My Catholic Mother-in-law will not pray to God

[StephiePea]

I’m a new convert from protestantism, and praying to Mary, Saints, different parts of the trinity, and the dead are new topics to me. I often feel that I may be praying to the wrong person, and I feel fear sometimes that God wont hear because I’m not praying the right way. I think a lot of people get tripped up with this, but then I remember that whomever we are praying to, whether Saints, Jesus, Mary, or the Holy Spirit, God hears and know what we need before we ask. That is very comforting.

 

[MariaG]

Miscommunication. That could be the case with what she said about Bible reading. Catholics are supposed to read the Bible, but we should always seek out Catholic interpretation of Scripture to make sure we understand what we are reading.

Your MIL may mean that, or unfortunately, she may have been counseled to not read the Bible. Or she may have misunderstood the instruction to mean she should not read the Bible. Many possibilities, few answers. Once again, sorry.

God Bless,

Maria

 

[rich123456]

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Whenever there is true fellowship and love between people, God’s spirit is always present. In all human relationships, God’s spirit is what brings them together. When a life is changed through the channel of another person, it is God who makes that change using the person as a means. The moving power behind all spiritual things, all personal Relationships between people is God, who is always there. No personal relationships can be right without God’s presence.

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Jesus shares many of His unique roles with Christians in lesser ways. Jesus is the Creator of all things (Jn 1:3; Col1:16-17), and yet He shares this role with men and women in procreation. Jesus is the only Shepherd (Jn 10:11-16), yet He delegates this role to St. Peter (Jn 21:15-16) and later to others (Eph 4:11). Jesus is the eternal High Priest mediating His once-for-all sacrifice for our redemption (Heb 3:1, 7:24, 9:12, 10:12), and yet Christians are also called to join in Christ’s priesthood, as we have seen (1 Pet 2:5; Rev 1:6, 5:10).

Obviously, Christ is the unique and primary Creator, Shepherd, and Priest, but each Christian participates in these roles in subordinate ways. By sharing Christ’s divine life, Christians also share in Christ’s role as the only mediator.

Rich
A Utah Mission
www.catholic-rcia.com

 

[The_Barrister]

StephiePea:

I’m a new convert from protestantism, and praying to Mary, Saints, different parts of the trinity, and the dead are new topics to me. I often feel that I may be praying to the wrong person, and I feel fear sometimes that God wont hear because I’m not praying the right way. I think a lot of people get tripped up with this, but then I remember that whomever we are praying to, whether Saints, Jesus, Mary, or the Holy Spirit, God hears and know what we need before we ask. That is very comforting.

Although it’s mostly a matter of semantics, we Catholics don’t “pray to” (in the “worship” sense) anyone other than God. We *ask * the saints to joint their prayers to ours, and to offer our prayers to God on our behalf.

 

[leschornmom]

The Barrister:

By the way, perhaps you can help me with this: My sister-in-law is a Mormon, and she claims that there is only ONE GOD, that He has existed forever, and that He is a TRINITY of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. She also claims that the Son, Jesus, could atone for ALL SINS! My other sister-in-law, who’s also Mormon, claims that these beliefs are wrong! I am curious to know what other Mormons think about this.

The second sister-in-law is correct. We believe that there are three seperate beings God the Father, God the Son,and the Holy Ghost. While they are one in purpose they are three seperate beings.This can Be found in the Articals of Faith, Located on lds.org. We believe that there is only One God of this Earth (Creator and Master) and that is God the Father. What is the Catholic veiw on this subject?
While we do believe that Christ’s atonement made it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins. We do not believe that we can just say “I’m saved and all is well.” Our salvation is stictly dependent on our knowledge of the gospel and our actions on earth.
My understanding is that the Mormons and the Catholics have very similar beliefs when it comes to this subject.

 

[Cherubino]

I once heard a lady speak at an AA meeting, and the occasion was her 18 year anniversary of continuous sobriety. She told how she had first come into the fellowship shortly after moving to Boston, and with her gin-soaked brain, she thought she heard the people saying that they all had faith in Hyapowah. She concluded that these people were praying to a Native American princess or goddess named Hyapowah, and were obviously more than a little cracked.

