4Real Forums: Feeling so sad

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Topic: Feeling so sad - what to do?

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Angie Mc
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Joined: Jan 31 2005
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Posted: Dec 13 2007 at 1:26pm \| IP Logged

Servant2theKing wrote:

I would imagine more people are brought to the Catholic faith through exposure to the beauty and wonders of the Faith, and through the Holy Spirit guiding them to the Truth, rather than through argument.

...or through a lack of courtesy. And we need to be careful because we know that a lack of courtesy can go both ways between and among Catholics and Protestants...and non-Christians. Among Christians, I pray for unity, as Pope John Paul II showed me and I find help in his example of loving courtesy.

Another option not yet mentioned, Lucy, is that many women in your position have found it helpful to hand over apologetic discussions to their husband. For example, when you are asked specific questions, you can reply something like, "Thank you for your concern about our family and yes that is an important question that we have answered together as a family. My husband will be glad to discuss it with you." Often when two men discuss these matters, they are better able to maintain a non-reactive and courteous discussion. Not always...but an option worth considering.

Love,

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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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LucyP
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Joined: Aug 05 2007
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Posted: Dec 13 2007 at 1:45pm \| IP Logged

Thank you so much ladies for your support and advice and prayers. It's been so good for me to be stretched in the area of experincing conflict of various sorts lately - and I think this particular "battle" has helped me see how true my faith is, because much as I wanted to just smile and let it all go, I could not. The Lord Jesus and His Church deserve more than the lies and nastiness my friends have been offering. And when I challenges the argument that Catholics are not Christians by stating the creeds the Church upholds, the belief in the Trinity, the inspired nature of Scripture, the fact that we believe in the Virgin Birth, the resurrection, the redemption through Christ etc, what could they say? Empty rhetoric can't triumph over truth.

I am doing all I can to be gentle and tender and loving to my friend, as concialitory as I can be apart from denying the truth of my own faith, while accepting her own expression of faith. She and her two older daughters came to bring gifts for my children, and it was awkward and tense, especially as she and the elder girl stood scanning the room for signs of blasphemy - and when they saw the statues questioned each one with "It is that for Catholic reasons or for Christmas?"

But guess what? I am asking St Rita and St Jude to pray for this family to become Catholic themselves!

Angie, it is a good plan to ask dh to speak to my friend's husband, but to be honest so far this has been between me and my friend, and while I think her dh has helpd compose the emails she hasn't said so.

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