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Eliza10
Guest
I agree the Priest is probably scared. Pooly catechized as well, as Diane basically said above. He is only human. And it is so like a man to be overwhelmed in the face of an woman’s emotional meltdown. Typically they don’t know what to do in the face of such a thing. Guys like to do things. And what can he do? He can’t hug you. Plus he might say the wrong thing, and likely he is humanly afraid of that. So its likely he is acting out of fear. He’s human, and we humans can do that. His choices and his shortcomings are not a reflection on you, or the Church.
Ideally a Priest with all his graces can rise above his humanness and do the Christlike thing. But unfortunately we aren’t all where we should be spiritually and also Priests need our prayers and don’t always get them.
But I would back off from him because when you persue someone they tent to back off further. Also he has proven himself to be insensitive, and you are in a sensitive time, so don’t exposed yourself to insensivity! Protect yourself!
This is either a sincere friend who truly believes this or she is taking advantage of your weakness to impose her values on you rather than let you arrive at a sure feeling of what is the right thing to do. Or maybe she wants to justify her own abandonment of the faith.
And just because she is sincere, if she is, does not mean that she is right. Better find out if she is right before you get yourself in a worse quagmire.
I was Protestant, for a long time, and what looks like a plain and simple faith - just you, me n’ the Bible- is not really so simple when you get into it. They can be a warm and loving embracing community. Thats enticing. But they can drop you and shun you if you cross their big underlying belief: anti-Catholicism. Ands thats pretty painful after the embrace. Why set yourself up for another disaster?
The best course of action is to go with what is true and right. The Catholic Church is, and you will find out that this so if you look into it someday when you are up to that. But you instinctively know that now, so stay with that.
So you are fighting God, not just the Church? Its so fruitless. Try first turning to Him. He will not fail you. Go crying to his Blessed Mother. She will not fail you. She will comfort you and lead you back to her Son. She is the most loving forgiving of mothers. She is your Mother. Your perfect one.
A daily rosary would soon work miracles, but when you are weak as you are now, it could be too much effort. There are baby steps you can take to reach out for God’s comfort. Remember He is near to those whose hearts are breaking.
You can pray a Hail Mary every morning when you get up.
You can say as often as you think it: “Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I love you. Help me.”
You can get a bottle of Holy Water and bless yourself and your house each morning when you get up and evening before bed and any time in between.
Try to get a St. Benedicts medal*. It is effective in getting the devils out. Wear it and touch it and say, “St. Benedict, help me.” whenever you are feeling discouraged. It sounds like you are being attacked and confused by the devil. Perhaps in his cleverness he guesses all the good God has in store for you. Protect yourself.
Say the Lord’s prayer.
Go sit before the Tabernacle at that Church of yours because that is the center. Sit and write your complaints out to the Lord before him. Or sit and stare. Sit and be sad. Sit and don’t know what to say. Just “be” with Him. When you pass Mary on the way, stop and say a Hail Mary, and say, “Help me.” or “Comfort me” or “Deliver me to your Son and make Him real to me.”
You will get comfort in a real person sometime. In its time. Meanwhile, embrace your loneliness because that is your state and what else can you do? Just accept it, but invite Jesus there with you, and say, “help me.” He will refresh you.
If you lean on Him, He won’t let you down. Remind yourself that people exist in prisons and solitary confinement and in wretched conditions in great joy because of the presence of the Lord. All things are possible with Him.
Don’t take down your crucifixes. Tell Jesus, “I am leaving them up for you. Help me to understand why.”
I will pray for you.
*If you don’t have a place to get a St. Benedicts medal or cross, message me and I will mail you one.
. You’ve attempted one Priest and he could not help you… Go to another, and another, and another seeking guidance… You will never know whose waiting to grab hold of your hand and to never let go unless you try.