Worried about my family members' salvation

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chasingcars

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I’d like to first tell you about my family: I still live at home with my parents and two younger siblings and I’m the only Catholic (I was taken into the Church last month) in the family. My siblings are not interested about religion (though both of them were baptized and confirmated in a Lutheran Church and they’re members of it), my mom’s an atheist and dad is not a member of any denomination but he’s not an atheist either.
They weren’t very happy when I decided to become a Catholic, they were actually really angry and tried to make me not do it but I still did and now they’re not so angry anymore.

However, I’ve started to worry that what if something happens to my family members and they die? Like what if my mother got really ill and would be put into hospital and be given only a few weeks to live? Of course I’d try to make her convert to Christianity and if I could, get a Catholic priest to talk with her but that’d be a terrible situation and what if I failed?

I’m so worried about the state of my family members’ souls (I hope this is not a sin!) and I hope they’d find Jesus before it’s too late. I try my best to answer their questions about my new faith and set a good example of living as a Catholic but I’m afraid I’m not doing it well enough and it won’t be enough to make them convert. Can you please help me?
 
chasingcars said:
I’d like to first tell you about my family: I still live at home with my parents and two younger siblings and I’m the only Catholic (I was taken into the Church last month) in the family. My siblings are not interested about religion (though both of them were baptized and confirmated in a Lutheran Church and they’re members of it), my mom’s an atheist and dad is not a member of any denomination but he’s not an atheist either.
They weren’t very happy when I decided to become a Catholic, they were actually really angry and tried to make me not do it but I still did and now they’re not so angry anymore.

However, I’ve started to worry that what if something happens to my family members and they die? Like what if my mother got really ill and would be put into hospital and be given only a few weeks to live? Of course I’d try to make her convert to Christianity and if I could, get a Catholic priest to talk with her but that’d be a terrible situation and what if I failed?

I’m so worried about the state of my family members’ souls (I hope this is not a sin!) and I hope they’d find Jesus before it’s too late. I try my best to answer their questions about my new faith and set a good example of living as a Catholic but I’m afraid I’m not doing it well enough and it won’t be enough to make them convert. Can you please help me?
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I am very sorry but I know exactly what it is to be in your shoes. I will be praying for you. I have no answer because I struggle with these same issues. I think we just have to let go and realize that we cannot “make” someone choose Christ. They have to do it on their own and they may never. That’s the cold hard fact. All we can do is keeping living the best Christian life we can and praying for them.
 
Praying to the Holy Spirit to give your family members guidance, direction, strength, fortitude & wisdom in their time of need. Praying for your intentions as well.
 
chasingcars said:
I’d like to first tell you about my family: I still live at home with my parents and two younger siblings and I’m the only Catholic (I was taken into the Church last month) in the family. My siblings are not interested about religion (though both of them were baptized and confirmated in a Lutheran Church and they’re members of it), my mom’s an atheist and dad is not a member of any denomination but he’s not an atheist either.
They weren’t very happy when I decided to become a Catholic, they were actually really angry and tried to make me not do it but I still did and now they’re not so angry anymore.

However, I’ve started to worry that what if something happens to my family members and they die? Like what if my mother got really ill and would be put into hospital and be given only a few weeks to live? Of course I’d try to make her convert to Christianity and if I could, get a Catholic priest to talk with her but that’d be a terrible situation and what if I failed?

I’m so worried about the state of my family members’ souls (I hope this is not a sin!) and I hope they’d find Jesus before it’s too late. I try my best to answer their questions about my new faith and set a good example of living as a Catholic but I’m afraid I’m not doing it well enough and it won’t be enough to make them convert. Can you please help me?
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One thing to remember is that not being a Catholic, or not being a Christian, or even being an atheist, does not automatically mean that one is not saved.
 
Chasingcars - I think almost everyone can understand how you feel. I have family members who have fallen away from their Catholic faith. I pray for them everyday. Just keep being a source of light and joy for them and they won’t be able to keep their eyes off you as you show them how to be a good Catholic. Matthew 7: 15-20 “you shall know them by their fruits.”
 
God will be there for their entire lives. My dad got some news of cancer and at 79 called me up and asked that we pick him up to go to church on Sunday. That was a long wait for me. So trust God and when something bad happens, it may be a very strategic time to really storm heaven. Think of it as a piggy bank that you put in a dime, or maybe a dollar, every day. As time goes by, as years go by, one day you’ll be surprised at how much that total is. That’s like grace. Keep plunging them into the Sacred Heart of Jesus every day, and one day, when the crunch comes, they will respond to God’s kind grace. Pray, and don’t worry. Tell God that you can’t wait to see how He will manage things to bring about their change of heart. That will make God smile to see your confidence. I believe oh Lord, help my unbelief! God bless.
 
I understand your fears. I, too, worry for my family.

My suggestion:
  1. Pray for their conversion.
  2. Be an example for them that helps them to set aside misconceptions they may have about the Catholic faith.
I was listening to a talk from Lighthouse Catholic Media recently and the speaker recommended doing penance for the conversion of people. It was a talk on Mary and it said that she had said you “pray for peace, do penance for conversion”. So consider doing penance for your family’s sake.
 
