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] Wow Soldier. You describe my life. I too grab every moment of the Mass--especially the elevation. And morning and night I'm like the old widow in the parable knock knock knocking on heaven's door. Rosary novena and Masses said. Lately I've been giving it all to Our Lady. All my "investments" telling her I know she will place them where I can get the best return. I call her my spiritual banker. I hope she doesn't mind. but some days it gets hard. And like you I find saying anything has little result.
I call her my spiritual banker. I like this..my husband is a banker...I think I need to change banks. 1st National Bank of Mary LOL
Wow Soldier. You describe my life. I too grab every moment of the Mass--especially the elevation. And morning and night I'm like the old widow in the parable knock knock knocking on heaven's door. Rosary novena and Masses said. Lately I've been giving it all to Our Lady. All my "investments" telling her I know she will place them where I can get the best return. I call her my spiritual banker. I hope she doesn't mind. but some days it gets hard. And like you I find saying anything has little result.[/QUOTE] your comments could easily be my own AED.....I do exactly what you do. God will hear and answer our prayers...even if it is at the last second of life! Jesus, I trust in You+++
My situation is identical AED.... Our weapon that no human resource can compete with is the Rosary! Our Lady said it herself at a Fatima. “Souls are falling into hell because there is no one praying for them”.... Our loved ones will not go to hell because we ARE praying for them! Rejoice...Our Lady will rescue their souls!
Always pray for your enemies! The grace they get from your prayers may get them off of your back....and back to God. Self serving...? Maybe, but whatever it takes, pray them back to God. Your reward will be eternal...for everyone!
I have read (Ralph Martin) that it has been widely accepted by the Church for quite a few centuries that evangelised pagans will not be held culpable for being at the receiving end of bad preaching and poor cathechisation. I hope that The Lord will take into account the woeful cathechisation and preaching of the Church in the West for the last fifty years. If it hadn't been for the nuns in my early school years, I don't know what kind of faith I'd have now, if any. From when I was about six or seven, I can't remember any of my 'religious instruction', except for a few rare exceptions, but I can remember nearly everything those nuns taught me before I left for the bigger all-boys' school. The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I'm in the same boat as many here. Praying for my spouse and children and hoping. Padraig, your story is a great encouragement. Thank you.
"The laws of God are written on all mans heart". INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE. Lack of knowledge, either of fact or law, for which a person is not morally responsible. This may be due to the difficulty of the object of the knowledge, or scarcity of evidence, or insufficient time or talent in the person, or any other factor for which he is not culpable. (Etym. Latin in, not + vincibilis, easily overcome: invincibilis.) CULPABLE. Morally responsible for an evil action. Culpability assumes sufficient awareness and (internal) consent to the evil done. It is identified with formal guilt or sin. (Etym. Latin culpabilis, blameworthy; from culpare, to blame.) SIN. "A word, deed or desire in opposition to the eternal law" (St. Augustine). Sin is a deliberate transgression of a law of God, which identifies the four essentials of every sin. A law is involved, implying that there are physical laws that operate with necessity, and moral laws that can be disregarded by human beings. God is offended, so that the divine dimension is never absent from any sin. Sin is a transgression, since Catholicism holds that grace is resistible and the divine will can be disobeyed. And the transgression is deliberate, which means that a sin is committed whenever a person knows that something is contrary to the law of God and then freely does the action anyway. (Etym. Old English synn, syn, sin; Old High German sunta, suntea, perhaps to Latin sons, guilty.) SIN AGAINST FAITH. The deliberate withholding of assent to what God has revealed. As commonly understood, there are five principal sins against faith: profession of a false religion, willful doubt, disbelief, or denial of an article of faith, and culpable ignorance of the doctrines of the Catholic Church. SIN AGAINST RELIGION. The deliberate refusal to give to God the honor and worship he deserves as humanity's Creator and final destiny. Sins against religion may be either explicit, as in formal contempt of God, or implicit, as in the practice of idolatry or Satanism. Modern Catholic Dictionary by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.
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[/QUOTE] Beautiful Maryrose. Thankyou. I know that I might not live to see it. It is part of the sacrifice. I willingly offer it. But once in awhile I do get discouraged. I remember some saint saying "discouragement is from the devil." Makes sense.
see Mary....so many of us are in the same boat. No worries for your loved ones either...your prayers, rosaries and sacrifices will get everyone in heaven! That’s why God gave them to you! It will all be revealed in heaven. Our cross is their bridge into heaven. No worries...just pray, pray pray+
Beautiful Maryrose. Thankyou. I know that I might not live to see it. It is part of the sacrifice. I willingly offer it. But once in awhile I do get discouraged. I remember some saint saying "discouragement is from the devil." Makes sense.[/QUOTE] this is how I feel too AED.... we know our prayers will work...even if we do not live to see the conversions. But when it makes us feel sad now, I’ve just started to say to God, “ please take this scourge of pain as a offering towards our salvation”....if Our Lord knew His sufferings had merit, then surely He will use our sacrifice...humble as it is....
Many years ago I obtained a copy of the little blue "Pieta" Book. It is full of powerful prayers, some dating back to 50 years after Jesus' death. There is one prayer in it that should give you peace for your family. It is on page 60 and 61 of the booklet and are promises given by Jesus , "A True Letter Of Our Savior Jesus Christ, Consecrating The Drops Of Blood Which Our Lord Jesus Lost on His Way To Calvary". It will explain how you can assist in the redemption of your family. It will give you much peace. The booklet's history and ordering info can be seen on the website: http://mlor.com/
I will be having my MRI's and MRA on thursday. Then meet with the Dr. next week. I had a bad day on Saturday. Because of all the sitting I have developed sciatica with terrible muscle spasms. So head and back. But today is better. Thank you for praying for me . . .
Prayers tonight and offering up mass tomorrow.Jesus is certainly holding you very, very close. Say one for me; your prayers will be very,very powerful at the moment.
I had a very vivid dream last night. I dreamt I was playing in a street beside a Park near my home (at my age playing go figure ). I was running fast and tried to stop I couldn't but went at great speed ,sliding down it at high speed towards an intersection were a car raced towards me also going very fast. I knew I was going to die and in the seconds left before death, having time for a very quick prayer I raised my eyes to heaven and Said, 'My God I love thee!' Then I woke up. I felt a little annoyed at myself that I had not said an Act of Contrition. But I think perfect resignation at the point of death is just as good. We dance with the Will of God , accepting it to heaven. Death is the bottom line , the closing of accounts and if we do not realise that part of this is the possibility of going to Hell is a very real door we might go through we do not prepare right. That is why so many priests these days do not come to death beds with the Sacraments. They do not truly believe in hell. That is also why relatives do not ask for priests. I recall when my father died I was with him alone at night praying. I watched him take him last breath, a few seconds later I saw a large black dog rise from beside the bed and walk through the closed door. I knew at once it had been the devil, struggling for his soul to the last, even though he was unconscious. The devil is indefagable. He never gives up. In this at least we could learn a little from him.