She had been raised in a Christian home, she reasoned, so if she was going to start praying again she was going to do it right or not at all. But after one more devastating bender she was finally desperate to stop drinking, and that desire overrode all of her theological misgivings. So she started praying to Hyapowah, and her compulsion to drink promptly vanished and had never returned. Three weeks or so later her head had cleared up enough to realize that they were saying “Higher Power.”

 

[leschornmom]

Katholikos:

Are you sure you are understanding your MIL correctly? How does your Catholic spouse answer the questions you’ve posted here?

Were you married in a Catholic Church? You seem to have been exposed only to the standard, classic Protestant misconceptions about Catholicism…

JMJ Jay
Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!

My husband converted to Mormonism when he was 17. The subject of Catholosism (spelling?) is pretty much off limits. When we do discuss it he has some very negative things to say about the church. Some are so negative that I don’t even want to hear them. I thought that he had missunderstood the things that his Mother taught him growing up but then I talked to her. When that confused me even more I went to her mother. The prayer example is just one of many false teachings about the Catholic church that has been passed down for at least three generations.
That leads me to why I’m here.

 

[Katholikos]

Thanks for answering. You’ll find that Catholicism and Mormonism have little in common.

Judaism and Christianity are monotheistic (there is only one God).

God (who is a Spirit) revealed that He is a Trinity (Three Persons in One God).

Mormonism is polytheistic (there are many gods).

Mormons teach that Lucifer (Satan) is the brother of Jesus.

Mormons teach that God (who is flesh and blood) had intercourse with Mary, and Jesus is their offspring.

Christians believe that Jesus is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity – God Himself.

The Catholic Church was born in 33 A.D. in Jerusalem; God Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ, was its founder. The Apostles were its teachers. The first Christians were Catholic.

The Mormon (Latter Day Saints) Church was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 in Palmyra, New York, U.S.A.

Mormons use the same terms but with entirely different meanings. For example, when Mormons say that Jesus is God they mean that He is but one of many gods.

And so on.

There are several threads about Mormonism on the Catholic Answers board. You may find them helpful. Ask anything you like, and we’ll answer.

JMJ Jay

 

[leschornmom]

Katholikos:

Mormonism is polytheistic (there are many gods).

-The Only God I worship Is our God,(yours and mine) one God, The only God. However I am open to the idea that there may be other worlds out there. It states in the Bible does it not that there are “Many Worlds”
Katholiksos:

Mormons teach that Lucifer (Satan) is the brother of Jesus.

-If Satan is not one of God’s fallen, then where did he come from?
Katholiksos:

Mormons teach that God (who is flesh and blood) had intercourse with Mary, and Jesus is their offspring.

• I would like to know where it says any where in our docterine that that is what is taught in our religion. I have NEVER been taught that and I pride myself in my ability to study and learn when a question is raised that I do not know how to respond to. We believe that Mary was a virgin! Even up until she gave birth . How in the world could she then have had sex with God? That statement that you came up with is so wrong in so many ways. I could go into it alot more but the thought actually makes me angry that someone would say this about our religion. Perhaps you should visit LDS.org and read our doctorines and teachings. You will see that your statements are incorrect.

I am certianly not a scriptorian but I am curious what your resources are. Where else are there Morman/Catholic discussions? Though I will probably not join them because my desire is not to debate or defend my religion but to learn about yours.

 

[kmktexas]

have searched it many times…not only about this subject but many others. I have never found anything reguarding this matter.

Regarding the CCC, try paragraphs 2680 - 2682. This is kind of an order of importance for directing our prayers.

Regarding prayer to the saints, try paragraph 956 regarding the intercession of the Saints.

As the commercial used to say “it’s in there”.

 

[Exporter]

At first approximation the mother-in-law has has zero or little Catechisis. There are many, many “cradle-Catholics” that for some reason, often not their own,who actually know very little about Catholic Faith.

I suspect that many cradle-Catholics from the Southwest ( of Mexican origin) have learned to pray by watching relatives. In Mexico there is great reverence to the Virgin de Guadalupe. I am in Texas and just 7 miles from where I sit there is a Basillica ( gigantic!) devoted to the Virgin de Guadalupe, in Pharr,TX. Some have told me they feel unworthy to go to God directly - I think this means deep faith. But to ask for the intercession of “a” saint or “several” saints is not only a habit, I think the Church says it is Holy.

