow Catholic and former JW. So, these JWs that are being disrespectful to Catholics today may be your loving and faithful Catholic brothers and sisters of tomorrow.
If you would like to help their conversion along, forgive them for their ignorance and their obnoxious behavior. Or, charitably tell them how they have hurt you if you believe it will assist them on their journey home to the Catholic Church. If not, then offer the hurt up to Jesus and attach it to His cross for their conversion and have Masses said for their conversion on a regular basis (but do not tell them about this because we do not want to put them in a position where they offend God or you.)
I often ask my priest to say a Mass for the conversion of my mom and dad, both JWs, on my their respective birthdays. I figure it is the best birthday present I can get for them. Remember also what Jesus said from the cross, “Lord, forgive them for they know not what they do.” I can honestly say that when I was a JW, I did not realize what a jerk I was and how bad, disrespectful, and offensive my actions and comments were to my Catholic friends and relatives. But, along the way some of those Catholic people prayed for my conversion and they must have prayed hard and long because I needed all of the grace I could get to lead me home to the Church.
View this, not as an offense per se, but as an opportunity to grow in holiness to learn how to forgive even when those being forgiven do not realize they need forgiveness. View it as a way to be Jesus to them on a small scale and realize that you might be the only Jesus they see at this time.
God’s blessings to you all,
Jeff S.
www.catholicxjw.com
Then tell her you are praying for her
