Connie and Padraig: thanks for helping me sort this one out. I do feel much better about the whole thing-but sad that my firend didn't get what I was trying to say, but she has 6 more month of RE left and hopefully she will ask wiser people to explain. Connie: I left the church for a long time and came back after my daughter was born. I'm praying your daughter will have a similar moment of "truth". It was really hard and felt like a lonely journey. I'm glad she has you to pull her back. I'll keep her in my prayers. pray,pray,pray Kath
Thank you Kathleen. I too, was drawn back for "the sake" of educating my children. Remember how she wanted to go to confession a while back? God is tugging at her. I know she wants to have her baby baptized. That will be a good step for Joe. I only hope that she convinces him to allow it to be done in a Catholic church. I wish she felt stronger to keep up with her faith in spite of Joe's lack, but alas she doesn't at this time. So I continue to nudge her, and try to awaken him, and teach him bit by bit the things his father didn't, and "unteach" him the things his father did. If we have the time, I think he/they will come around. OR, as I said, the warning would also probably do the trick. They are both aware of my thoughts on that and so are aware of it's possibility. Meaning that they will be at least in a small way prepared to recognize it and hopefully will accept God's Mercy. Stephanie understands well, so she can help him at that time. In the meantime, I'll keep working on them as best I can!
Yes- its the baptizm that got me too. I cried and cried and finally went to my husband in tears- which isn't something I generally did so he realized how upset I was getting over the need to baptize her in the church. My heart goes out to her. Its hard to take a chance on a relationship being strong enough to withstand such a difference. I'll pray for her and for Joe to be accepting. Let the Holy Spirit do his work. pray,pray,pray Kath
I'm late to this thread, but wanted to comment on: I've been searching for a "go to" saint, so to speak, to help me with life's difficult situations and someone to develop a relationship with. I've been leaning towards Mary Magdelene, as she started her life on the opposite saintly spectrum so she is easier for me to relate to. I've read the Mary Magdelene book by Ven Anne Catherine Emmerich, who is a mystic of the church and saw in visions the life of Jesus which included Mary Magdelene. Magdelene's lifestyle is described as very sinful and she had many vices. She was healed once by Jesus but then she turned back to those sins and stan really took hold of her the second time and she fell very, very hard into her old sins. Jesus mentioned in the book when you fall back into a sin you will fall deeper into it than you originally were. Her siblings were very worried about her, and Jesus told them to pray for Magdelene even when they grew weary of praying. Imagine, a saint needing prayers from others...but she needed them!! The next time she saw Jesus, he just gave her a very "grave" look, and I think Magdelene must have felt as big as an ant! As we all know, Magdelene walked away from her sins, was healed again by Jesus, and eventually got to the point where "she never offended God again". Jesus said she would be the greatest repenter of all time and next to his mother, no one loved Jesus more. It was hard work for Magdelene to turn her life around, but it took prayers from others, cooperation with God's graces, and just a burning love for Jesus that you don't want to offend Him anymore. I think this is why I've been asking for her intercession...as I can relate to her struggles to overcome sin.
