Perhaps I can help you with sharing my own story…
I have been felt persecuted or made fun of or at the very least outcasted at times by family because of my coming back to the Church…none of this is new to Catholicism Christianity however… its simply the “light” within you contrasting with “darkness”…
Its a difficult battle… its often one of solititude… remember though what jesus said… he who loves his mother or father more than me is not worthy of me, he who looks back is not worthy of me, that he has come with a sword and that mother and father will be at odds…
he doesnt want them to be at odds with you, but unfortnately if their not in the light they are not… all you can do is hold your own, stay strong in your faith… follow the LORD…
i just broke up with my girlfriend which was painful but it was because I rather follow the LORD… when you know you follow the LORD everything is ok , and when you pray in his name you recieve what you want (or better)…
you are putting up the good fight, i wish i had more practical solutions but that is what i can offer for advice at the moment
I can relate to you. I am praying for my siblings because I know that they desire the gifts that God has given to me. One of my sisters whom I was closest to, has told me repeatedly that I have changed and said she wishes I hadn’t gone back to Church. She said 'we will talk one day, after the “newness” of your new found faith has diminished." It really saddens me.
We all were raised Catholic by devout Catholic parents. But sadly none of us (7 children) liked going to Mass growing up, and we stopped going when we turned of age and went out on our own. Now this has given me great remorse, as I, most of my life, lived an immoral life. I’ve talked to my parish priest, and confessor, and know that I’ve been forgiven. I’m 54 now with a 29 yr. old daughter and I wish that I brought her up in the faith and taught her to pray and prayed together. It’s not too late, and I’m talking with her about faith pretty regularly, but tiny bits at a time, not wanting to preach to her or be a nuisance, because I certainly don’t want to push her away. I also pray daily for her.
So now I’m faced with sisters who have stopped talking to me. One said she wishes I would have come back to the faith 20 years ago when she had - but she now wants nothing to do with going to Mass nor to receive any of the sacraments. It confuses me, because I want her to come back, and her response is it’s not for her. She begged me to go back to the person I was, and I refused which made her even more mad. She is single, and lives with my Mom. The other sister, the youngest in the family, I think has taken the path of Jehovah Witness, after years of attending protestant churches. We haven’t talked in about a year. She also holds resentment for me and I feel so badly for her.
My returning to the Catholic church was Oct. 2009. I attend weekly Mass, and at Lent I went to daily Mass with special permission from my job to come in late and stay later to make up my time. When my sister found out I was going to daily Mass, she became furious, and we exchanged texts, a phone call, and now haven’t spoken since. It’s very confusing to me, we were so close, and it hurts to have this upset between us. I could understand it better if we were another denomination and I decided to become Catholic - but we were all baptized Catholic.
So I know praying is the best thing for me to do, and I hope my siblings hearts change and they all come home to the true faith, the holy Catholic Church, with the fervor that God has blessed me with.
