A mother seeks advice on how to draw her grown sons back to the Catholic Church
September 17, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
Yesterday, on the EWTN “Open Line” radio broadcast, I received a question from a mother whose adult sons have left the Catholic Church and gone into “non-denominational” Protestantism. Concerned about maintaining a good relationship with them while telling them that they’ve made a big mistake in leaving the Faith, she asked what practical things she can do to help them come home. Take a listen.
When did Jesus drink the last cup?
Jesus drank from 3 cups during the Last Supper, but the last – the fourth – he did not drink from then.
Matthew 27:48, Mark 15:36, Luke 23:36, and John 19:30 show Jesus drinking vinegar or sour wine on the cross, from a sponge placed on a hyssop branch.
The hyssop branch was symbolic of the sprinkling of the Passover lamb's blood using a hyssop branch – see Exodus 12:22.
So Jesus was truly the Passover Lamb; then he said, "It is finished."
Read more > > >
I have been using the hellfire and brimstone approach with bigtime sinners in my neighborhood, just because they are in such danger. But it is not working. I don't think any approach is going to work, rather they will have to find their own way. So now, I will back down and let them go freely. I have told them that if they were to die now, they would be doomed; yet they are apparently unaffected by such talk. If I neglect them I might be seen as a bad example of my brother's keeper; but although I myself would do something if warned like the way I warn them, it doesn't seem to work with them. The wise man loves to be corrected and works out his salvation with fear and trembling and would listen to someone who cared enough to say something to him. Not everyone is wise, though. I have brought the Beatitudes to their attention, but they say God is wrong! So, I will pray for them but if I cannot budge them morally, I also cannot blame myself.
If she makes full use of the confessional she will display a conscience that cannot be matched.
hi! great clip! at one pont in my life, about 20-25 years ago, i began to realize my two younger sisters had either left the faith or were in the process of falling away. also, though we never were "not speaking" or had any kind of formally severed relationship, as adults we were discovering that what we had thought of as our "close family relationships" were in reality, anything but close. we always were welcoming and accepting of each other whenever in the presence of each other…we didn't badmouth each other in or out of the presence of each other..nothing like that at all. but we all were pretty seperate from each other, though (whether intentinally or otherwise,) my sisters were in early stages of befriending each other as adults. anyway…we
somehow were all three together on some occasion or another, and I found myself talking with the both of them at the same time – a rarity!
i wish i could remember how the topic came up, but i don't. i do, at one point, remember that i told them, "I know it seems that both of you don't really go to church anymore, and that saddens me. i know both of you need to find your own way yourselves. i can tell you that i've met several people such as yourselves – even Janet, (my wife of then 8+ yeasr or so, and now 28+ years) who had grown up catholic, at then, like yourselves and so many others, left the church. in all but maybe one or two cases, something like seven to fifteen years later, they had all returned to the religion of their upbringing…catholic. sure enough, and nearly to the day, not only had both my sisters returned to the faith, but both their husbands had converted, too. one more so than the other, i think, but even the other was very, very supportive of my sister whom he'd married. both sisters began having families, too! it was like a miracle! yet, in retrospect, it also resembles their own versions of their very own "heroine's journey." both have returned to the faith and are raising their kids catholic. go figure? i have no idea what inspired me to share with them as i did back then, nor do i know if it had anything at all to do with their return to the faith, but i know that such was the time line involved, anyway…ie they fell, i spoke, they returned. to me, its purely the awesome power of God!
Here are three things that tell people dealing with fallen away Catholics and this would be my advice to any parent of a fallen away Catholic: 1. Pray always, and pray often, ask for the intercession of the Blessed Mother, ask for the intercession of St. Monica, and ask for the intercession of st. Jude.
2. Live your faith, no one likes a phony. be a witness to the Gospel of Jesus.
3. Know your faith, study scripture, learn apologetics, remember 1 Peter 3,15: "Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; When discussing religion, don't bash and bring down other religions, this will only push away the one your are talking to. Look for common ground first, and explain the Catholic church's view and teachings on beliefs and doctrines, you can contrast them to protestant religions, but be gentle about it.
I hope this helps you, or anyone else, should you want deeper insight, more details to my story, i do share this with people in public speaking forums. I would be more than happy to correspond with anyone by email should they want more insight into my experiences or advice. Sorry i am not as eloquent as i should be, this is the third time i have typed this out this morning, each time my wifi connection died and it wouldn't go through, and i was trying to hurry up as fast as i could with the kids sitting here on the chair next to me telling me to hurry up. haha,
anyhow, my email is jason56716@live.com
jason K
crookston, mn
Just pray for their eternal salvation. That is what really matters!
I am one of those who left the church in my 20s and didn't return until my 50s. While I was away in Protestant land I enjoyed the worship and I enjoyed the sermons, and I enjoyed all the fellowship. But something was missing. Now that I'm back in the church, I really have problems with the music, I like the homilies, there doesn't seem to be much fellowship, but I would not trade the Catholic Church for any other. Why? Because of the sacraments – especially the Eucharist. We aren't "fed" by music, sermons, or fellowship – but we are fed the Living Word of God – which is priceless to me. Perhaps as her sons wander around in other churches, they too will come to see what they don't get there that they will get when they come back to the Catholic Church.
how about this? When your kids are little, instill in them the HABITS of going to the Sacraments and of daily prayer. Then they will develop the VIRTUE of religion. Else, good luck when they're older and think they know it all.
I would think that she would have to speak to her sons about the gravity of their decision to turn their back on Jesus in Holy Eucharist for "the teachings of men." Protestants can obviously be saved by being protestant — but what of the salvation of Catholics who possessed the fullness of Truth and left?
How about reading Catholicism and Fundamentalism in preparation – it's been years but it's a good source if memory serves.
Mostly pray, pray, pray, and fast, too, for your children. Daily rosary. My mother got 3 out of 4 of us back that way.
This may not help but I'm going to put it anyways… the RCC has a very glorios history. There is a link below of 13 episodes from Dr. Thomas E. Woods about the "unheard story of the RCC" (since our public schools tend to be biased against the church) in various fields such as the sciences and universities and priest's achievements.
I heard it once said, that those who leave the Catholic church leave cause' they are not fed, or they don't know much and can learn more elsewhere… Coincidentally as soon as they leave and get to a non-denominational church, with the anti-Catholic indoctrination taught by many of these so called churches, (I've experienced this myself when I left the one true Catholic church) these new ex-Catholic Protestants seem to now know "EVERYTHING" about the Catholic church…But as I learned… ironically, I was being fed at the Catholic church…you see I was getting the actual Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist every time I attended mass, and I couldn't get that at the protestant church…
Concerned Mom, I would just make yourself ready for when your son comes to you, because he will, with those typical talking points that they are taught in opposition of the Catholic church…Like…Why do you baptize infants, and The Pope is not who you say he is…and The authority is the bible alone, and once saved always saved, and Faith alone. and so on… You be prepared to apologise, (And I don't mean say sorry) I mean to defend the Church and her teachings, brush up on APOLOGETICS, and know how to use apologetics because you can win him back…Truth, when one hears the truth, it resonated through your heart mind body and soul…You plant the seed and it will grow, and with lost and lots of prayer, he will come back…I did, and thank God for all those who prayed for me, and all those who had patience, wisdom and knowledge to correct me and educate me on the truth. Without them I'd still be lost.