Need some advice

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batman1973

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My wife, is, as I now find out, very strongly opposed to the idea of me joining the Catholic Church. She was says she was baptized, but never confirmed Catholic. She is staunch Non-Demominational, and her objections seem to be based on the typical misconceptions of The Church. She doesn’t seem to be interested in reading any of the information on the Catholic Answers website, so I’m not sure what to do.
 
She should be able to respect your decision, if it is truly what you feel to be right from the bottom of your heart. While she is your wife, she does not have the authority to stop you from coming into full communion with God.

The only advice I have, since I was once in the same situation (but in reverse, as I was the opposing party) is this: give her time. My fiance, while not yet Catholic, was strongly drawn to the Catholic church. I was against this for all of the stupid, nonsensical reasons that most people have when they first glance at the Church. I was also raised in a family that did not have good things to say about Christians in general, let alone Catholics.

But time won out. As I got to know my fiance more and more, I realized that someone as intelligent as he is couldn’t just blindly be going along with this for no apparent reason. So I did my research…and had a total change of heart, once I actually understood what the Church was about.

So, like I said, just give her some time. Talk to her about it, but gently. If you can’t have a civil conversation with her about religious matters, then just quietly continue on your journey. Eventually she’s going to get curious about why you are so drawn to the Catholic faith, and she might do a little digging. Once she does, you’re bound to win her over.

My fiance and I are going to RCIA together now, by the way. We’ll be brought into the Church this upcoming Easter.
 
batman1973 said:
My wife, is, as I now find out, very strongly opposed to the idea of me joining the Catholic Church. She was says she was baptized, but never confirmed Catholic. She is staunch Non-Demominational, and her objections seem to be based on the typical misconceptions of The Church. She doesn’t seem to be interested in reading any of the information on the Catholic Answers website, so I’m not sure what to do.
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Hi Batman:

If you use the Bible to discern and pray over matters, and wish to consult scripture with your faculty of thought also, perhaps considering the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 7will be of value to you and your wife. Both husband and wife (that is, both parts of the dynamic duo) are mentioned in Chapter 7. A glimpse of what it says, is the following verses:

1 Cor 7:32-34
32 I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
33 But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
34 and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
 
batman1973 said:
My wife, is, as I now find out, very strongly opposed to the idea of me joining the Catholic Church. She was says she was baptized, but never confirmed Catholic. She is staunch Non-Demominational, and her objections seem to be based on the typical misconceptions of The Church. She doesn’t seem to be interested in reading any of the information on the Catholic Answers website, so I’m not sure what to do.
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Seek first the kingdom of God.
 
PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!

And as my priest told me, your first vocation is your marriage, take care of it! You can remind her that as Americans we have the right to religious freedom, I had to do that once. Also that a couple can worship in seperate churches. That was the situation for me and the hard part for me was that my husband had, and still has many misconceptions about the church. My whole family is United Methodist, including my two adult sons. I have been Catholic 7 years now, it has not been easy.

Present truth when the situation arises, but don’t preach. My husband won’t read anything Catolic or even listen to CD’s or DVD’s. So for now, after a few years of persecution, he has come the the realization we can worship in seperate churches and still have a happy marriage.

Keep PRAYING!

I have done novena’s to the Holy Family. I offer him up on the altar at the consectration for his conversion. I offer up rosaries. I will never give up.
 
Thank you all so far for the advice. One of her concerns is that if I become Catholic, we will no longer be able to pray together, or read the Bible together, and, that we will no longer have a Christ centered marriage. Everything I’ve read so far doesnt indicate that any of that would change, infact, I think becoming a Catholic would help make me a better Christian!
 
Why wouldn’t you read the Bible together? Why shouldn’t Christ be front and centre?

It seems to me that your wife might be of the opinion that Catholics aren’t somehow Christian (a common Protestant argument) which is, of course, completely wrong since we were, ahem, there at the start! 😉

I would suggest that you keep reassuring her that no matter what you decide to do in respect of your own faith, nothing will affect your love for her. That should surely help matters along a little…
 
batman1973 said:
Thank you all so far for the advice. One of her concerns is that if I become Catholic, we will no longer be able to pray together, or read the Bible together, and, that we will no longer have a Christ centered marriage. Everything I’ve read so far doesnt indicate that any of that would change, infact, I think becoming a Catholic would help make me a better Christian!
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The Lord is calling you to follow Him in the fullness of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Even though your vocation is marriage, your first responsibility is to the Lord. He is the one that leads us to eternal life.

Pray for wisdom, and allow the Lord to lead you.