We cannot force our loved ones to accept Christ and join the Church. The best thing we can do for them is pray. Pray, pray, pray, and then pray some more. I’ve been spending time with Christ in adoration, just asking Him to please help sinners everywhere, especially those closest to me. Ask the Holy Ghost to help you find the right words when the opportunity comes and to lift the obstacles in your family members’ way so that their hearts may be softened. St. Monica prayed fervently for most of her life for the conversion of her husband and her son. Ask for her intercession. If you have a devotion to a particular saint, maybe look for a novena or intercessory prayer that you could use daily for them to help you with this particular intention.

Live the life, be charitable when answering their questions, and pray. We can only do so much, and let God do the heavy lifting.
 
AKDee said:
I was listening to a talk from Lighthouse Catholic Media recently and the speaker recommended doing penance for the conversion of people. It was a talk on Mary and it said that she had said you “pray for peace, do penance for conversion”. So consider doing penance for your family’s sake.
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This! At Fatima Mary told the children to pray for the conversion of sinners and to do penance for them. Lighthouse Catholic Media put together this one page pamphlet with the prayers that Mary taught the children at Fatima. When I’m at a loss for words or am short on time, I like to recite the Pardon Prayer: My God, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love thee.
 
This thread is very interesting to me. You know even the Pope says he doesn’t know how God will judge atheists. This is coming from a agnostic point of view but why would a just God punish people just because they didn’t believe in him or because they had the wrong religion?

I mean no disrespect what so ever nor do I mean to belittle your concerns. You could be right and I could be wrong. I am however too handsome to ever be wrong:thumbsup:
 
AKDee said:
  1. Pray for their conversion.
  2. Be an example for them
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👍

I used to get myself tied up in knots worrying about loved ones’ salvations.

But you know, think about it … God placed them into your life, He gave them to you. You love them. They love you, and bless you.

And so you give them the greatest gift possible - you give them back to God. Simply put, you tell Him you trust Him to bring them all home; you recognize that He loves them far more than you do; and you promise to pray for them and to be His hands and feet in their lives.

He will show you, He will use you, He will work in their lives in many ways.

Our relationship with God is so reciprocal - it’s really very wonderful the way He gives, we receive … we give, He receives … and on.
 
I like what St. Padre Pio said: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry”.

Every time I recognize anxiety rising in me because of a loved one’s choices I say “Jesus, I trust in You.”

It can be a battle at times. Remember that worry gets in the way of our trust in the Lord.
 
Ben_Riley said:
This thread is very interesting to me. You know even the Pope says he doesn’t know how God will judge atheists. This is coming from a agnostic point of view but why would a just God punish people just because they didn’t believe in him or because they had the wrong religion?

I mean no disrespect what so ever nor do I mean to belittle your concerns. You could be right and I could be wrong. I am however too handsome to ever be wrong:thumbsup:
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This is just my opinion Ben Riley … but I believe the judgment of the sheep and the goats described in Matthew 25:31-46, is the judgment of atheists and those who never heard about God.

Notice that all of the people essentially asked, “‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and minister to your needs … or NOT minister to your needs?”

I think God reveals Himself to us all whether we are formally taught about Him or not. Our choices can fulfill His laws of love even without knowing that we are doing so; our choices can also be fully against “love.”

Just my 2-cents, in a nutshell 🙂
 
LPS said:
This is just my opinion Ben Riley … but I believe the judgment of the sheep and the goats described in Matthew 25:31-46, is the judgment of atheists and those who never heard about God.

Notice that all of the people essentially asked, “‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and minister to your needs … or NOT minister to your needs?”

I think God reveals Himself to us all whether we are formally taught about Him or not. Our choices can fulfill His laws of love even without knowing that we are doing so; our choices can also be fully against “love.”

Just my 2-cents, in a nutshell 🙂
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Thank you my friend:) I will look this up. So if God reveals Himself to us all does that mean He reveals himself only as Jesus or could a Hindu see God in his own way? Could a non believer like me see him in my own way?

I am hoping his way of showing himself is feeding the poor and defending the weak in any context.

Side note defending the weak does mean defending the unborn to me as well. It kills me my side is trigger happy with the lives of the unborn
 
Patti_M said:
Chasingcars - I think almost everyone can understand how you feel. I have family members who have fallen away from their Catholic faith. I pray for them everyday. Just keep being a source of light and joy for them and they won’t be able to keep their eyes off you as you show them how to be a good Catholic. Matthew 7: 15-20 “you shall know them by their fruits.”
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Yes
 
Ben_Riley said:
Thank you my friend:) I will look this up. So if God reveals Himself to us all does that mean He reveals himself only as Jesus or could a Hindu see God in his own way? Could a non believer like me see him in my own way?
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The Bible tells us in multiple places that all creation reveals God’s glory, that His laws are written on our hearts, and that those who seek, will find.

I think seeing Him in your own way is something we all do at times - we tend to see God how we want to and must always be on guard against that. It’s a way of creating a God in our own image, instead of receiving Him and accepting Him and surrendering to Him as He truly is.

In a discussion one time, someone asked if you can “know” God without the Bible. And I think yes, in a way you can. You might not know the name, “Jesus,” but He can reveal Himself to anyone in any way He chooses. But if you have the Bible and read it, you will know Him better. It’s like having a sister and growing up together. You will know a lot about her, but how much better would you know her if she wrote a book about her life and shared her thoughts, hopes and dreams?

I think you might like to read this chapter in the book of Wisdom, verses 1-9. I think you will understand what I’m trying to say about how people can know God and learn about Him even if they’ve never been taught by other people 🙂
 
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