Ask her if she ever says the “Our Father, who art in heaven…”. That is the prayer Jesus taught, and it is to the Father!

 

[leschornmom]

kmktexas:

Regarding prayer to the saints, try paragraph 956 regarding the intercession of the Saints.

As the commercial used to say “it’s in there”.

Thanks I’ll look this one up now and the CCC one later.

 

[leschornmom]

Exporter:

Ask her if she ever says the “Our Father, who art in heaven…”. That is the prayer Jesus taught, and it is to the Father!

I have heard her say that prayer. She is talking about personal prayers not recited prayers. Do you think that for her it might be a question of whether or not she feels worthy to pray directly to God?

 

[tkdnick]

-The Only God I worship Is our God,(yours and mine) one God, The only God. However I am open to the idea that there may be other worlds out there. It states in the Bible does it not that there are “Many Worlds”

-If Satan is not one of God’s fallen, then where did he come from?

• I would like to know where it says any where in our docterine that that is what is taught in our religion. I have NEVER been taught that and I pride myself in my ability to study and learn when a question is raised that I do not know how to respond to. We believe that Mary was a virgin! Even up until she gave birth . How in the world could she then have had sex with God? That statement that you came up with is so wrong in so many ways. I could go into it alot more but the thought actually makes me angry that someone would say this about our religion. Perhaps you should visit LDS.org and read our doctorines and teachings. You will see that your statements are incorrect.

I am certianly not a scriptorian but I am curious what your resources are. Where else are there Morman/Catholic discussions? Though I will probably not join them because my desire is not to debate or defend my religion but to learn about yours.

Is it not true that that LDS members believe that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, and that Jesus is the God of this world? I have friends who are quite devout LDS who have told me this NUMEROUS times. I have been told that God the father is a higher God and that Jesus is in fact the God of this world.

Yes, Lucfier is one of God’s fallen…one of God’s fallen angels, not a son.

While I cannot tell you where I have heard this, I have also heard several times that LDS believe that Mary had intercourse with God in order to bring about the birth of Jesus. But, these could have obviously been incorrect sources, and since I can’t remember them…

 

[tkdnick]

leschornmom:

I have heard her say that prayer. She is talking about personal prayers not recited prayers. Do you think that for her it might be a question of whether or not she feels worthy to pray directly to God?

That is certainly possible! If that is the case it is truly sad because we know that God hears our prayers. In fact He knows what we need before we even ask it. How cool is that???

 

[Katholikos]

Sorry. I was simply observing that a Mormon (Latter Day Saint) sees religion through the prism of Mormonism with its polytheistic, materialistic worldview that has little in common with historic Christianity. I enumerated some of our differences. If you don’t wish to discuss Mormonism, that’s okay. I’ll just answer your objections and say no more to you unless you give the signal. Responses are in blue.

I wrote:
Mormonism is polytheistic (there are many gods).

You wrote: -The Only God I worship Is our God,(yours and mine) one God, The only God. However I am open to the idea that there may be other worlds out there. It states in the Bible does it not that there are “Many Worlds”

Mormons claim that since they worship only the God of the earth, they are therefore monotheists. They have redefined ‘monotheism.’ But the LDS official doctrine is that this God that they worship is but one of numerous other gods and that male Mormons will themselves become gods. “God [of earth] himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, the same as all God(s) have done before you.” Joseph Smith (founder of Mormonism), Journal of Discourses, Vol. VI, p. 4. (See also the chaper on “Exaltation” in *Gospel Principles, *a manual on Mormonism published by the Corporation of the President of the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City (1988).

Mormons teach that Lucifer (Satan) is the brother of Jesus.

-If Satan is not one of God’s fallen, then where did he come from?

Satan is a fallen angel, chief of all the fallen angels, the enemy of God and our enemy. He is not the brother of Jesus, our Divine Savior and Redeemer, God Himself. God has no brothers.

