Protestant friend thinks Catholic Mom is in need of salvation

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I have a friend whose Mom is Catholic. She is sick and my friend believes that her Mom may not have a “personal relationship” with Jesus. She knows she prays “but it is vain repetition”, she knows that her Mom believes in God, as she thanks Him for everything all the time and knows that He is good all the time… She is really struggling with the fact that her Mom may not have “salvation” as she sees it.
This friend has a heart of gold…she is so loving and caring, but clearly does not believe that the Catholic religion could possibly be the “personal relationship " one should have in order to have eternal salvation. I need to be able to GENTLY assure her that we Catholics do have a relationship with Him, even if we do not say that one time " I accept Jesus as my personal Savior”… that our salvation is gained throughout our lifetime of prayer , sacraments, etc.

What are the right words… I am at a loss… and just want her to know that it*** is*** possible that a Catholic can enter Heaven.
Thanks!!!
 
Tell your friend to trust in the goodness and mercy of God. You might want to suggest your friend meet with your mother’s priest to ask detailed questions and get the answers she needs. If anyone can kindly set this lady’s mind at ease it would be a priest.
 
Sigh, you could remind her that she here is judging, which she should not do according to Jesus. You could gently point out that she has no idea of the inner, spiritual relationship her mother has with Christ as she is not able to see inside her mother’s head, but that all signs point to her mother being very close to Christ indeed. And you could point out that her idea of “vain repetition” is only that: her idea, and that Christ himself GAVE us the greatest, most recited prayer in the world, the Our Father (or to her “Lord’s Prayer”). Jesus didn’t suggest praying those words, he ordered us to.

And I agree she ought to be willing to talk to her mother’s priest and examine her own misconceptions before making assumptions about what is in another’s heart.
 
Who is she to judge that her prayers are vain? If she wants to say 5 Our Fathers in a row, she’s meditating on scripture. Is that vain? The Hail Marys are scripture as well.

If you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have life within you. Does the daughter do that? Mom does.
 
You cannot provide a satisfactory answer to a Protestant beacuse their answers are outside of Catholic salvation. You have to show her how Catholicism in the Truth and, hopefully, in the process ease her worries and help ensure her own salvation.
 
Maybe this sort of needless and unfortunate mental torment is what daughter needs to look more closely at the Catholic Church.

Fruits of Protestantism here for all to see, folks.
 
When my faith is questioned I tell the person I will pray for them. They will not understand anything you say as they feel they are right, let it be, smile, and let God.
 
PennyinCanada said:
Who is she to judge that her prayers are vain? If she wants to say 5 Our Fathers in a row, she’s meditating on scripture. Is that vain? The Hail Marys are scripture as well.

If you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have life within you. Does the daughter do that? Mom does.
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Amen
 
Many thanks for all of your responses. Very helpful…

So far I have just told her that i DO feel that her Mom has a very good relationship with her Savior.
 
cshoremom said:
Many thanks for all of your responses. Very helpful…

So far I have just told her that i DO feel that her Mom has a very good relationship with her Savior.
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Let me add something…kindly reassure your friend…that her mom does have a relationship with Jesus through the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, and the most personal of relationships is to receive the body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist during the Mass.
 
cshoremom said:
I need to be able to GENTLY assure her that we Catholics do have a relationship with Him, even if we do not say that one time " I accept Jesus as my personal Savior"… that our salvation is gained throughout our lifetime of prayer , sacraments, etc.
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We do say that prayer, but not in the words given above.

We say
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter my roof, only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
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So what does the Mom have to say? Does she get upset when she hears this?
 
Time for a little tough love with the friend.

Ask her if it’s occurred to her that her mental anxiety is less about her MOM and more about the fact that her narrow and distorted protestant view of Grace and Salvation isn’t the REAL problem here. Maybe God’s trying to tell her something? That often DOES take suffering.
 
manualman said:
Time for a little tough love with the friend.

Ask her if it’s occurred to her that her mental anxiety is less about her MOM and more about the fact that her narrow and distorted protestant view of Grace and Salvation isn’t the REAL problem here. Maybe God’s trying to tell her something? That often DOES take suffering.
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Bingo.
AND the mental anxiety she is putting her mom through.
I went through this phase myself once. She will someday regret doing this to her mom.
 
cshoremom said:
I have a friend whose Mom is Catholic. She is sick and my friend believes that her Mom may not have a “personal relationship” with Jesus. She knows she prays “but it is vain repetition”, she knows that her Mom believes in God, as she thanks Him for everything all the time and knows that He is good all the time… She is really struggling with the fact that her Mom may not have “salvation” as she sees it.
This friend has a heart of gold…she is so loving and caring, but clearly does not believe that the Catholic religion could possibly be the “personal relationship " one should have in order to have eternal salvation. I need to be able to GENTLY assure her that we Catholics do have a relationship with Him, even if we do not say that one time " I accept Jesus as my personal Savior”… that our salvation is gained throughout our lifetime of prayer , sacraments, etc.

What are the right words… I am at a loss… and just want her to know that it*** is*** possible that a Catholic can enter Heaven.
Thanks!!!
Click to expand...
Tell your friend that a person simply cannot be a good Catholic without “accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.” We just don’t express the existence of that personal relationship with the same words. Instead, we may say something like, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you under my roof (i.e. I am a sinner), but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” (I trust in you to save me, Lord Jesus).

Just my two cents.

Peace,
Robert
 
cshoremom said:
I have a friend whose Mom is Catholic. She is sick and my friend believes that her Mom may not have a “personal relationship” with Jesus. She knows she prays “but it is vain repetition”, she knows that her Mom believes in God, as she thanks Him for everything all the time and knows that He is good all the time… She is really struggling with the fact that her Mom may not have “salvation” as she sees it.
This friend has a heart of gold…she is so loving and caring, but clearly does not believe that the Catholic religion could possibly be the “personal relationship " one should have in order to have eternal salvation. I need to be able to GENTLY assure her that we Catholics do have a relationship with Him, even if we do not say that one time " I accept Jesus as my personal Savior”… that our salvation is gained throughout our lifetime of prayer , sacraments, etc.

What are the right words… I am at a loss… and just want her to know that it*** is*** possible that a Catholic can enter Heaven.
Thanks!!!
Click to expand...
Conversion and salvation is a life time process, not a one time event. What I do not understand with those who believe:

I am saved

Well if you are saved and cannot lose it, why then do they even bother going to any church, pray, read scripture, etc, etc?
 
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