Need some advice...

[Gladys]

Hello Everyone,

I need some advice, my 15 y/o sister told me that she doesn’t believe in GOD. I have sat down with her several times and even told her about this website, to get more information. She doesn’t know nothing about being Catholic nor the mose (name removed by moderator)ortant GOD, but refuses to learn or research anything that can help. She is a excellent student and a good kid, but this is her only down fall. What else can I do to help?

Thanx,
God Bless,

Gladys

:harp:

 

[Tietjen]

Hello Everyone,

I need some advice, my 15 y/o sister told me that she doesn’t believe in GOD. I have sat down with her several times and even told her about this website, to get more information. She doesn’t know nothing about being Catholic nor the mose (name removed by moderator)ortant GOD, but refuses to learn or research anything that can help. She is a excellent student and a good kid, but this is her only down fall. What else can I do to help?

Thanx,
God Bless,

Gladys

:harp:

Does your 15 year old sister live with you? If so, get her involved in CYO. If not, maybe you can invite her along on a retreat of some kind (see your parish about up coming retreats). Most importantly, be an example by living out the Catholic faith. Has she been raised Catholic and is now simply questioning the Church? Fortunately, the existence of God is evident not only by faith alone but for most people, by evidence encountered on a daily basis. Those choosing not to believe there is a God, are suggesting by default that everything in our ordered universe from the smallest particle to the largest heavenly body exists by chance. I, personally, find it MUCH easier to believe in God than I do in chance. God bless.

 

[thespian12]

Hi Gladys,

Pray. St. Monica never stopped praying for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine, who was probably one of the biggest sinners of his time, and look what God did with him! Persevere with prayer. Get others to pray for her, too. Even if we don’t feel like our prayer is really doing anything, we’d be surprised by what graces can come from it.

Also, we must follow the example of St. Francis of Assisi and “preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” In other words, we must live our faith out so that others can see by our actions that we are Catholic Christians, and a part of that is living each day with noticeable joy in our lives. Why wouldn’t we rejoice daily after what Jesus did for us? Why wouldn’t we rejoice daily knowing that God’s plan for us, even in this life, is “for our welfare and not for woe” and that even in sufferings He’s using it to bring us closer to Him?

I agree with Tietjen. . . exposure to good Catholic fellowship can really be beneficial to her. Just always be aware never to “shove it down her throat” because that could just push her further away from the faith.

Don’t feel bad if you might not see the benefits of your efforts right away. Remember, we don’t do the work anyway - the Holy Spirit works through us to bring others to God, and it’s for His glory anyway. Sometimes God lets us see the fruits of our efforts, but other times God won’t let us see the fruits of our work to keep us humble, lest we get prideful and think that we brought them to Christ. One sows, another reaps.

I’ll offer up an intention for her in my next rosary, too.

 

[kage_ar]

Find out who is putting these ideas in her head. Dollars to doughnuts it is a boyfriend or a new group of “cool” friends.

Is her dad a practicing Catholic? That will be a great influence on her.

 

[Gladys]

Thank you for the replies. I will take them in deep consideration.

God Bless,

Gladys

 

[RubyWannabe]

Hi, Gladys,
It’s so hard to see someone denying the existence of God. It’s so hard these days with schools pointing to evolution and the media in blatant pursuit of pleasure…

I don’t know how often you’re around her, so I don’t know what opportunities you have.

Praying is the most important thing. Then, perhaps there are other ways to talk about it. You can insert comments occasionally like “Ever think about trees…? how they have leaves in the summer to keep us cool but drop the leaves in the winter so the sun can get through to warm us? It just doesn’t seem possible to me that this can happen by itself. There must be a pretty smart creator out there that makes it work this way…”

Also, there’s a series on the radio called Unshackled that dramatizes true stories of how God has changed people’s lives. It’s done as an old-time radio show, and I’ve never met a person who wasn’t fascinated by the stories. Go to unshackled.org and use the Radio Log link to find a radio station in your area, or you can listen on-line. Even if she won’t listen, give a listen yourself!

Praying…
RubyWannabe