Trust BVM

[MJE]

I have a friend who is Catholic in name only.Raised a Catholic (56yrs old)but it really has not caught on re: “truth” or even really experienced any “trust” in Our Lord. And “salvation” is not in her vocabulary. Well, lately the struggles of life and adult children etc has caught up with her and she has expressed her pain and disappointments to me. I have in the past listened very intently and always prayed simultaneously to the Holy Spirit for guidance. The other night while standing in her kitchen and listening to her frustration and confustion I put my hand in my pocket and surprisingly found my beautiful Rosary (really beautiful in every sense of the word)and pulled it out and gave it to her. Told her to pray it daily and we would discuss it in 4 months. I know she does not know the mysteries etc but know I must keep this simple. She immediately put it around her neck and agreed to pray it daily saying something about not praying the rosary since 6th grade w/ Sister so and so. We reviewed the big and little beads.I saw her a few days later and she mentioned being faithful to her daily rosary. I will not “remind” her or bring it up again. I will continue w/ my dialy Rosary and always praying for her. So in December we will discuss it. . . maybe. Have you ever done similarly?

 

[rfk]

Good for you! That was a truly loving act.

Regarding not broaching the subject for 4 months, it made me wonder. Are you not broaching it out of a true sense of love and service to her, or is it because you don’t want to feel uncomfortable because you don’t want to be perceived as “pushy”?

I’d recommend talking the issue over with your priest. If the core motivation is love and service, then that is proabably what you should do. If the core motivation is fear of rejection or embarassment or anything else related to self instead of selfishness, then I would re-think the question.

After all, it is hard to change a habit – any habit – after 40-some years. She may very well need support and encouragement to persist in daily prayer every day, not in four months.

It brings to mind that someone coming to AA for the first time isn’t told to kick the habit and come back in four months to let us know how it went. They are told to come to a meeting every day to receive love, support and encouragement.

 

[jrabs]

MJE,
You are a good friend to offer that type of advice of saying the rosary. Maybe you can suggest a time where you can say it together and help her over the initial process.

Giving her the “tool” was an awesome step, but you need to give her instructions on how to use the tool as well. Without help and your gentle guidance, she may well set it aside.

 

[MJE]

My reason for not bringing it up is to let this option hers and hers alone w/out being pushy. Even if she does not pursue it this time the option is there. And no it is not embarrassment or rejection. I have enough confidence in this advice and knowledge that she is lost but does not really know it as well as one on the outside looking in. By getting out of the way BVM has less interference and I am very sensitive to telling her w/out her asking for more. The analogy to AA is right on but again I want her to ask me or ? I do have another friend the same age who is sick w/ cancer and too Catholic in name only. I purchased her a Rosary and went to her home and prayed it with her. Will do it again. With her I have taken the bull by the horn and “directed” her on a # of occassions.