Mormons teach that God (who is flesh and blood) had intercourse with Mary, and Jesus is their offspring.

• I would like to know where it says any where in our docterine that that is what is taught in our religion. I have NEVER been taught that and I pride myself in my ability to study and learn when a question is raised that I do not know how to respond to. We believe that Mary was a virgin! Even up until she gave birth . How in the world could she then have had sex with God? That statement that you came up with is so wrong in so many ways. I could go into it alot more but the thought actually makes me angry that someone would say this about our religion. Perhaps you should visit LDS.org and read our doctorines and teachings. You will see that your statements are incorrect.

Official Mormon doctrine is that Jesus is the physical son of God, conceived during an act of sexual intercourse between God and some obscure goddess-mother in a previous “spirit-sphere.”

"Our Lord is the only mortal person ever born to a virgin, because he is the only person who ever had an immortal Father. Mary, his mother, ‘was carried away in the Spirt’ . . . and the conception which took place . . . resulted in the bringing forth of the literal and personal Son of God the Father. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 322)

I think you can see from this official doctrine how some teachers of Mormonism have concluded that God had intercourse with Mary.

I am certianly not a scriptorian but I am curious what your resources are. Where else are there Morman/Catholic discussions? Though I will probably not join them because my desire is not to debate or defend my religion but to learn about yours.

Many of us will be happy to teach you. And feel free to write to me privately at Katholikos1@aol.com at any time.

JMJ Jay

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

leschornmom:

I have searched it many times…not only about this subject but many others. I have never found anything reguarding this matter.

The Mass is a prayer - not to any saint, but to God.​

Jesus prayed to His Father- and His prayer is the model for all Christian prayer.

The rosary includes the “Our Father”

As for the CCC - the entire last section is all about prayer - here are a few links##

I must admit that I have never read it through from begining to end so I may very well have missed it. Do you consider searching scripture (Bible) OK under your doctorine or is that not allowed…my MIL says that its not right to find answers there either because every one hears what they want to? I hope that’s not changing the subject to much but I think it all falls in line together.

“Without Scripture, Theology is sterile” - Pius XII (I think)​

Catholic ignorance of Scripture can be very depressing, compared to the love and knowledge of shown by many Evangelicals.

“Everyone hears what they want to” with just about any Church document you can name - look at the varied interpretations of Vatican II. That’s human nature; if the Bible is not interpreted in a dozen different ways, something else of high authority will be: and that something in the CC tends to be the teaching documents of the Church. ##

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

leschornmom:

I have heard her say that prayer. She is talking about personal prayers not recited prayers. Do you think that for her it might be a question of whether or not she feels worthy to pray directly to God?

No one is ​

Which is why Jesus Christ is Our Mediator: as God and Man, He is worthy, and all our living and praying is in and through Him ##

 

[boppysbud]

Leshornmon. Catholic Christians do not make a difference between “personal” prayers and “recited” prayers by us “prayers is prayers”.

We do not beleive that prayers that are made up on the spot are superior to written prayers.

I thought this was simular to mormon doctrine, after all the prayers for Baptism and the sacrament are always the same and are written down as well.

 

[asteroid]

leschornmom:

My mother-in-law is Catholic and we have had several religious conversations. She claims that she ONLY prays to a particular Saint and that that saint then goes to God on her behalf. My cousin is Catholic also, and she says that what my mother-inlaw does is wrong. I am curious to know what some other Catholics think about this.

I haven’t read all the responses in depth but immediately wondered one thing.

Has she ever been to Mass? I haven’t been going for very long but one thing noticed is that all the prayers (apart from one occurrence of “Hail Mary…”) are addressed to God, not to a saint.

Prayer, according to the catechism, is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." It is “the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit”. In scripture, Jesus teaching on prayer is that all prayer is directed to God.

There is nothing wrong with asking a Saint to pray for you. The Saint will pray on your behalf to God. If it was wrong then most Catholics would be in trouble.

However, if that’s all you do then you are missing out on prayer as taught by Jesus and the Catechism. Prayer is Christian insofar as it is communion with Christ. The life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and being in communion with Him.

Ending here before I get carried away and write enough for seven replies.

Blessings

Asteroid