Love your wife with the love of Christ, and allow Him to take care of any conflicts.

God bless you on your journey!
 
batman1973 said:
Thank you all so far for the advice. One of her concerns is that if I become Catholic, we will no longer be able to pray together, or read the Bible together, and, that we will no longer have a Christ centered marriage. Everything I’ve read so far doesnt indicate that any of that would change, infact, I think becoming a Catholic would help make me a better Christian!
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The Catholic Church is thee strongest defender of marriage.
How does your wife beleive you becoming catholic will take Christ from your marriage?
As for reading the bible together i suggest you get a hold of presentation ministries and subcribe to thier one bread one body booklet… it contains the daily and Sunday Mass readings, one from the OT, Pslams, and the
Gospel, Sunday readings have the NT, OT, Pslam and Gospel. Also is a short reflection of the readings which include futher scriptural references.This would be a good tool to help her understand more of the Church’s teachings.
 
batman1973 said:
Thank you all so far for the advice. One of her concerns is that if I become Catholic, we will no longer be able to pray together, or read the Bible together, and, that we will no longer have a Christ centered marriage. Everything I’ve read so far doesnt indicate that any of that would change, infact, I think becoming a Catholic would help make me a better Christian!
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Batman,
I’ve been aquanted with many non denominational Christians. Their key point of departure with Catholics is rooted in the past; Catholic traditions, like the Rosary; and the Catholic version of the Bible.

I searching out a vocation, I recently saw that on the website for the Permanent Diaconate in the Archdiocese of NY, a quote is given on the ministry of the deacon’s spiritual formation and it is taken from the NIV. “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” [NIV] (Micah 6:8b).

Perhaps allowing use of the NIV together would be a good way to show her of the Church’s sincerity and love for all regardless of denominational status.

Good Luck and May God Bless You!
 
batman1973 said:
My wife, is, as I now find out, very strongly opposed to the idea of me joining the Catholic Church. She was says she was baptized, but never confirmed Catholic. She is staunch Non-Demominational, and her objections seem to be based on the typical misconceptions of The Church. She doesn’t seem to be interested in reading any of the information on the Catholic Answers website, so I’m not sure what to do.
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Get a copy of Patrick Madrids book Search and Rescue…👍
 
batman1973 said:
My wife, is, as I now find out, very strongly opposed to the idea of me joining the Catholic Church. She was says she was baptized, but never confirmed Catholic. She is staunch Non-Demominational, and her objections seem to be based on the typical misconceptions of The Church. She doesn’t seem to be interested in reading any of the information on the Catholic Answers website, so I’m not sure what to do.
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Prayer moves mountains. Prayer also moves people.

I don’t know how much you know about the Catholic faith, and how much
you know about Mary’s power with her divine Son. But if she gave birth
to Him, she can also give birth to him again in your wife’s heart. She
moves not only people, but also moves her divine Son just as she did at Cana.

Mary appeared and spoke with Sister Justine Bisqueyburu, likewise a
Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in 1840 about a green scapular.

Mary herself made certain promises to those who would keep the scapular on them,
wear or carry it, and would say a certain prayer everyday, and believe that
Mary would obtain those favors from her Son. Here are the favors she promised:
  1. Conversion of those who do not have the faith
  2. Reconciliation to the Church for those who have lost/strayed from the faith
  3. Assurance of a happy death
  4. Strengthening of the faith for those already in the Church
  5. Protection from Satan for those who wear or promote the scapular
This is the very answer to your search. But on your part you must
pray, at least daily: “Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.”,
once for yourself and once for your wife every day.

Here are the very words of Mary to Sister Justine:
“The GREATEST graces come from using the scapular but these graces come
in direct proportion to the degree of CONFIDENCE IN ME which the user has.”

What does confidence mean? Mary showed this herself.
“Yes, blessed is she who BELIEVED that the PROMISE made her by the Lord would be FULFILLED.”
(Lk. 1;45) St. Elizabeth extolling the absolute trust of Mary in God’s promise. Mary believed without doubting.

Mary didn’t say when, just that she promised it would happen.
Then your wife may look at the following website for questions about the faith. Very easy to use.
davidmacd.com/catholic/mary_in_the_bible.htm

You may get a free one by googling “Green Scapular”. Get one for yourself as well.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=620449
(From an atheist)
How did you come to embrace Catholicism?
Strangely enough, it was the Blessed Virgin Mary. That friend of mine had sneakily
snuck in a scapular under my mattress. I didn’t know until about 1 year into my
conversion. I imagine that she had something to do with it. I think it was the
green scapular.
 
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