What do I do if I'm the only one who wants to go to church?

[bubbathegump]

I’m 15. Over the last year I’ve tried to make religious reforms in my life. My family is Catholic and loving. They sent me to “Sunday school” and I was just confirmed this year. I want to continue to go to church and all, but it seems that I’m the only one who feels the need to go to church on Sundays.

I’ve said “I want to go to church tommorow” and they usually go. My parents usually get frustrated like it’s a chore to go to church and worship the God that created them! They say that they have chores around the house to do, which they do, but it just seems wrong. I feel like they are holding my faith back. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even ask to go because I know they will just get frustrated. What do I do?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

It’s good that you are taking your faith seriously and want to make going to church a priority in your life. I recommend that you sit down with your parents when everyone is calm and happy, let them know that you want to go to church on a weekly basis, and ask what can be done to make that possible. At 15, you are old enough to walk, to ride a bike, or to take public transportation to church, if those options are possible in your area. If not, your parents might be willing to drop you off and pick you up from church, especially if you offer to be available to do favors for them when they need something done. Within a couple of years, you might also be able to drive yourself.

What I recommend you avoid is any comments that judge the state of their souls, such as “You act like it’s a chore to go to church and worship the God that created [you]!” Not only would this be an inappropriate remark for one adult to make to another adult, but it is also disrespectful for a child to say to his parents (or to make clear by his actions that he believes about his parents). If you present going to church as your personal responsibility that you are willing to see through on your own, you may end up impressing your parents with your newfound maturity and you just might set a positive Christian example for them that they might decide to follow themselves.