I really do love discussing this stuff. I miss the old times before Pope Francis came on the scene and we could talk about Spiritual / Mystical stuff on the forum and give the horrible Vatican stuff a rest for a while. So maybe over Advent if you are in agreement we could forget the Abomination that resides in the Vatican and turn to the more Spiritual stuff for the period? Anyway let me know. Love Fr Mark Right up my street.
I'm working with a Catholic Apostate married man at the minute on the night shift now for about a year. So since he's the only person I directly work with I got to know him well. The reason he says he gave up on the Church was priests child molesting. Well...all I can say to this is you wouldn't give up on Medicine because doctors take their own drugs and the Food Lords know loads and loads of them do. Or that Lawyers like money...loads and loads of them do. ..and so on. But the gentleman I work with I do wonder about. He is Apostate. He's lost the Faith. Will he go to hell? Yes actually I do think he will; unless he changes track
Yes Padraig we need spiritual food to strengthen our faith right now. It would be good to get back to spiritual nourishment. Hopefully we won't get anymore earthquakes from the Vatican for a while but we do have to get the Exortation from Pope Francis yet. I expect we may hear from the Cardinals like the dubia Cardinals when that comes out. We do need to keep our eyes on Jesus right now and hold on to Our Lady's hand.
This cuts close to the bone for me. I have 3 apostates--husband and 2 sons who have left the Church. I tremble for them. I really do. I no longer say anything. Perhaps I must start again. These are hard sayings but....
AED, God hears our prayers. If we are constantly praying for those in our family, etc. and begging God to save their souls, offering them up at Mass, He knows, He cares. Trust He will save them and just keep asking! That's what I do.
Sigh. We seem to get an Earthquake every day, every hour at the moment. There was a time no one talked openly about this stuff. But now, it seems everyone is. So, for a little while it wouldn't do any harm if we are the only ones who don't. We can pray about it and be there for it that way. It seems sometimes like we have workmen in the house all the time.
[AED, God hears our prayers. If we are constantly praying for those in our family, etc. and begging God to save their souls, offering them up at Mass, He knows, He cares. Trust He will save them and just keep asking! That's what I do.[/QUOTE] AED This is also the case with my husband. I cannot threaten him with the existence of hell anymore, I can only pray. He "graduated" to the class of "I didn't know" as an excuse for his behavior as it is easier for him to sleep at night. If you call them out on their bad behavior it only angers them more. I have hope that my continuous prayer will ultimately provide him with the saving grace he needs to reconcile with God at the time of his death. I pull out all the big requests especially at the time of elevation at mass for his conversion. I find myself as a beggar before the Lord not worthy myself, but I still keep on pleading for him. But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.” Matthew 15: 25-27
In the first time we pray for our own souls, fo if we don't save ourselves we won't save any else. So we pray, 'Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner'. Then from our own souls the ripples of pray flow onwards. Those of us with Spouses pray firstly for them, our first duty of care. Then, recalling that no one forced us to have children, the tide of love flows towards family. Then the tide of love flows onwards to the wider family the Church, tot he soul's in purgatory in particular.. Then being Marian and with a Heart like Mary's to those most in need to the Greatest sinners, furthest from God. Then love dances' it touched animals and trees and mounts and hills, it thanks it loves, it dances. It dances with God the Lord of the Dance. It thanks, it joys. It is.
AED This is also the case with my husband. I cannot threaten him with the existence of hell anymore, I can only pray. He "graduated" to the class of "I didn't know" as an excuse for his behavior as it is easier for him to sleep at night. If you call them out on their bad behavior it only angers them more. I have hope that my continuous prayer will ultimately provide him with the saving grace he needs to reconcile with God at the time of his death. I pull out all the big requests especially at the time of elevation at mass for his conversion. I find myself as a beggar before the Lord not worthy myself, but I still keep on pleading for him. But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.” Matthew 15: 25-27[/QUOTE]
AED This is also the case with my husband. I cannot threaten him with the existence of hell anymore, I can only pray. He "graduated" to the class of "I didn't know" as an excuse for his behavior as it is easier for him to sleep at night. If you call them out on their bad behavior it only angers them more. I have hope that my continuous prayer will ultimately provide him with the saving grace he needs to reconcile with God at the time of his death. I pull out all the big requests especially at the time of elevation at mass for his conversion. I find myself as a beggar before the Lord not worthy myself, but I still keep on pleading for him. But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.” Matthew 15: 25-27[/QUOTE] If we pray the rosary for our unbelieving family I know Our Lady will obtain the grace of conversion for them sooner or later. We might not live to see it and this is a big cross for us but we must trust in all the wonderful promises of Our Lady
I honestly don't often think of Hell. For most of my life I had difficulty grasping True Evil. As if it only exists in stories or elsewhere (geographic), or in certain times. ...until 2016. Hell itself does still seem like a bad fiction to me. I guess because I'm so highly attuned to the romantic, ethereal, paradisiacal. It's only because Jesus mentioned (and stressed) it, that I accept its reality.
We do get an earthquake every day. Turned on the news this morning and hear that two priests from our diocese have been placed on administrative leave for alleged misconduct. It never, never ends. I agree Padraig, perhaps it's time to step away from Vatican drama for awhile. Heaven knows I have enough family drama going on to keep me out of trouble for awhile.
Although of course if we don't really believe in hell we won't pray for our families to avoid it and probably won't pray at all . Not believing in hell is the best way to find out first hand it exists. The reality of hell helps cause us to pay attention. to our own Spiritual Welfare and the Spiritual Welfare of others. Not believing in hell is a bit like driving in a city and not believing in Traffic Lights. It will all end up badly.
Years ago when I converted I used to pray the rosary for my family, to save them from hell (which is really when you think about it the bottom line). My mother and father were of course just fine, good devout Catholics. But of my nine brothers and sisters I would say only one had kept the Faith. After years of saying the rosary I felt and interior voice assuring me that my prayers had been heard. Now decades alter all my family practice their Faith. The big thing is never to give up. Our prayers are always heard. But as I mentioned before if we don't really believe in hell in the first place we are not going to apply ourselves to prayer in this regard .
What a wonderful and inspiring story. A great blessing to know that your prayers were heard. This gives me so much hope for my family!
This is great to hear. And I know God hears our prayers. I have first hand experience of this but as things grow darker and hearts grow harder I am afraid I falter a bit. So it is so good to hear stories like this.
